The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-30
NERVE OF A TENDERFOOT.
HOW ONE GAVE 4 BAD MAN 4 PLEASANT
RsiIrosd Journ.y-A Story of ths Southwest.

T was in the smoker os a Santa Fe train going through New Mexico one day in the later eighties, when Jack Bradshaw, who was then one of the sure-enough terrors of the southwest, climbed on board" said a travelling special agent of the Indian bureau. Jack was very drunk and very glad of it. He was whooping like ghost-dan- cer as he pumped himself into the last seat next to the water cooler. knew that there was going to be trouble and a plenty of it with Bradshaw as car mate in that condition, and so I got up and went aft to the next car behind, from the door of which I watched the proceedings. Jack had hardly sat down before he yanked out one of his guns and fired a couple of shots out of the open window, and when the dozen and odd peaceable men in the car jumped up suddenly, thinking of train robbers, and faced the rear of the car. they saw Bradshaw, wild-eyed from rum, stand ing in the middle of the aisle and brandishing both of his guns.
 That's about right, you juniper ombreys,' yelled Bradshaw, seeing them all standing. That's what you ought to've done when I first come in here. It's sure case O tn whole out fit a-standin' up when I show up. They ain't no use a-hesitatin' or gnaw- in on tn pommel about it-they just got to- and he let out Navaja whoop and sat down himself. The standing men,, thinking that his seating himself Sr,oe 4J,a y,o f1..-o v; frt.f f1oy,a to TO. sunle their sitting pastures, sat down, too, but Bradshaw fired a couple of shots close to the ears of pair of men who had been the first to take their seats, and all hands Jumped to their feet again mighty hurriedly. The bad man toyed with them that way for about half an hour after the train got under way. and then he gave them for mai consent to sit down. Some. of them began to buzz each other in low tones. E'a
 Stop a-talkin'," howled the drunk en desperado when he noticed this. I pie a-talkin' round where I was. kin do all oi tn talkin'. Jes' think, an let it ga at that. IT. !, ..,5 x There wasn't any more conversation. I Shortly after the enforced silence fell upon the car a young chap who wore eyeglasses and who was stoop-shoul- dered and frail-looking got up from his seat and started down the aisle A bull let from Bradshaws gun just barely iIicked the sssraln ssisst ca I before he had taxxsa sIx steps.
 5. .1l Son, demanded Bradshaw, Were are you all agoin', dye think?'
 \ 8 z '' To get d glass of water responded the youth with the glasses, 'slukily, feeling of his nicked ear.
 \ ''''''Y'are, hey?' inquired the bully. Don't you believe anythin' like that. You're a-goin' t drink what's left in This bottle O mine-don't you bother, got another-an' you're a-goin' to drink it all without battin' a eye, or you'll drink hot lead and Bradshaw pulled from hisfpocket pint flask of whiskey that was about three parts full. The youth looked sullen, but he wisely stretched forth his hand and accepted the proffered bottle and placed it to his lips. He shuddered a good deal over the job. but he got it all down, and then Bradshaw permitted him to take drink of water out of the cooler and to pass to the next car behind, in the door of which I was standing.
 Now, the thing that happened prob ably never would have come off if that young man with the glasses hadn't picked up { Iotsof Dutch courage from that huge drink of red liquor that was forced upon him. It took effect upon him almost immediately, and when he got back into the car behind the smoker he was feeling his oats. I couldn't make out What7he had in mind when l sawfhifn pull out penknife and delib- erately cut the bellrope at both ends of the car and eail the rope around him arm, and the other folks in the car put him down as a, lunatic. The lad was almost staggering under his three-quar- ters of a pint of mesquite liquor when he came out on the platform with his cars length of bell rope, and there was a queer gleam in his eye for tender foot. II asked him what the game was, but he only stared at me in boozy way. and peeked into the smaker to see what Bradshaw was doing. Bradshaw was sitting back in his rear seat, glow ering and half asleep. The tenderfoot sneaked into the car like a cat, haking a slip-lpop in the rope as he went. Bradshaw was looking out of the win- dow when the tenderfoot sprang for ward and threw the loop around his neck and pulled it taut with jerk, and the swift kick that the desperado got in the stomach immediately afterward was So sudden that both of his guns, that had been resting on his lap while hu rulninated Further deviltry, were jarrea on to the floor of the car The tendeTfoot. now fully as drunk as BradshAw frcsfl his big rorsed drink, kept y2fslsing and E1ulling on the rope until the ruffian was livid ..9 70 Come on and give me a hand, you fellows, the tenderfoot yelled to the others in the car, I've got him roped right. He can't get at his guns. Pick lem up. one of you, and we'll tie him up.'H . @J5s
 %''They all hesitated for half minute, but when they saw how thoroughly the lad with the glasses had the bad man cinced they rushed aft and threw them- selves on Bradshaw, and in a jiffy they had him triced lip, with his arms firmly hnuY1d and tho 1ooeo andS of tha rnpe