The representative., 1901-06-06

one OF the bunch Of ave X. X. cowpunchers
who were returning from trip to Blue
stream ranch last Sunday. 'the boss Of
Bluestream ranch is q mighty fine fellow.
but how the deuce such a mild talkin'. quiet
chap as he seems ter be kin keep that tough
crowd from raisin thunder now n then gifts
me. Why, he looks more like a Inj'anny
Sunday school bossna man'ger of the rough
est gang In this section Of Texas"
Sunday school teacher-looks like q
trainer Of kids! Well, Todd. l did think
you was better judge of character than
that George Fontains. or, Captain Fon-
taine, as they call him, is one of the most
determined men in the state. He's not only
fearless, but when he makes up his mind
nothing on earth will stop him. Fontains is
really q quiet, mild appearing man ordinar-
lily, but II you once saw him In deadly
earnest you'd change your mind mighty
quick. Why, that man once carried out
deed Of revenge which excited and interest
ed the whole state Of Texas and half the
country, when single handed and alone, he
wiped out the worst bands OF robbers and
scoundrels that cursed the boiIler 80 years
ago, and he was only about 20 years old
at tha time, q green Kentucky boy on his
way to this country when the AFFAIR hap
pened." said Joe Baker, the oldest man IN
the group. q grizzled ex-veteran OF the
rangers.
II have heard parts Of the story" said
Major Lewis, boss of the outfit, ''but never
got its details. Suppose you give 1t to US,
Joe, when we go into camp"
That evening, by the side Of the camp fire.
old Joe Baker told the following story OF
the desperate revenge Of young George Fon-
taine for the murder of his brother and
friend:
Thirty years ago George and Randall Fon-
taine with an old schoolmate ana friend,
William Kenton, left Kentucky to make
start on the frontier Of Texas. Young Ken
ton was about &c years DID, about the same
age as Randall Fontaine, while George was
fully five years younger. All OF you VINO
are old enough to remember that. directly
after the war almost every outlaw IN the
country, North and South, made his way to
the frontiers, thousands Of them finding
hiding places and headquarters along the
borders Of Texas and the Indian Terri
tory.
One evening the two Fontaines and young
Kenton pulled up at two-story log tavern
near Walnut bayou. The tavern keeper was
an i'll favored German, who looked as though
he would cut a throat for five dollar bill,
but as he seemed willing to accommodate
them the travellers put up their horses and
stopped. About midnight the Fontaines,
who roomed together in the upper story,
heard a confused noise from below, but,
naturally, supposing that other travellers
had arrived, they thought but little about
It, until about an hour later, ,wnen
cautious tap on their door aroused them
When George unfastened it-the door was
fastened by a common wooden button
young Kenton stole in in his stocking feet,
and with his pistol in hand
"Sh! Keep quiet!" he whispered. "Boys,
we are in terrible danger. There's eight OF
the worst looking scoundrels down below
ever saw. There is crack in the floor OF
my room, which is over the bar or ONCE.
and when I heard the crowd coming In
somehow suspected that they might be some
of the robbers we had been warned to look
out for, and so got out OF bed as quietly
as possible and got down and looked through
the crack I could see every man In the
crowd as they stood up to the bar drinking
and talking, and I never saw as murderous
a looking gang. I could hear all they said.
for, although they tried to talk in q low
tone of voice, the sound reached me as
plainly as II I had been in their midst. l
heard the landlord tell them that the young
fellows were in bed upstairs and that they
looked as II they had plenty OF money,
and heard one Of the band, big, tall.
black whiskered giant say: Well go up
and fx 'em after they get sound asleep.
Where did you put 'em, Jaker In the two
front rooms Cap'n,' replied the landlord.
".All right, said the big ruf1an.' And
now,' said Kenton, They'll be up here In
less than an hour. Can't We get out ?"
mo-" said Randall, IF you look out
you'll see two men on guard by the morse
shed, in 'front.' but I believe we had better
change rooms Suppose we steal out OF THIS
into one OF the back rooms. At all events
we'll be taken by surprise there, and per-
side of the house."
All three agreed - Randall's plan, and as
quickly as possible they stole out. closing
the door after them. The door OF one OF
the back rooms was opened, and into 1t
they went, with their boots in their hands.
Then they fastened the door as best they
could. and at Randalrs suggestion. they
Quickly piled the two chairs. an old wash
stand and the bed against IT.; not that
the stun would keep the robbers out, for
II was q rickety lot, but that 1t might con-
fuse and detain the outlaws while the young
men would have q chance to pick some OF
them of. After all this was arranged they
raised the window at the back, through
which to retreat at the last extremity, and,
with theiY pistols ready. waited, Tor they
knew It was now too late to attempt to
yet away on foot, which they would have
TO do IL they Jumped out Of the back win
dow.
Thev did not have to wait long. for the
robbers, emboldened by the whisky they
had been drinking, were soon heard coming
up the stairs, at the upper landing OF
which they separated, and the young men
heard them trying the doors OF the rooms
they had vacated only few minutes be-
fore. There was a minutes silence, follow
ed by a roar Of rage and cursings, when
the thieves found that their proposed vic
fins were not in the rooms. Then back,
at the command of their leader they came.
"Readv. boys" said Randall Fontaine,
quietly. "Stand back out of range and
don't fire until you hear my first shot;
then shoot to kill"
A minutes consultation with the crowd
outside followed, then crash came the door
and in poured the gang. tumbling over
each other as they struck the mass Of piled
up furniture. "Crack," went Randall's g
. pistol, followed by the crack, crack Of the
weapons OF young George and Kenton, into
the crowd. One Of the robbers fell dead,
and Randall was about to shoot again, when
the black whiskered leader of the band.
who was outside Of the door, shot him
through the heart. Young Kenton was shot
and killed q second later, and George Fon-
taine, perceiving his opportunity In the
smoke, which flied the room, sprang from
the window and made hts escape into the
woods on foot; but George Fontaine didn't
run away because he feared death, but he
had seen his brother and his friend mur-
dered before his eyes. and in a second he