Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-09-04
THE BULLY
Dramatic Incident Of Pioneer
Days In Tennessee.
4 sTAGECoACH ADVENTURE,

The Thrilling Scene When the Terribly
Calm Stranger cowsd the Insulting
ps~spsrsde. a. Il Was Described by
Henry Clay, Who Witnessed Il.
Upon a certain occasion in his early
manhood Henry Clay was travelling IN
q public stagecoach In Tennessee. His
fellow passengers We're a young lady
and her husband--the latter evidently
an invalid-and a man In the front
/ corner 50 mufied up In q fur lined
/ cloak that his features We're concealed.
He appeared to be rather under than
/ over the medium size and was EVIL
IDENTIFY enjoying a refreshing slumber.
BY and by a big, brown faced
brawny Kentuckian got into this
coach, smoking a rank coarse grained
cigar. He gazed around tiercely, 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, he was half horse and half all
gator. with a goOdly s%prinkling Of PAN
Their and grizzly bear thrown in. 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 IT
be would not throw away his cigar, as
the smoke greatly disconnected his
wife. With an impudent, staggering
stare the fellow replied. interlarding
bis speech with several oaths:.
II reckon I've paid for my place.
ri smoke as much as / please, and ia
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 q%uarreling and strife.
and. Furthermore. a struggle with him
might have been a deadly one. The
young man who had spoken to him
shrank back and a 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
q moment whether he should interfere
and found himself reluctant to draw
upon his own head the brutal violence
Of the gigantic rufiian. In that then
Iawless country he knew that his life
might be sacrificed u~navenged. He
knew himself to be physically un-
equal to the contest, and he thought.
after all. it was not his duty to risk
his life in some quixotic manner.
Clay was settling back with pity for
the insulted and disgust for the insulter
when suddenly, but very quietly. the
cloaked figure iii the corner assumed
an upright position, parting the. buried
mantle without a particle Of excite
ment, thereby revealing the small. we'll
knit, muscular frame of a man plainly
dressed In q closely. buttoned frock
coat. with a face rather pale and a pair
Of bright eyes that; CLEANED like pot
ished steel, and those strange eyes
quickly attracted the attention Of the
ferocious Kentuckian. ,h.s ~ f.
With a terrible calmness this man
passed his hand under his collar at the
back Of his neck and deliberately drew
forth u long, g~littering and ugly look
ing knife from a sheath In that SIN
gular place. .a .."a 81.
stranger" he said. my name Is
Colonel James Bowie. well known in
Texas and Arkansas. IL you do not
put that cigar out of the window In
less than fifteen seconds III put this
knife through your heart as sure US
DEATH" ..la. sa j
Clay said he would never forget the
expression of the c~oloneI's eyes at that
moment. They told, as Enthusiastically
rs signs can tell, that the threat would
certainly be fulfilled. and this convic-
ton evidently impressed itself upon
the mind Of the offender. u,@
During a very few seconds his eyes
met those of Bowie. With all his brute
strength he was the weaker man. and
he quailed. With a muttered curse be
threw his cigar away, upon which
Bowie coolly returned the knife to its
sheath and. without another look or
word. refolded his cloak about him and
lay back as before.
At the next stopping place the Ken
tuckian got out and took a seat with
the driyer.-New York Telegram.