The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-09-12
AN IDEAL
PARSONAGE
He Became Unpleasant on
Acquaintance
BY SAMUEL e. BRANT
BY SAMUEL E. BRANT


] grew up under the influence Of
tales OF western life. The desperate
OF the plains was to me fascinating
person, and the wickeder he was the
more l admired him. 1t is a curious
psychological fact that wickedness is
attractive because 1t is wicked
question If young persons who enter
upon life>o crime do not often do
SO solely from this motive.
AS grew older began to lay plans
Z for getting out to the wild west, not
to make desperate Of myself, but to
crafty my curiosity as to what the
life out there really was, and after
finishing my education / concluded to
go to one Of the territories, look about
me and, If found place to suit me,
settle and grow up with the country.
selected Arizona, which has since
furnished the scene Of many novels
and plays of western life.
] brought up in Coconino county at
small town from which l proposed
to make an observation tour through
the surrounding country. l found the
region much as 1t has been depicted
In theatricals, barring the stage eff
fects. l got into a little play Of my
own, and 1t came very near being
tragedy.
j was riding through the country one
day when / met man on horseback,
Of whom / asked the way. He was a
quiet looking, quiet spoken young fell
nd oh fr.llx
tons / asked for. We were about to
part when ! noticed him looking at
Inc critically. He seemed to be TAX
ing note Of my height, weight, the col
or of my hair and eyes and the shape
of my face.
"You look like me-" he said.
do IT
Except the clothes"
II haven't got an Arizona outfit yet.
If / stay here III probably adopt the
costume of the country"
81 reckon We'll swap"
"Swap what?"
"Well, Wen trade hats first"
There was something In that cold
gray eye Of his as he spoke the last
words that rendered any enforcement
Of them unnecessary. Though they
were a command, he did not even put
his hand to his pistol. He carried also
pair Of revolvers in holsters 'slung
across his saddlebow, either Of which
he could have grasped and used long
before l could have got my own re-
volver ont of its case, cooked it and
brought it to bear upon him. l under
stood that l was to change hats with
him and, taking off mine, handed 1t
to him. Then / took off my coat and
gave him that and such other articles
Of clothing as he demanded. Lastly,
he called for my belt and pistol and
gave me all his extensive armament in
return. The exchange having been
finished, he rode on.
Never In my life have felt so con-
temptible. / had submitted to his will
without resistance, and now l was rid
ing away armed to the teeth, while he
possessed one small pistol that had
brought from the east and considered
a plaything In Arizona without making
any attempt to regain my own. Was
it my being unused to the ways of the
region was in, or the domination of
superior will, or feeling that my man
could kill me as quick with my tiny
revolver as with all the various
weapons he had transferred to me?
don't know myself. but / suspect l
was deferred from putting up fight
by all these reasons.
l rode on as mild hammered man
as the one had met, but with weap-
ons innumerable. What the fellow
wanted with my clothes, why he had
given me his arms, was to me an In
soluble mystery. But 1t didn't re-
quire a long time to find out After
awhile met several men riding on the
road together. They were chatting
and paid no attention to me till came
very near them. Then one Of them
looked at me and started. We made
the usual salute of strangers meeting
in q new country. and l thought no
more of the encounter. But L had not
gone fifty feet before l heard sharp
command from behind:
"Hands up!'
put my hands above my head and
waited. Inc men VINO nau passeu me
returned and relieved me of my arma-
ment.
Dead easy, wasn't it?' said one of
them to the others.
"You bet. never thought he'd be
taken without blood splitting"
my friends" said 1, twill you kindly
inform me what all this meansr'
"And will you kindly inform us what
you mean by being thus taken I'M
awaresY'
81 wonder If you don't think I'm
some one else"
1--WE don't think you're any one. We
know you're Jimmy the Kid one Of
the most notorious desperadoes In
Arizona, and well see that you don't
do any more murders. What do you
say, boys? Shall we string him up
right here or take him In and let the
sheriff do the job?
told them of the man had met and
how he had forced me to change clothes
u.1 ornno xx.ifh him Tho story affect