Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-12-12
tanned THE BULLY
Dramatic Incident Of Pioneer
Days In Tennessee.
A sTAGEcoAcH ADVENTURE.
The Thrilling Scene When tho Terribly
Calm Stranger 'Cowed tho Insulting
D%esperado. as 1t Was Described by
Henry Clay, Who Witnessed It.

Desperately. az 1t Was Described by
Horny Clay, Who Witnessed It.
Upon a certain occasion in his early
manhood Henry Clay was travelling in
q public s%tagecoach in Tennessee. His
fellow passengers were Il young lady
and her husband-the latter evidently
an invalid-and a man in the front
corner 80 muf1ed up in a fur lined
cloak that his features were concealed.
He appeared to be rather under than
v e the medium size and was evil
IDENTITY 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 be would impress upon the
minds of bis 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 alli-
gator. with a goodly sprinkling Of pan
Their and grizzly bear thrown in. He
pulled 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 If
he would not throw away his cigar, as
the smoke greatly disconnected his
wife. With an fmpudent. staggering
stare the fellow replied. interlarding
his speech with several oaths:
II 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, a 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 sou 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 rufian. In that then
laWless country he knew that his life
might be sacrificed unavenged. 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 ONE quixotic 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, we'll
knit, muscular frame Of a man plainly
dressed III a closely buttoned frock
coat. with a face rather pale and a pair
of bright eyes that cleaned like pol
ished steel, and those strange yes
quickly attracted the attention Of the
ferocious Kentuckian.
With a terrible calmness this man
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 is
Colonel James Bowie. we'll known in
Texas and Arkansas. If 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 as
deathv!'
Clay said he would never forget the
expression of the %colonel's eyes at that
moment. They told. as Enthusiastically
as signs can tell, that the threat would
certainly be fulfilled. and this convic-
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 man. and
he quailed. With a muttered curse he
threw his cigar away, upon which
Bowie coolly returned the knife to it's
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 driver.-New York Telegram.
The Proper Retort.