Connecticut western news., 1909-09-16
BRISBAIN' LESSON.
By HARRISON sMITh


 in frontier town. His baggage was handed down from the boot" and he entered the office and bar of the tav- ern. Taking out his gold watch, he glanced at the time. then went out on the porch and looked about as though expecting some one. Not see. ing what he wanted, he returned to the harroom, took a cigar out of a case. lighted 1t. tilted chair up against the wall and sat down and smoked.
 On one side of the bar stood the landlord, on the other Il red faced, stubble bearded man in a flannel shirt and revolver slung to his hip. From back room came the occasional sound of Keno" indicating that game was in progress.
 "Tcnderfoot" remarked the stubble bearded man.
 Reckon" replied the landlord.
 "Wonder what he's goin' to do in them fine clothes out yere?"
 At that moment a man who may be similarly described as the one at the bar, except for two revolvers instead of one, each a foot long. staggered out of the gambling room and was about to walk up to the bar for drink when he caught sight of the stranger. He stopped short and ran his eye from the golf cap at the top of the picture down to q pair of "toothpick" shoes at the foot The stranger. apparently all unconscious of the attention he eX- cited, sat in his chair, tilted up against the wall. his cigar standing straight out before him. The man from the gambling room seemed paralyzed with indignation that any such specimen of gentility should desecrate the spot. Raising one of his revolvers, he aimed deliberately at the strangers cigar, fired and knocked it into small frag- ments.
 The landlord lodged behind the bar, and the stubble faced man now tucked. The stranger took another cigar from his case, put his hand in his trousers poAket. fdaS4ed for something. took out silver match safe, lighted his cigar and proceeded to smoke as though nothing worthy of notice had happened The man with two revolv- CTS stoed staring at him with n look of blank astonishment. That tender foot from the effete east should disre- gard his warning not to insult che place with his effeminate presence, cigar case and Havana cigars was too much for his emotional nature. He raised his weapon and fired a second shot, removing the offensive cigar in the same manner as the first.
 The eQuanimity of the stranger re- mained still Hnruflled. He did not even glance at his instructor in west ern manners. For Il third time he drew forth his cigar case, selected an other cigar. replaced the case and put the cigar between his lips. The land lord and the stubble faced man looked at him with an intensity of interest far greater than they had thus far shown, marked as that interest had been. They felt sure that If the young tenderfoot again disregarded the kind ly warning given him as to what the wild west would accept he would pay for his obstinacy with his life. The man who had done the firing after each shot replaced his revolver at bis hip, having no idea that this girl man, as he considered the stranger, was armed.
 The stranger stretched out his legs, let his chair down square on the floor and thrust his hand in his trousers pocket as he had done before for his match safe. The landlord and the stubble faced man changed position so as to be farther from the line of fire of the man who was giving instruc- tion in western manners. The pupil drew his hand from his pocket, in- closing as 1t was supposed his match safe, but no one saw what it was, for there was no time. In q fraction of second bulldog" 45 caliber revolver parked, and the professor of western manners fell dead.
 The surprise of the lookers-on was not that somebody had got killed, but that it had been the wrong man. They looked at the victim, then at the stranger. then at each other. Then the stubble faced man said:
 "Would y mind. MT. Tenderfoot. showin' me that weepon|'
 The tenderfoot displayed a short, ugly looking pistol.
 "Who thought y be, stranger| ask cd the landlord. ewing the owner. of the gun curiously.
 I'm Brisbain. owner of Brisbain's ranch I've been down east on visit to my folks. Just got back. Expect to find my man here about now with a horse Seen anything of him?"
 At that moment n mounted man and led horse darkened the door of the cabin. Mir. Brisbain returned the salute of his man. mounted the led horse. and both Sode away, leaving the instructor in western manners lying on the floor to be attended to by the landlord and the stubble faced man.
 "Reckon." said the latter, scratching his head. " can't most always tell by Il mans clothes how safe it Is to fool with him."
 Especially if V don't know the kind