Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-14

hid. l wrapped soft with my knuckles on
the window just at my right hand.
Say, Chalkeye! Louisiana was hailing
me. why don't you stand by the Dock?
Have you gone back on the Dook2'
Il stand here, Pete" said 1, Ito see fair
play"
Then Ryan broke in on me-
Boys" he said, I'VE don't need Chalkeye
Davies to Judge our play. You know me- all
OF you; you know my record, and what I've
Done FOR our city. I've not asked you here,
cluzens, TO see murder, or fighting Of any
sort, but to witness an act Of justice done
by this Lord Balshannon on himself"
The crowd kept still, remembering that
our leading citizen had acted straight for
our city, and had right to be heard
Now you shall judge as citizens" said
Ryan, between this man and me- For
land and homes in Oireland, until the
Balshannons came over with bloody
Cromwell to steal our little holdings by
force Of arms We were overpowered,
but we were free men, not slaves: we are
free men today, and we have fought for
liberty.
Look at this last Balshannon, this man
who once tried to get me hung on false
charge, this cowardly, brutal rufflan who
grove me and all my people out of our
homes to die in the bitter cold. Think of
our women starving to death in the snow
drtfts.and. If you doubt me, go and ask
me wife. We were driven, she and I, and
al our people, out Of the land we loved,
Jul VI DeSSdTeO, nOpeleSS, DESPAIR
ing exiles. Out on the black Atlantic we
had to bury one of my little children in the
sea-there stands the murderer! Do you
blame me- citizens for wanting ven
"Dook," says the Alabama Kid, Sup
pose we hear your side2
You'll hear my side" says Lord Bal
of-er--3ustice." Then he wiped the run
ming blood from his cheek, and yawned be-
hind his hand. Even Ryan's men began
to look ashamed Of such court.
"Vengeancep' Ryan was bowling; ven
geance with the Apaches first-I turned
them loose on your camp! Vengeance with
McCalmont's robbers-I turned them loose
grapsed Curly McCalmont's hand We saw
his back shaking with laughter, but when
he faced Ryan again he Strengthened his
lips. Excuse me-" he said, go on"
But the crowd remembered how Mccall
monts wolves had breakfasted with Ryan
after that little dinner at Holy Cross They
howled with laughter.
You may laugh!' yelled Ryan laugh,
you bounds" but Balshannon lifted his
hand and the crowd were silent.
YES; Yes / failed" said Ryan. II had to
did for yourself; yes, you, Balshannon,
drinking and gambling here while your for
saken wife lay dying yonder! 1 had only
to find a few friends to lend you me money,
and sharpers to be after rocking you of all
you borrowed. Yes, that was me ven
geance; can you say that failed? Where
Is your big estate? Where are your cattle?
Where is your wffe?"
Balshannons face had gone dead with
pain, but he never f1inched.
And now" Ryan shouted at him, you
besgared gambler, you broken. shaking
drunkard, you shall finish this vengeance
on yourself, which you began, which needs
no hand of mine! Here!" He ran forward,
hand. Finish! Kill yourself, and have
done. for shure an you're not fit to live We
| filthy beast!'
Balshannon was reeling, faint, sick,
clirging to the bar for support.
Boys" 1 shouted, 'ff Ryan's a man let
him fight. Stand aside, give him room,
give him gun Patrone, take this gunr'
I jumped to his side, damned one Of my
revolvers into his hand, then leapt back to
my place by the wall. Ryan's tinhorn pets
had deserted him; even his son, scared to
death, had skunk away.
Help" Ryan was screaming. "MurtherI"
But a gun was thrust into his hand and
| his own hired thugs showed him forward to
fight Balshannon.
when call 'Threer I shouted and saw
Balshannon stand like man, cool. steady.
Zone, two, threeP'
Ryan fired and missed before my second
call, but at the Three Balshannon's gun
biazed out. I saw little black hole be-
tween Ryans eyes, and he fell forward all
in a heap, stone dead.
reckon that for years I'd been heaps
yirtuous keeping my quick gun off Bal
shannon's meat, so now was full of JOY
| because the patrone had finished up all the
unpleasantness and made peace without
loss or damage. No grown, responsible
man had any quarrel left.
But then my youngsters weren't grown
up bit, nor responsible. nor anything else,
but ratified with-a outright too rich for
their blood. Curly was scared all to pieces.
Jim was right off his head. and as to my
three kids outside the window, they had no
sense anyways at the best. ought to have
! thought Of that before; 1t was too late now
What matter IL young Michael eased his
feelings by emptying off his toy at the pa
trone? His pellets Clipped the ceiling, and
| did him credit for pious son, but only got
| laugh from Balshannon. Michael just
went on popping ostentatious so Balshan-
non showed he bore no malice by throwing
| his own gun on the bar Then somebody
| called out for drinks as a sign OF peace
But Jim only saw his father being at
| tackled, and he surely never had a sense of