The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-11-17

But that part of the business, too,
had been we'll calculated upon by Hous-
ton. He made a flying leap over the
table. clearing it. and, with all the
momentum OF his big frame, his feet
landed square in the middle of Gala
hams chest. just as the dealer was in
the act of raising his gun to fire. The
gun vas kicked out of his hand and dis
charged by the trigger catching OH the
edge of the table as it fell, and the bull
let going through the brim of Houston's
SLOUGH hat. Callahan went down like
Il log with not enough wind left in his
body to ventilate an orchid, and Hous-
tor went down with the wreck of the
table.
The youngster at the table had stag
sered to his feet With Houston'S first
words TO Penfield, II when Houston
rose from the wreck of the splintered
table the young fellow was edging
toward the door with the fear of God
iii his face. Houston rushed upon him,
grabbed him by the scruff of the coat
and hurled him out of the door. then
pulled the door to and turned the key
in 1t to keep out any hangers-on who
might take the gambling proprletor's
end of it.
Then, with Penf1eld stretched sense
less on the floor and the dealer lying
bereft of wind and gasping for breath,
Houston proceeded to kick every square
inch of gambling paraphernalia in that
plant to ~matchwood. He jumped on the
two other faro tables broke them
in two, and then he ground them into
slivers under his heels. He did the
same to the craps table and the
Squeeze-Spindle layout. He swept every
one of the faro chips that he could find
into q waste basket and then tossed the
basket out Of the window, the shower
Of chips startling the crowd %lounging
down ha1nJr. ~, thn Cil ,ro1L- liz n,
u heavy swinging chair. used by one
of the faro lookouts. down upon the
long keno table and busted it beyond
recognition. Then, taking a look around
to see If he'd made a complete job of
It,. he walke owe to the window,
vau!ted over the sill and landed on his
toes fourteen feet below.
"A year later Penfeld landed in Wood
ward. Houston's home town. one morning,
and, impelled by a leftover jag that he
had with him and the memoir Of his wip-
tng-out at Houston's hands. sent Houston
word that he was going to bore him on
sight. Peniield was ugly. and meant it, at
that, for he took up the conventional patrol
OF Main street. waiting for his man. But
Houston suddenly stepped out at Il corner,
catching Penlield He threw his
left around Penlc!d's body before the
gambler could draw. and with his right ha
came pretty nigh 10 pulling Peniield's nose
loose from his head. Then he turned sud-
denly, gave him two terrible open-palm
slaps on either cheek. grabbed him again
from behind and. with his knee in PEN
tield's back and kicking him every few
steps. he literally ran him dow to the
depot. held him there till the next train
came along, half an hour later, and then
tossed the thoroughly cowed gambler
through the open door of the baggage car
as if he'd been a sack of spuds. Penfleld
got out Of Oklahoma and never showed his
face there again.
Temple Houston's quickness In putting
away two other men who had publicly
announced their intention of killing him
did not lessen his reputation as a man to
be feared. The two men who We're going
to take HouSton's life We're brothers-Al
and Ed Jennings. They. too. We're crim-
inal lawyers, and their grievance against
Houston was that The latter had taken Il
profitable client away from them, where
as the client had really goae to Houston
volutarily, without any solicitation, what
ever. But they gave it out that Temple
Houston would nave to answer with his
life for Stealing their client away from
them
The Jennings boys lived in Woodward,
too, and when they passed the word out
that it was going to be Houston or them
they knew what they were up against.
But both of the brothers were there with
the nerve. and when they started out to-
gether TO look for Temple Houston they
knew that it was going to be work TO a
finish.
LAS soon as word of the Jennings boys
intention was carried to Houston at his
home he started down town. He hadn't
more than got out of his gate before he
was Joined by one of his intimate friends.
a man named Jack Lane. Lane told Hous-
ton that he was going along with him.
Houston baked at that. saying that he
wasn't going to need anybody with him.
Lane insisted upon accompanying him, and
Houston became 50 wrought up over his
friends persistence that he threatened to
shoot Ian If the latter didn't make a
quick hike of it and let him do his own
work In his own way. But Lane, who loved
Houston, told his friend to shoot and be
ID: he was going along anyhow: and
that shriveled Houston's wrath and won
him. He threw his arm around Lanes
shoulder. and they proceeded down town.
Houston's idea In trying to chase Lane
had been wholly unselfish. He simply did
not want his friend to get damaged, or
have to share in any after consequence
in a fight in which he had had no initial
part.
Houston and Lane strolled into the first
bar room they came to. and We're taking a
drink, when, III the bar mirror, they saw
the two Jennings brothers push open the
swinging doors to peer in. They didn't
know that Houstin was in the bar ROOM.
but they were taking a look. They We're a
bit blinded by the strong sunlight in which
they had been walking, and 1t took thems
a few seconds to become accustomed to-
the dimness Of the bar room and to make
out the figure of Houston standing at the
end Of the bar. with Lane alongside him.
And it was that little delay, CAUSED by the
sunlight in their eyes, that was their un-
doing.
A Fierce Encounter.
Houston deliberately stepped in front
of Lane. kicked him backward on the right
shin with all his might so as to disable
him and keep him out OF the fight and the
consequences-Lane sank with a groan of
pain to the floor and then. quicker than
thought, the instant the Jennings broth
ers had espied Houston and were going
for their guns he had both of his guns out
and work.
E Jennings fell dead. pierced through
the heart, with Houston's first shot. and
AL Jennings went down with a dangerous
wound in the chest an instant later, NUT
tering I've got enough as he toppled over.
Houston walked out of the saloon, went
into a drug store next door, got some ar
MICA, and, returning to the bar room,
pulled up his friend Lanes trousers leg
and rubbed arnica on the shin spot where
he had back-kicked Lane to keep him out
of the muss. /.
al Jennings recovered from his bad