Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-30
1enderfoot was Game.

Il was In the smoker of a Santa Fee
train going through New Mexico, one
day in the latter sos when Jack Brad
shaw, who was then one of the sure
enough terrOrS OF the southwest,
climbed on board" said a travelling spe-
cial agent of the Indian bureau. Jack
was very drunk and very glad of it.
He was whooping like a ghost dancer
as he pumped himself into the last
seat next to the water cooler. l knew
that there was going to be trouble and
a plenty of it with Bradshaw as a car
mate in that condition, and so l got up
and went aft to the next arsbehind,
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 a dozen and
odd peaceable men in the car jumped
up suddenly. thinking Of train. robbers.
they saw Bradshaw, wild-eyed from
rum, standing 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 We QOTe WHEN llTSl came Ill mere.
It's a sure case O tn whole outfit
a-standin up when l show up. They
amt no use a-hesitatin or gnawin' on
tn pommel about it-they just got to-
and he let out a Navajo whoop and
sat down himself. The standing men.
thinking that his seating himself was
the natural signal for them to resume
their seating postures, sat down, too,
but Bradshaw fired a couple Of shots
close to the ears of a 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 formal
consent to sit down. Some of them
began to buzz each other in low tones.
"'Stop a talkin',' howled the drunken
desperate when he noticed this. I
never could nachully abide havin' peo-
pie a-talkin' round where was. l kin
do all O. tn talkin'. Jes' think, an let
1T go at that
'There wasn't any more converse
ton. Shortly after the enforced silence
fell upon the car a young chap who
wore eyeglasses and who was stoop-
Hshouldered and frail-looking got up
from his seat and started down the
aisle. A bullet from Bradshaw's gun
Just barely nicked the youths ear be-
fore he had taken six steps.
Son. demanded Bradshaw, were
are you all again. dye Think
Ito get a glass of water, respond
ed the youth with the glasses, sulk-
fly, 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-dont you bother
/ got another-an' you're a-goin' to
drink It all without hattin' a eye. OF
youI drink hot lead" and Bradshaw
pulled from his pocket pint flask OF
whiskey that was about three parts
full. The youth looked sullen, but he
wisely stretched forth his hand anC
accented the proffered bottle and placed
it to his lips. He shuddered goot
deal over the job but he got 1t al
down. and then bradshaw permitted
him to take drink of water out OF thu
cooler and to pass to the next car be
hind. in the doorway of which wal
standing.
Now. the thing that happened prob
ably never would have come off If tina
young man with the glasses hadn
nicked up lot of Dutch courage iron
that huge drink. of red liquor that wa
forced upon him. 1t took effect upol
him almost Immediately, and when n
got back into the car behind the smoke
he was feeling his oats. couion
make out what he had in mind when
saw him pull out a penknife and de
,iberately cut the bellrope at both end
of the car and coil the rope around nj
arm and the other folks in the car pu
him down as lunatic.
"The lad was almost staggering un
der his three-quarters Of a pint Oh mes
ouite liuuor when he came out on IN
platform with his cars length or pc
rome. and there was a queer CLEAN i
his eve for a tenderfoot. asked hir
what the game was but he only stare
at me In a booty way, and peeked INT
the smoker to see what Bradshaw wa
doing. Bradshaw was sitting back l
his. rear seat. glowering and ma
asleep.
1.-THE tenderfoot sneaked into the ca
like a cat. making a slip-loop TO On
rome as he went. Bradshaw was ioot
ing out of the window when the ter
derfoot suddenly sprang forward an
threw the loop around his neck an
pulled it taut with a jerk, and the swi
nick that the desperate got in II
stomach Immediately afterward was
sudden that both Of his guns. that ma
been resting on his lap while he rum
mated further deviltry, were Jared on
the floor of the car, and the tenderfoo
&ha t1ffnk as. Bfhdshaw fro
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