Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-10
tanned THE BULLY
Dramatic Incident of Pioneer
Days In Tennessee.
A STAGECoACH ADVENTURE.

Calm Stranger cewed the Insulting
Desperate. as II Was Described by
Henry Clay, Who Witnessed 1t.
Upon a certain occasion in his early
manhood Henry Clay was travelling In
a public stsgecoach in Tennessee. His
fellow passengers were a young lady
and her husband-the latter evideRtly
an invalid-and a man in the front
corner SO muffied up in a fur lined
cloak that his features were concealed.
He appeared to be rather under than
over the medium size and was evil
IDENTITY enjoying a refreshing slumber.
BY and by big. brown faced,
brawny Kentuckian got into this
coach. smoking a rank. coarse grained
cigar. He gazed around fiercely, as
though he would impress upon the
minds Of his new companions that he
would chew up and swallow any one
who dared to interfere with him. In
short. be was half horse and half ALI
gator. with a goodly sprinkling of pan
Their and grizzly bear thrown in. He
puffed forth huge volumes Of smoke
without the least concern for the COM
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, as
the smoke greatly disconnected his
wife. With an impudent. staggering
stare the fellow replied. interlarding
his speech with several oaths:
Il reckon I've paid for my place.
I'll smoke as much as please. and I'd
like to see some one try to stop me-"
He looked dangerous as he glared
around. and it was very evident that
he was used to quarreling and strife.
and, Furthermore, struggle with him
might have been a deadly one. The
young man who had spoken to him
shrank back and was silent The lady
lowered the sash by her side for a
breath Of fresh air.
Mr.. Clay felt every gallant instinct
of his soul aroused. he considered for
a moment whether he should interfere
and found himself reluctant to draw
| upon his own head the brutal violence
| of the gigantic ruffian. In that then
! lawless country he knew that his life
might be sacrificed unavenged. BE
knew himself to be physically IN
equal TO the contest. and he thought,
| after all. IL was not his duty to risk
his life in some QuiIotic manner.
Clay was settling back with pity for
the insulted and disgust for the insulter
when suddenly, but very quietly, the
cloaked figure in the corner assumed
an upright position. parting the buried
mantle without a particle of excite
ment. thereby revealing the small. well
knit. muscular frame of a man plainly
dressed in closely buttoned frocB
coat. with a face rather pale and pail
Of bright eyes that cleaned like pol
/ ishcd steel. and those strange eyes
quickly attracted the attention of the
ferocious Kentuckian.
With a terrible calmness this mar
passed his hand under his collar at the
back OF his neck and deliberately drew
forth a long, glittering and ugly look
ing knife from a sheath in that sin
gular place.
Stranger" he said. my name /:
Colonel James Bowie. we'll known II
Texas and Arkansas. II you do no
put that cigar out of the window II
less than fifteen seconds I'll put Thu
knife through your heart as sure a:
DEATH
Clay said he would never forget the
expression of the coloners eyes at tina
moment. They told. as unmistakabl!
as signs can tell. that the threat would
certainly be fulfilled. and this cOnvic
ton evidently impressed itself upoE
the mind of the offender.
During a very few seconds his eye
met those OF Bowie. With all his brut,
strength he was the weaker man, anC
he quailed. With a muttered curse h
threw his cigar away. upon which
Bowie coOlly returned the knife TO it
sheath and. without another look o
word. refoided his cloak about him ant
lay back as before
At the next stopping place the Ken
tuckian got out and took seat will
the driver.-New York Telegram.
| The Proner Retort