The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-09-29

"'PoiAt both Of 'em at the buzzards,
Bill said the day marshal Of Durango
in persuasive sort of key, resting
his arms on the edge of the box and
drawing q fine bead with both Of his
guns on McShane's torso-and before
Aiken had got the words out the
greaser driver, rightly apprehending
that there'd be some action in that
neighborhood presently, suddenly
dropped backward of his seat and
squatted for protection behind the far
side Of the box.
"McShane, assuming the obedient
air Of the man who knows that he is
bulged, stuck his left arm up. and
made a move as If to point upward
with his right, too. But he didn't
| stick the right up. He went, instead,
| for his right-hand guh-and it was q
lightning movement, at that. But it
wasn't lightning enough, notwith-
standing.
NAT broke McShane's right shoulder
with ball before the man from the
Santa Anita country could get his
right-hand gun cleared for action.
Aiken vaulted with one hand over the
side of the box, and in something less
than two seconds he had McShane dis
armed.
"'Couldn't help it, nohow, Bill
Aiken 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 so you don't want t take
it to heart none whatever. I'd ha'
given you a better. chanst, only just
nachully don't like t stand t git
sieved up a hull heap by boys full o
cactus medicine f'r tn wages I'm
a-gittin', an that's fac
Three days later Jim Munson, the
foreman of a bunch of shafts to the
south of the camp. got letter from one
of his eastern wives that touched him on
the raw. jun jumped the reservation
over the receipt of that letter, and Jim
was sure enough bad when he got busy
with the dreanlings of the coils.
1.-TWO hours after he'd come in from
the claims and descended upon the
camp Jim was jumping on his hat in the
middle of the street, with both guns out,
and yelling that the flock of grizzlies that
had the gizzard to tackle him would
have to have their claws ground to a
razor edge with alligator files and that
even then he would tear their teeth out
of their jaws with his naked hands.
Then Jim constituted himself sort
of battery of light artillery parked at
the head Of the street, for he took up his
position on a sandmound and swept the
thoroughfare with both of his guns every
time he saw a careless or unsuspecting
man emerge from a GROCERY.
Jim had kept the street deserted for
about half an hour from his coign of
vantage on the mound, and he was in
forming the baking breeze that was
blowing that he, James Munson, esq.,,
was a gray desert wolf that preferred
to lap strongly impregnated alkali water
to slipping the cool, sweet product of the
freshest spring when a pair of knobbed
and freckled hands holding a couple of
blue steel guns and cowlicky red head,
all belonging to a man lying close to
the edge of the roof of the Morning Star
honkatonk, were seen by some of us
sitting in the barber shop across the
street. Nat had got into the place from
the rear and climbed to the roof. We
were waiting for Jim to go away from
street.
Mats position, lying fiat there on the
roof and overlooking Jim's mound. was
pretty good one.
"'Oh, Jim!' Nat called softly down to
the painting Munson.
Jim looked up with an expression of
justification in the direction whence
he had heard the voice, and, shading
his eyes with his hands, he saw Mats
hands and head.
Don't wan t. shatter you all up none
Jim,' remarked Aiken in a kindly Tone
but what want t. know is air you a
goin' t. be good now?'
For reply Mr. Munson announced
that he was double-fanged sand moe
casin and that the pizen was bilin' in
him, at the same time snatching for his
weapons.
NAT let Jim down easy. He knocked
him over with flesh wounds in both of his
thighs, and then he sprang through the
roof scuttle, raced down the steps, and
when he got to Munson Jim was sitting
in the mound feeling of his wounds, with
his guns lying alongside him
THE real Durangoites were willing
to let Nat have it after that. and the
only people he had to trim from that
time were outsiders that drifted into the
camp, "-Washington Star