The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-09-02


ed Joe invited them to resign, and they
showed respect for his wishes. Some
of them were little slow, though, and
he had to come in and press ais invi-
tation by firm few shots just close
enough about their heads to make them
nervous and loosen up the muscles of
their legs.
"Well, things went along that way
for bout year. Then one day long
ganglin' Teller with a mild eye, a soft
voice and a solemn lookin' face hap
pened into town. His name was All
Case, and that's him a-sittin' over
there on the left
"Ab he was Iookin' for a job. and
the town it was lookin' for a marshal
jest then, SO the two gifts together and
strikes up a deal. Alb says he amt
never been a marshal. but lows he can
manage it all right. and the town Is
findin' it difficult to get anybody to
take the job with Joe Kern and shore
death hangin' over it, so to speak.
"Well, Alb is sworn in and puts on the
star, and then here comes a invite to
him from Joe, askin' him to resign. Alb
listened to Joe's message, which was
delivered by another cowboy, then
shrugs his shoulders and replies that he
don't never accept invitations second
hand.
eff Mr. Kern wants me to consider
any proposition he has got to offer
along that line,' he says. he will have
to come in and see me pussonally.'
about three days later Mr.. Kern
did come in. Down at the saloon he
told them why he had come. 1t was
to convince the new marshal that he
ought to resign and go away.
land l have brought my very best
arguments with me- he finished, ar
guments that amt never failed as
last resort
''He shore had them, too-a Win
chester and brace of six shooters.
And he knowed how to handle them
arguments bout as eloquently as any
man that ever lived
He irrigated his system at the bar,
coolly lighted cigar and then went
out to look up the marshal and pay his
respects to him. And he didn't have to
go far, either, for he was scarcely out
of the saloon when somebody pointed
out Alb standin' on q corner bout half
a block away.
"'Are you shore that's himY Joe
asked. I'D rather not make any mis-
take and kill an innocent man if it can
be helped
That's shore him." they answered
Joe smiled and raised his gun.
"'I'll sorter wake him up he said.
I won't hurt him at first. but jest call
his attention that I'm here
''He fired, and the ball cut lock of
hair from Abs head. Alb looked
around sort Of casual to see what it
meant and the next instant sent back
an answer to Joe's shot That answer
plowed furrow along the side of Joe's
head.
From that they went at it in dead
earnest Everybody else got out of the
way and give 'em clear field. There
want no backin.. down and no runnin'
on the part of neither Of 'em They
jest stood up there and pumped lead at
and into each other as carelessly and
cheerfully as you please
after bout ten minutes the firm
ceased, and then we all cautiously
peered out to see how it had ended.
They was both down on the ground
helpless. but still tryin' to shoot
when we come to examine, we
found 'em pretty badly riddled up. but
with no wounds that promised to be
fatal. We carried 'em off, and the
doctors patched 'em up, and for a long
time they remained quiet in bed
"Some of us reckoned the matter
would end there, as they had both
shorely had enough, but the older men
thought different. One Of 'em said:
1T won't ever end while they both
live. Kern will never give up, and it's
pretty evident Case won't either. When
they get out. they'll be at it again. and
they'll keep at 1t till one Of 'em is done
for
"And 1t proved that he was partly
right The very first time they met
after their recovery they took another
round of shootin' at each other.
"The result this time was similar to
what 1t had been before. Both were
badly used up, but neither injured
fatally.
"And so for two years 1t continued
Every time Joe came M to town fhnro
was shootin' bout They fought to
kill, too, ar 1, both Of 'em bein' good
shots, we reckoned every time one of
'em would be shore to git it. But.
strange to say, neither of 'em ever did.
They riddled each other all up, but
they was never able to git in finish
in shot.
EN- git him VT, though Joe de-
clared- I'm Jest bound to do 1t before