The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-01-25

shoot then because his gun wasn't load-
 ed-he had been cleaning it and had | forgotten to replace the cartridges.
 He'd have killed Bratton otherwise, as
 a matter of course.
 That same night Bratton sent word to Cannon that he meditated shooting
 him up some on the following day, Can
 non wasn't the man to take to the cliffs
 or the cactus, having plenty Of notches on his gunbarrel himself, and he walked
 around the next afternoon like light
 battery of artillery. Big Divide Jim
 Bratton bulged him, however, by turn 1 ing corner suddenly as Cannon pa ! raded down the main street, and then
 it vas Gannon's hands that went up for
 change. Bratton had two guns cov-
 ering him, and Cannon knew his gait. ] This said Bratton, is where I get
 an even break for my coin. Now, you | like me so much, Cannon, that l want you to sort O show your appreciation
 of me by wall1in' around town linked
 arms with me for while.
 Tt was up to Cannon to comply with this peculiar request. Big Divide Jim
 Bratton jabbed his guns back into his belt, and then he clutched Gannon's left arm and passed it through his right. The disadvantage of this ar engagement occurred to Bratton. It left Gannons gun-arm free while in case of argument Bratton would have to use his left gun, But Big Divide Jim wasn't selfish.
 "The population of La Junta was n mn tp io Ji,,,b ton and George Cannon, who had al- ways been more or less sore on each other, and who had had quarrel that meant the death of one or both of them on the night before, walking arm in-arm up and down the main street of the town It looked like perlpatetic lovefcast between the two of 'em. But ! they were watching each othel like cats. At the end of the street Bratton, still with his right arm linked to Gan nons left, stopped suddenly and said
 George, l ain't much on tho blow ! about any un-suddenness that I may possess, but I sure want to give you . chance. You thrung it into me last i night in way that's eat up so much of the atmosphere around here that N''Ni ' iiCl CAouSii lC+I III lHiS for both of us to breathe at one and the same time. I'm a-goln' to count three, and when I say three it's breakaway and finish. You've got loose right arm, but I aint no hog. One-two-thre
 "The event proved Big Divide Jim Bratton the quicker man and the bet ter marksman. He got Cannon through the heart, whereas Gannon's ball lodged in Bratton's right wrist. Bratton had to suffer his right hand to be cut off that same night.
 "The last time I saw him was about Ling on the edge of bunk in his own cabin, close to a claim he was workin' hadn't seen him since he'd lost his land.
 Jim, said I, It's too bad you should nave lost that right hand. If the fellow hat plugged you had only gotten the eft hand, why---'
 Oh, I don't know said Bratton, If I'd ha' lost my left
 wouldn't have been able to play the fiddle any more
 He reached under his bunk and forth an old violin. Then he igged up an attachment he had for lolding the bow in his right stump nd he played the instrument real weetly for me for half an hour or so
 '''I couldn't have done no fingerin [ I'd ha lost my left hook you know e said simply when he put the old dale y."-Washington Post.