The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-01-25

I'll thrash you until you can't see!'
Leigh was really too drunk to un
derstand what it all meant. The fall
may have stunned him for a moment;
anyway, he remained quiet and event
ually fell into a deep sleep.
Mrs. Leigh was profuse in her
thanks to Cheney, but begged him to
be careful; Mr.. Leigh would be very
ugly when he awoke. In fact, she
asked Cheney to change his location
to another car. He wasn't that kind
however, and resumed his seat.
Leigh slumbered until about 2:30,
and then awoke surly and mean. From
his valise he took a fresh bottle of
whisky; his supply seemed mex
haustible. By $3.50 he was again un-
der the influence, and this time he
was fighting mad. In the smoking
compartment he corraled the porter
and told that worthy that he Ueigh)
was going to do Cheney.
The porter told Cheney, and that
gentleman realized there was trouble
ahead. He took his revolver from his
satchel and dropped it in his outside
coat pocket. The other passengers
in the car were terrorized. The train
crew, Pullman conductor and porter
were under the spell of Leigh, the
bad man. They all lacked nerve, so
essential in dealing with such a char
acter; all save Cheney. He had nerve;
of II oil ho6
a valuable adjunct to nerve. He
didn't want any trouble, wasn't look
ing for it, but if it came his way he
would not dodge it.
The former trouble with Leigh came
to climax when he slapped his
wife's face, and when he was COM
fortably full he was ready for an
other row. Leigh returned to his seat,
but Mrs. Leigh tried to avoid trouble;
she wouldn't talk to him, but he grew
louder in his imprecations and again
struck her, this time not with his
open hand, but with his clenched fist.
The poor little woman screamed, and
in an instant all was turmoil and con-
(poor excuses they were) sat par
alyzed. One surly drunken brute had
the car under his thumb. From the
liquor maddened Leigh all semblance
of reason or humanity fed, and once
more he raised his hand to strike the
little woman so unfortunate as to be
his wife. Cheney, at the first sign of
trouble, went down the car again
and seized Leigh's uplifted hand in a
grip of steel. He swung him around
and struck him a singing blow. All
the blood in Cheney's body was in his
face, and in a minute Mr.. Leigh was
reduced to submissiveness. There
had been trouble enough for one day,
and Cheney dragged Leigh to the car
ahead, and told him if he came back
again he'd get worse than a thrash
ing. Poor Mrs. Leigh again begged
Cheney to leave the car, to leave the
train, because Mr.. Leigh would event
ually get even with him. So far only
physical force had been used. When
Mr.. Leigh returned she was afraid he
would shoot Cheney treasured her,
and things quoted down, and then the
motion of the car gradually lulled him
to sleep.
When Cheney so unceremoniously
put Leigh out of the Magenta, he read
sharp lecture to the train crew, and
threatened to report them all if they
allowed Leigh to return. They prom
Used not to do so. Leigh fell into an
other stupor lasting longer than the
first one. When he awOke he sat for
some time turning things over in his
mind. Through the drunken haze
came memories of fracas; there had
been a scream, and then something
hit him. His hand felt the bruise on
his face-who did it? Who? Who?
Why was he here with that brakeman
sitting opposite? All at once there
came the memory of a young man
with dark hair and complexion and
two steely gray eyes. He was the
man that had Inundated him. Twice
that day had he reduced him to sense
lessness. 1t wasn't a time for fists;
something stronger must be used. He
reached in his pocket and out came
his flask. A long pull put false cour-
age into his heart. In the other peck
ct was his six shooter. In all his life
he had never been beaten; he was
always the bully. Everyone in that
train was afraid of him, except Che
ney. Apparently the brakeman was
watching him, had been put there by
the conductor for that purpose; but
when that man demonstrated Leigh
felled him with blow. Drawing his
revolver, he started back.
STAND back, everybody" he shout
ed, brandishing the gun. There was
no need for his command, because
everybody" had ducked under his
seat. Leigh's progress was unim.
peded, and he stepped out on the plat.
form between his car and the Ma
genta. In those days the view OF
the interior of a Pullman was not
INSTRUCTED from each end as now
The gentlemen's smoking room was in
the rear, and the ladies' room, a
small cubby hole, at the forward end
Leigh could see the entire car, and
whisky had utterly dethroned his rea
con All bo wonfpd Wac tO hill Nbo