The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-05
THE RECOVERY. A Story of Kentucky
 Copyright, 1908, by JOSEPH A ALTSIELER Entered at StatiOners' Hall
 All rights reserved

(COntinued.) Certainly they were an obliging pair, but I made no comment. and we cross ed the lawn and, passing through the gate, entered the street Several men
 were standing at the corner, and l re-
 member that they looked curiously at
 me, but said nothing. Warfield and
 Peden were also wordless. They seem
 ed to be abstracted, and 1 respected
 their silence, but this abstraction so
 far as Peden was concerned was brok-
 en when we reached the next corner. tol of course?''
 I stopped and stared at him in l amazement.
 "A pistolr' I exclaimed. "Why on
 earth should I have a pistol? I'm not
 a ruffian, I don't carry such things | He gave me back my amazed stare,
 and with interest too.
 Well, of all the natural born idiots!" l he exclaimed. II thought of course
 you had one. I've got one, and I'm no
 ruf1ian either. Here, you take it.''
 I saw the cold glitter of something 1 for moment in his hand. and before
 I could offer any resistance a weapon
 was showed into my overcOat pocket. | I would have given it back to him | then and there, but the open street was
 no place for a struggle with a friend | over a revolver. and with an impati- D | on.
 About a hundred yards ahead, and
 on the way to my own hotel. was an l other and cheaper hotel, at which some
 of the members, particularly those | from the mountains. stayed. and l was conscious as I approached it that sev- | eral dark figures stood on the side | walk in front of it, apparently in an attitude of waiting. But I paid little heed to them until I came very near and in the foremost recognized Bucks | and Connor, the mountain man little 1 in advance of the other Still I should have paid no heed to him then, but Bucks steeped directly across my path and raised his hand in the manner Of l one who threatens.
 See here. Clarke" he said, ''I want an apology from you.'
 I recognized instantly the tone and | bearing of a man who seeks a quarrel, and stiffened at once. It had been my previous intention to make friends with Bucks. even at the cost of little self-respect, but there are certain l things which no one who is really
 man can stand. Moreover I saw over his shoulder the cheap, sneering face of Connor, who would like to think me a coward. and who would like better to make me appear one to the public. If an apology is made it should come from you to me-" I said coldly, and then I took a step forward. as if I would pass on and ignore him. But again he was in my way, the bully and brute in him rising still farther because I sought to avoid him. I wish to say here that I do not blame Bucks for what happened as much as I do others. He had been bred in the doctrine of personal revenge, and throughout his life he had known no restraining or refining influence. You've made fun of me! You've had me laughed at by the whole Legis- lature!'' he exclaimed thrusting a huge arm before me. An, by God, you've got to eat dirt for it right here, an right now!'
 Bucks, you're crazy!" I said
 NO, I ain't!" he cried, his voice ris- ing to savage pitch T mean just what I say!"
 Gall him what he is. Bucks. Cali him a coward.' came the nasty, mali ciolIs voice of Connor.
 I saw that J could not make peace, and I saw other dark figures coming. drawn by the sound of voices raised in anger, but I paused a moment, not knowing what to do. Bucks, his swarthy face inflamed with anger and self-created rage, suddenly struck at me, and though I sprang to one side his heavy fist grazed my face and landed on my shoulder. I staggered, but recovered my balance in a mo- ment, and then I thought no longer of peace.
 All the restraint of years was swept away by Bucks sudden and cause less blow, and it was nay impulse to kill this man who had put such an affrOnt upon me. I struck back with all my might, and l felt the hard bones of my knuckles sink into his face. He went down like a log, but he was powerful vitality in a moment he was on his feet, the blood streaming from his face and red dening his dark overcoat below. He took one quick step backward, thrust his right hand into his overcoat pocket, and when it came forth again there was the deadly gleam of steel in the twilight. He whirled his hand aloft and levelled the pistol. I owed my life to my muscular train ing in the blacksmith shop, behind those sombre walls not so far away. When I saw the gleam of steel and the levelled revolver I sprang straight at him, taking no thought of the weapon in my own pocket and struck the pis- tol to one side, just as he pulled the trigger.
 There was a sharp report and the bullet whistled over the roofs. Then I was upon him. In that moment 1 fear, I, too, was a wild animal, be- cause I felt a savage joy when I seiz- ed him by the throat with both hands and felt my fingers sink into his flesh.
 Not in vain had I learned to swing the great sledge; not in vain had na- ture and practice together given me a grasp that had led men in the peni- tentiary sometimes to call me the iron handed. Bucks weighed two hundred pounds, but when my fingers closed upon his throat he seemed to relax and fall like a paralytic. His head flew back and a horrible gurgling sound came from his throat for a few mo- ments, then nothing. I threw him prone upon the ground and dropped upon my knees beside him, my fingers still closing upon his throat, always tighter.
 What followed is only a sort of blur to me. I heard cries, and then War field and Peden threw themselves up- on me.
 Loose him! Loose him, for Gods sake, Harry! You're killing him!' cried Jimmy.
 I was tempted to reply in a kind of savage joy, "Yes. I am! and I know it!" But at the cry of my friend and the sight of the drawn, convulsed face under my hands the anger passed out of me. ! was seized with a sudden shivering fit at the thought of what I had so nearly done, and, releasing him,