The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
A CoNQUER0R 0FBAD MEN, He.
RECORD or NICK HALPIN. DAY
MARSHAL or TOMBSTONE.
When He Took the Job He Announced That
He Didn't Propose to De Hurt While
DOins His Duty-A Series OF surprises
for tho Camp Followed - Success
NJ the New system Introduced.


for tho Camp Followed - success
NJ the New system Introduced.
None Of the gun sooners ever got the
drop on Nick Halpin when he pounded the
day marshal's beat in Tombstone, and
Halpin held down the billet, at that, when
mans life in Tombstone wasn't held to be
worth much more than buzzard tamale
or plate Of frijoles, said an elderly South
westerner who was settled in Arizona be-
fore the railroads got there. 'Halpln
monsooned into Tombstone about six
months after the boom began, and he sue
ceeded Tusk Foster as day marshal OF the
camp-Tusk had been so minced up In
kniie-hght with two half-breed Gila-eaters
that he had to be hiked up to Colorado to
win back his strength.
Nick was taciturn, unassuming sawed
or He had cowlicky auburn hair and a
pair Of topaz eyes, like mountain cats,
that seemed TO grow darker and to sP,t
sparks when he was getting busy
I reckon hain't a-going t git shot up
none whilst doin this yere work. Nick had
remarked in accepting the day marshals
job. I sure can't see no fun IN this thing
O. layin' abed with a hull lot o zig-zag
holes in y'r system, sure can't. That's
why amt goin T. let no gun-fannin' ON
brey in this camp stick me up an poke
lead into my frame. just nachully like
t be swingin long on tn solee o my boots,
an don't see this game O layin' back on a
bunk, while t holes are healn', an count
in tn centlpedes workin' their way IN
through the ceilin an sides O. tn 'dobe--they
hain't nough action in that kind o work.
r.. -kn hnn
express his natural objection to being
lead-plugged hoped that he would get
away with his determination, but none OF
US had much Of an idea that he would be
able to make that determination stick for
very long. Halpin had never shown the
camp anything in the line OF strategy, and
SO, Of course, We had no way OF figuring
that he possessed any Of that kind OF stun.
1.-TWO days after Nick had got his badge
a burly, green-eyed fellow named Con
Mcdowell, who had drifted down to Tue
son from the Santa Anita Mountains, where
he had grown sulky after years OF unsuc-
cessful prospecting, knocked of work at
noon, absorbed about half gallon OF jolly
mescal into his system, and then spor-
lively shot the right ear from the head OF
Chink keeper of grub joint. After doing
this he strolled out into the middle OF the
Tombstone being then one-street
camp-and announced that he couldn't
abide any kind Of grub joint that didn't
provide its patrons with stewed puff
adders, fricasseed tarantulas, and scorpions
q la Chihuahua. adding that the same was
the only kind of food that he cared to eat
when he felt real good, as he happened to
feeling lust at that moment.
Which, if any d-headed runts that
think they're some few on gun-breezin' wants
t. dispute Mr. Mcdowell wound up, obvi-
ously referring to Day Marshal Nick Halpin.
here I'm a-perchin,' and he left the middle
of the road. leaned up against the front OF
the This Ii 1t honkatonk, and. with his
thumbs tucked in his gun belt. blinked
boozily In the sunshine.
Presently dray, hauled by fea-bitten
and lonesome-iooking mule, and driven by
greaser smoking corn-shuck cigarette.
pulled alongside the plank sidewalk in
front Of the honkatonk against which
Mcdowell was leaning and glooming.
large square pine box. of the sort that
blankets for Western shipment used to be
packed in, was the dray's load.
Mcdowell gazed idly at the mule and
the dray and the box He did not observe
that the top OF the box was missing. But
when the muzzles Of two blue steel forty
fives, held by pair of freckled hairy
hands, appeared over the edge of the box,
and a tousled red head. uncovered by any
hat, followed the guns, bobbing up jump
inp.iack-wise, Mcdowell suddenly became
a heap observant.
point both OF 'em at the buzzards, CON-
said the day marshal OF Tombstone in
persuasive sort of key, resting his arms
on the edge Of the box and drawing fine
bead with both OF his guns on McDowell's
torso-and before he had got the words
out the greaser driver, rightly experimenting
hood presently, suddenly dropped back
ward on his seat and squatted for protec.
ton behind the far side Of the box.
Mcdowell, assuming the obed,ent air OF
the man who knows that he is bulged, stuck
point upward with his right, too. But he
didn't stick the right up. He went, instead.
for his right hand gun.-and it was light
ming movement, at that But 1t wasn't
shSRiRRsb snGssM rsha shoulder
with ball before the man from the Santa
Anita country could get his right hand gun
cleared for action. The shock knocked
Mcdowell down. Halpin vaulted with one
hand over the side Of the box. and in some,
"
disarmed.
"Couldnt help it, no how, Con- Halpin
explained to the wounded man as he and
the greaser loaded him into the dray to
take him for treatment to the office Of the
sawbones down the street, an 80 you don't
want t. take it to heart none whatever.
I'd ha give you better chance. on'y just
naohully don't like Z stand t git siev,
up a hull heap by boys full O. cactus medi-
cine f'r tn wages I'm gittin. an that's
fac
THAT looked like a pretty foxy start for
Nick, and 1t began to dawn on us how he in
tended to 90 about the business Of preserv-
ing law and order during the daylight hours
in Tombstone without taking many chances
on being bunked in a lonesome 'dobe amid
the depressing aroma Of drugs, lotions, ONT
ments and unguents.
About ten days after Mcdowell had been
tucked away as Nick's No. l in his new
official capacity. Jack Bradley, a long-hau
freighter from Cochise county and
middling dangerous mule quirter when he
got good, hefty cargo OF the cochneal
fluid slowed beneath his surcingle. loped
into Tombstone from Tucson with left
over. Taking up good position on
little sand mound at the head of the street
he notified all hands within hearing of his
voice that from that moment he had as
h. -. ,,,