The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-06-20
One Athletes Downfall |
BY EDWIN J. WHISTLER
G@I!I!&!%!II
ToM ATWOOD was an athlete. n

IT on ATWOOD was an athlete, and
good one. He had played left
guard on the varsity in year when
that meant good deal; he was the
best boxer in college; altogether, he
would have been picked out as q
man eminently able to take care of
himself. Yet he fell. And his fall
was partly due to the pride which
hotoriously procedes fall, and part
ay to the fact that Tom had read too
many tales about the manner in
which the husky young tenderfoot
from the east treats the western bad
man when the latter attempts to
impose on him.
In stories the plucky and virtuous
tenderfoot is asked to drink, refuses
to take anything stronger than min
eral water. the bad man is enraged,
and starts to draw his gun, but be-
fore he can use his weapon the ten
derfoot lands on his jaw, and fol-
lows this up by giving the floor
general polishing with the aforesaid
bad man. OF course this procedure
40 ihC rue. Dut thCEC aTC eACCD-
tions to every rule.
After leaving college Tom took
Job of mining engineering in the
Black Hills. For about month
things ran on with the even tenor of
the east. The nearest saloon was
miles away. SO no one even asked
Tom to drink, let alone forcing him
at the point of pistol to imbibe
red eye against his wishes. Tom
wasn't exactly looking for trouble,
but he began to think things might
fbe too much the other way.
At the end Of the first month 1t
was necessary to go to the nearest
town for supplies. Arriving in town
after a long, dusty ride, Tom sought
. place where he might obtain some
thing to eat, and at the same time
wash down some of the western dust
which had accumulated in his throat
during the long mornings ride. There
wasn't any trouble finding such a
place. In fact. the main street of
the town on both sides was crowded
with them. After his months ex-
PCIiCHNC III PiaSCS ioh
struck for the nearest. 1t was here
that he put to the test the truth of
the current "Tenderfoot versus Bad
Man" tales, which he had read from
his youth up. The test proved
thorough. if not satisfactory, one.
Standing in front of the bar when
Tom entered was gentleman who
seemed the perfect type of the "bad
man. dear to readers of western
stories. He had the ad-brimmed
sombrero, the leggings, the revolver,
which are supposed to go with the
typical killer. Lots Of men who have
never killed anything fiercer than a
cow wear this outfit. But il hap
pened that Mr.. Ike Williams, the gen.
tleman in question, really was man
with n bad record in the use of his
shooting irons. At that he was a
pleasant, affable sort of man, until
some one else seemed inclined to look
for trouble. In that case Mr.. Ike Will
liams made no attempt to sidestep
the trouble. He was more likely to
go toward it on the gallop.
Mr.. williams was>5ust ordering a
drink as Tom entered the barroom,
Western etiquette is decidedly against
a man drinking alone.
"Step up. stranger" said Ike, af-
fably, 'and have something with
me-"
"I1l have ginger ale" replied Tom,
in an unnecessarily aggressive tone.
Ike williams made no reply to this
He ordered whisky for himself. The
bartender started to prepare the
drinks. Tom Atwood didn't under
stand. In all the stories he had read
the demand of tenderfoot for a
soft drink always met with the most
decided remonstrance.
81 said I'd take ginger ale" he re-
peated, somewhat in the tone Of a
man who was looking for trouble.
"No whisky for me-" -
Mr.. Ike Williams glanced up in
surprise at the tone. AS long as
he got his own whisky, il was a mat
ter of indifference to him whether
Tom drank ginger ale or coal oil. But
he didn't approve of the tone In
which the order was given. He
jerked his head toward the bartend-
er, an IL to indicate that he was the
man taking the order. But he said
nothing, aud in Tom Atwood's short
career he never had better oppor-