The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-06-19
One Athletes Downfall
~ EDWIN ,. WHISTLER
lGII@I%IIl


n On ATWOOD was an athlete, and
= good one lie had played left
guard on the varsity in a year when
that meant a good deal: he was the
best boxer in college; altogether. he
would have been picked out a. a
man eminently able tn take care of
himself. Yet he fell. And his fall
was partly due to the pride which
notoriously precedes a fall. and part
Iy "a 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 j. asked 4 drink. refuses
10 take anything stronger than min
eral water. the bad man Is enraged.
and starts to draw his rum. but be-
fore he can use his weapon the ten
derfoot lands ON his jaw. and fol-
Lows this up by giving the floor a
general polishing with the aforesaid
bad man OF course this procedure
j. the rule. But there are excep-
tion~ to every rule.
After leaving college Tom tool .
fob of mining engineering in the
Black Hills For about a month
things ran on with the even tenor of
the east. The nearest saloon was
miles away. so no one even asked
Tom 10 drink. let alone forcing him
at the point of a pistol 10 imbibe
red eye against hi~ wishes. Tom
wasn't exactly looking for trouble.
hut ne began 70 think things might
81 too much the other way
At the end Of the first month il
wa niece. airy To go 70 the nearest
fown FOR supplies Arriving in town
after a long. dusty ride. Tom sought
q place where ne might obtain some
thing To eat. and at the same time
wash down some ~ 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-
p~erierce in thirsty places Tom
.tr7,ck for the nearest. II was here
the current ~Teuderfuot versus Bad
Man tales. which he had read from
his youth up. The test proved a
thorough. n not n satisfactory. one.
Standing in front Of the bar when
Tom entered was a gentleman who
seemed the perfect type Of the "bad
iran" dear 10 readers Of western
stories He had the broad brimmed
sombrero. the leggings. the revolver,
which are supposed 10 20 with the
typical Killer. Lots ~ men who have
never killed any thing fiercer than n
cow wear this outfit. BUT il hap
D~necs that Mr.. Ike Williams. the gen
tI-man in question. really was a man
with a bad record in the use Of his
shooting irons. At that he was n
pleasant. afabie sort ~ man. until
s0me one else seemed inclined 10 look
for trouble. In that ease Mr.. Ike Viii
liam~ made no attempt To sideSfep
the trouble. He waS more likely 10
~ toward IL on the gallop.
Mr. Williams was just ordering a
drink AZ Tom entered the barroom.
western etiquette j. decidedly against
a man drinking alone.
<rep mp. stranger" said Ike. az
f.n- -aud have something with
me
III have ginger ale" replied Tom.
IN IN unnecessarily aggressive tone.
Ike Williams made No reply to this.
lie ordered whisky for himself. The
bartender started to prepare the
drinsS. Tom ATWOOD didn't under
stand. In al the stories he had read
The demand OF a tenderfoot for a
soft drink always met with the most
decided cmonSrrance
II said I'll take ginger ale" he re
p.at.d. somewhat in the tone Of a
man who was looking for trouble.
\ whisky for me"
Mr.. Ike Williams glanced WI in
~srrr-iSe at the tone. ~ long as
n. -. hi own whisky. IL was a mat
ter ~ indifference 10 him whether
Tom drank ginger ale or coal oil. Blu
he didn't approve ~ the tone In
which the order was given. He
ierked hi head toward the bartcnd-
er. as If to Indicate that he was the
man taking the order. Hut he said
nothing. and in Tom Atwood's short
career he never had a better oppor-