The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-08-27
tanned THE BULLY
Dramatic Incident Of Pioneer
Days In Tennessee.
A s1AeEcoAcH ADVENTURE.

The Thrilling Scene When the Tseri6ay
Calm Stranger cewsd the lnsvltjWo
osspsrade. - II Was Described ~
Henry cIsy, Whs Witnessed Il
Upon q certain occasion in his early
manhood Henry Clay was travelling In
q public stagecoach In Tennessee. Hia-
fellow passengers were a young lady
and her husband-the latter evidently
an invaIid-and q man In the front
corner 30 mufiied up In q fur lined
cloak that his features were concealed.
He appeared to be rather under than
over the medium size and was svi-
dently enjoying q refreshing slumbee.
By and BY q big. brown faced.
brawny Kentuckian got into tn
coach. smoking q rank. coarse grains4
cigar. He gaSed; around 6ercsly. %
though he would impress upon ths
minds Of his new companions that -
would chew up and swallow any eao
who dared to interfere with him. In
short, be was half horse and half ain.
gator. with q goodly sprinkling q pan
ther and grizzly bear thrown n. He.
puffed forth huge volumes Of SMOKE
without the least concern for the CON
fort Of his companions.
Presently the lady. who seemed to
be growing sick. whispered to her hus-
band. and the husband. in the politest
manner possible. asked the stranger II
he would not throw away his cigar. a.
the smoke greatly disconnected his
wife. With an impudent. staggering
stare the fellow replied. interlarding
bis speech with several oaths:
~ reckon I've paid for my place.
I'll smoke as much as please. and ia
like to see some one try to stop me-"
He looked dangerous as he giared
around. and 1t was very evident that
he was used to quarreling and strife,
and. furthermore. a struggle with him
might have been deadly one. The
young man who had spoken to him
shrank back and was silent The lady
lowered the sash by her side foe q
breath of fresh air.
Mr.. Clay felt every gallant instinct
Of his soul aroused. He considered foe
q moment whether he should interfere
and found himself reluctant to draw
upon his own head the brutal violaaee
Of the gigantic run1an. In that tAAa
lawless country he knew that his nfS
might be sacrificed unavenge4 HA
knew himself to be phyEcsEy ~
equal to the contest, aud he thouGAk.
after al. 1t was not bis duty 10 KisA
his life in some quixotic mannee.
Clay was settling back with pity foe
the insulted and disgust for the ins1lhsr
when suddenly, but very quietly. H.
cloaked 6gure in the corner assumed
IN upright position. parting the bausa
mantle without q particle Of exe1hs-
ment thereby revealing the small. veil
knit. muscular frame Of q man plainly
dressed in q closely buttoned ffock
coat. with face rather pale and pair
Of bright eyes that cleaned like po,.
isbed steel. and those strange eyea
quickly attracted the attention Of the
ferocious Kentuckian.
With terrible caimness this man
passed his hand under his collar at The
back Of his neck and deliberately drew
forth long, glittering and ugly look
ing knife from a sheath In that sin
gular place.
Stranger" he said. my name h
Colonel James Bowie. well known In
Texas and Arkansas. II you do not
put that cigar out Of the window In
less than fifteen seconds I'll put this
knife through your heart as sure ~
deathv'
Clay said he would never forget the
expression Of the colonel's eyes at that
moment. They told. as unmistakably
a. signs can tell, that the threat would
certainly be fulfilled. and this cenvtc-
ton evidently impressed itself upon
the mind of the offender.
During a very few seconds his eyes
met those Of Bowie. With all his brute
strength he was the weaker snAn. and
he quailed. With q muttered curse he
threw his cigar away, upon which,
Bowie coolly returned the knife 10 ita
sheath and. without another hook oe
word. refolded bis cloak about him ana
lay back as before.
At the next stopping place the Ken
tuckian got out and took q seat With
cha Hrlvoe-No~ Vnpsr TnlnwHaa