Bridgeton pioneer., 1908-06-04


he had to come in and press his invi-
tation by frin' a few shots just close
enough about their heads to make them
nervous and loosen up the muscles OF
their legs.
~Weu- things went along that way
for bout & year. Then one day long
gangIin' felIer with mid eye, a soft
voice and q solemn lookin' face hap
pened into town His name was Ao
Case, and that's him a-sittin' over
there OF the left
Sab he was lookin' for a job, and
the town IT was lookin' for marshal
Jest then, so the two gifts together and
strikes up g deal Alb says he ain't
never tee1 q marshal, but lows he can
manage II all right, and the town Is
fndin' II difficult to get anybody 10
take the job with Joe Kern and shore
death ha1gtR over If, so to speak
"WelI, Ab Is sworn in and puts on the
star, and then here Gomez invite TO
him from Joe, askfn' him 3 resign. Alb.
listened 10 Joe's message, which was
delivered By another cowboy, then
shrugs his shoulders and replies that he
don't never accept invitations second
hand
aft NJ. Kern wants me to consider
any proposition he has got to offer
along that line he says, he VIII have
to come IN and see me pussonalIy.'
"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 70 resign and 90 away.
"'And l have brought ny very best
arguments with ne he finished, ar
last resort
"He shore had them, too-a Win
chester and brace Of siI shooters
And be 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 10 look up the marshal and pay his
respects 10 hin. And he didn't have TO
go far, either. for he was scarcely ont
Of the saloon when somebody pointed
out Alb staudin' On a corner bout half
block away.
"'Are you shore that's him? Joe
asked III rather not make a-y mis-
take and Kill an innocent man if it can
be helped
"That's shore him." they answered.
Joe smiled and raised his gun.
"rTu sorter wake him up he said.
I won't hurt hin at first, but jest call
his attention that I'm here
''He fred, 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 a furrow along the side Of Joe's
head.
From that they went at it II 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 carelessIy 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:
at won't ever end while they both
1--we. 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 it 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
Adt IL udu Dtcu DClOTe. DUH were
badly used up, but neither injured
fatally.
"And so for two years it continued
Every time Joe came up to town there
was shootin' bout They fought T.
kill, too. and, both of 'em bein' goo
shots, we reekOned every time one O.
'em would be shore to git IT. BIZ
strange to say, neither of 'ein ever die
They riddled each other all up. la.
they was never able to git in t.c:s.,.
In shot.
"T1l git him yit, though .'t,.. de-
clared I'm jest bound to 90 II '..f5r,.
quit
"Ab made the same declaration. az t
we was all shore one of 'en w";:il Il.
killed before the thing come to az en
Didn't seem like 1t could wind Up any
other way.
'But 1t transpired that we was al
entirely mistaken, as you can see fof
vnIrcalf