The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-02-25

| I'm our club 1 was reserved Tor thesiast'
and noticed my opponent was the little
bricklayer At the 300-yard target our
| bovs did beautifully. but the other fellows
| somehow traied along until we were
| only fve points ahead when II came TO
| my turn.
II made rattIlng score. hut that brick
layer made five more than did. and that
! round ended up with a tie
''Ollr men looked "A little puzzled. and
| there was 4 great cleaning OF guns for
the 5O0-yard target. The wind gauges
were nut in use then and our men didn't Z
seem 10 catch the right notch as quickly
az did the oil crowd. | noticed they con-
suited little Higgins now and then. and
went away with an An right. thanks.
"They were seven points ahead OF us
when IL came TO my turn. and | did bet
ter than usual hoping TO win after all
The little bricklayer shot badly but,
much 20 our amazement when IL came to
count up the score IL again was a tie.
That left the 5000 prize 10 be shot of on
the 700-yard range.
"A dim suspicion that l had gone
against something new entered my mind
then, and / glanced at Higgins curiousN.
But he didn't notice me and only raised
his sight 10 the 700-yard limit and tested
the wind gauge
~ was about 10 speak TO him when one
OF the actors in one Of the strangesi OF all
oil-country happenings numbered into the
grounds and lurched heavily against
Johnston. lie was Bill Levine, moon
sinner, as they called him.
"ln the Washington county field he
dealt only I'm nltroelyccrin that had paid
government duty--sO he said. Levine,
who was intoxicated. demanded In a loud
voice that Johnston tell him what par
tIcular well on the Thayer farm was 20 he
shot that night. as he had 10 quarts OF
nitro-glycerin IN his wagon and wanted
To get rid OF the stuff. Levine's team. n
restive. high-spirited pair Of bays, could
be seen from tho grounds. Iney had
been tied 10 a fence along the road be-
tween MS and the Washington county fair
grounds.
You leave that team where II Is,
Bin said Johnston. You are I'm no con-
dition 10 drive a load like that through
town Your know what happened 90 Bud
Lawson IN Butler. don't you? Just let
that team stay hitchcd and ! will drive
them with that stun over To the well
when this match is over
Levine having got orders from his
boss. sat down. then. seeing we all were
Interested IN the shoot. drew out a bottle
and drank long and deeply IL was nip
and tuck at the 70O-yard range. and our
fellows stood up wonderfully well. con-
sidering the surprise they were meeting
with Luckily ! was good with the wind
gauge. but had a master hand at that
To contend with I'm that man i--seins.
DANGER FOR THE TOWN
After had made score simply mag
niicent that seemed to make our club
sure winner OF big purse. Higgins quiet
ly complimented me on IT. then threw up
his rife and fired almost Instantly
II expected he had made miss, but
the counter behind the iron brcastworks
at the target signalcd a bull s-eNe We all
thought II fiuke. but the counter signal
ed the second shot was doubtful. we
afterward learned IL touched the bull $
eye. There was no doubt about the third,
"a IL was a dead centre.
''Well. we were beaten I'm the next three
shots, and higgins could have fired the
remaining four out of the ten into the
air. had ne wished. but he bad something
better 10 do with az least one of them.
"NNhcn / saw We were beaten | broke
club rules by stepping 10 his side and
grasping his hand.
Mr.. Higgins I said, were licked.
You can mako as many points at any dis
tancc as you want to- apparently.
You mean as many as must. ne
said. with quiet smile, but why do YOU
keep calling me Higgins My name Is
Huggins
" What?" | said. higgins Of Pitts
burg? Huggins. the rifle shot. who can
carry away his medals from Creedmore
to Aldcrshot2
:" Why yes. he said Didn't YOU know
that? ! was introduced all around.
"Mell. how WIS | To know the celebrated
shot had been making more money IN
contracting for work In the oil fields than
by his shooting ability which was some
thing phenomenal So ! burst ont with
loud ITS HugginsH when something
occurred that took all notion of target
shooting out Of our minds
II heard Johnson yell out something
about that blanked fool, Bill then start
on run across the meadow To the road
leading past the fair grounds and direct
ly into the centre of the town. of Wash
ngton. Away over the road We could sec
the 'moonshiner trying To control his
horses
THE scamp had sneaked away from
us and was bent on hauling his load OF
100 quarts OF deadly explosives to the
Thaycr we'll lie was too helnless 10
handle the s"irited team, and when they
broke and ran he did the best thing pos
slble for his own hide and dropped of the
rig into the road and rolled into the
ditch
THAT left the animals free and. sduar-
ing away. they darted like the wind down
the smooth turnpike toward Washington
with the frightful load of terrible cNplo-
sives carceni..y from side To side The
tarpaulln that had covered IL had been
thrown aside and We could see The cans
glisten aud dance about In the afternoon
sun.
''If that load ever reached the town n
curhstonc or sharp corner would have
done the rest. and u would have been all
over with at least two blocks and heaven
knows how many lives I'm little Washing
ton
MIR. HIGGINS PHENOMENAL SHOT.
II heard one OF the oil men CRY cow
ard. referring TO Levine then stood fas-
cinatcd AZ the actions Of Huggins, Tho
team was going like n Whirlwind and at
right angles from us, and a little brick
layer had thrown his rifle To his shoulder
' It's 200 yards to an inch. he said to
himself. and We measured II afterwards,
and it was.
F" Don't try the horses of the the drill
ers sang out. Bust the cans
Then the little hrieSlayer's rifle sang,
and all the out country knows the rest.
Nitruglycerin cans horses rig. and fences
disappeared absolutely aud completely.
liurginS had made another bulls eve,
and we saw nothing but pun of gray Wish
blue smoke, as II crater suddenly had
opened.
AN instant later there was roar and
q blast of ore that shook us even at that
distance. Johnson who was sarcst. WAS
thrown TO the ground and though n was
| more than ten years ago. The town of
| Washington still has numb feeling in it's
cars.
1--WE found Levine peacefully sleeping
| IN the ditch aud very little of the horses
! and rig around n rod or two of macadim-
! lied turnnikc torn Go the depth Of ten feet.
! That was a great shot, my boy. a great
| shot