The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-05-07

the town it was lookin' for 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' 1t 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 ii 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
"Tf Mr.. Kern wants me to consider
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.
"'And 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 a 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 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 tn y answered sAsy ed.
his attention that I'm here
"He fired, and the ball cut a 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 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 it till one of 'em is done
for
"And it proved that he was partly
right. The very irst time they met
after their recovery they took another
| round of shootin' at each other
"The result this time was similar te
what it had been before. Both were
badly used up, but neither injured
fatally
"And so for two years continued
Every time Joe came up to town there
was shootin' bout They fought tc
kill, too. and, 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 a finish
in shot
"T1l git him yit. though Joe de
clared. I'm jest bound to do it before
quit
"Ab made the same declaration, ant
we was ali shore one of 'em would bt
killed before the thing come to an end
Didn't seem like it could wind up an,
other way.
"But it transpired that we was al
entirely mistaken. as you can see TO
yourself.
"One day, bout three months afte
| the last shootin' scrape and jest whel
:. we was expectin' Joe to make lnothe
appearance, covered wagon drov
} into town and stopped in front of til
mayors Office. The wagon was fror
! the Triple X, and we couldn't unde:
7 stand It's bein' covered that way, S
( we all gathered round to see what
5 meant
'Tn the bottom of the wagon W..
!, some straw, and lyin' stretched out Q
! the straw was Joe Kern. We see at
r glance that Joe was mighty sick. fc
0 he Jest lay there and moaned an
p didn't take no notice of nobody NJ
e lothin'
:. "N-hile we was standin' there gapi
/ like passul of idiots Alb come mp an
: pushed his way through the crowd
the wagon We lowed shore as sof
+ as Alb got his eyes on Joe he'd piu