Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-18

years ago. You mustn't imagine from
the name that Paradise Halt was a sort
of beauty spot with a sanitarium for
overworked cuTates. 1t got its name
from some humorous cuss who died sud
denly during a quiet game of poker.
No. sir. Paradise Halt was about as
merry a spot as you could look for in
the States-a sort of health resort for
cattle rustlers train wreckers gam
blers, crooks from Down East with fair
sprinkling Of greasers and half breeds in
its population.
"Wen. one night was in Long Bits
saloon in Paradise Halt, when in came a
Britisher-an Englishman, to be more
correct. He called for drink, and then
stared around at the rest of us. Now,
there is only one thing | can call to mind
to compare with an English stare, and
that's a mosquito sting Both Of EN-
irritate you to madness. An English
mans stare would make an angel cuss,
providing it wasn't British angel.
well, anyhow, Silver Jack must have
looked at it in that light Silver Jack
was half a white man and half an Az
tee, and about one of the worst rOgues
I've come across.
HE was Spinning some sort of yarn to
pud Simons, when he happened TO catch
sight of the stranger. and as the latter
seemed to be taking lot Of interest IN
walked over to him.
say, says he cheeky-like. you look
tired stranger. Have drink
The Englishman eyed him coOlly
I'm drinking, thanks, says he.
Well, have another raps out Silver
Jack.
T." Presently. says the stranger, still
cold and unsoCiahle.
% Course we know what Jack was
up to; and when we saw him shift
his gun round, some Of the boys NOV
ed farther away from the counter.
q" Kin you dance asked Jack, all
smiles rs
Well, I guess ! kin give you a
lesson says Silver Jack, whipping out
his gun. The next moment there was a
there was Mr.. Britisher covering Jack
from the hip, his foot on the Greaser's
gun and Silver Jack was sitting in the
sawdust. using all the choicest cuss-
words he could lay his tongue 10.
See. here, boys says the Britisher,
I'm no tenderfoot, and I know whaC
it means to refuse to drink with
man in this Heaven forsaken corner
make me drink if don't want to, or
make me do monkey tricks to the music
of his gun. | didn't come here for trou-
bic, but If anyone is looking for IT.,
"wen, the matter wound up by or
ganizing a cigarette duel between the
Engishman and Jack.
Now the cigarette duel was invent
ed by some humorist when things were
a bit slow round Paradise Halt. All
you wanted was a dark moonless night
If bit misty, all the better-a couple
of guns and some cigarettes Then
the boys hid themselves in the dark
corners. and blazed away at each other
whenever they caught sight Of a burn
ing cigarette end. 1t was fine fun as
a rule.
THE Brltisher and Silver Jack look
ed at their guns and walked of. and
presently we saw the cigarettes red
lights cleaning in the darkness. Jack
was the first to fire, and the Britisher
answered him like creased lightning.
Well. I won't go into details as to the
progress of that duel, but the fact is
| that after ten minutes had passed, and
no one had got hurt, the boys began TO
get sort Of anxious. There wee the
! two cigarettes cleaning red, and every
minutes or 80 you'd hear the guns, but
never shout and never cuss word TO
/ tell US that one Of EN- had got in the
way Of bullet
''IIalf an hour passed, and we were
settina restless. when there was i
! Fash and a bang from the stranger
| gun. and a well from Silver JACK s
| throat He was dead. shot through the
head, and the Britisher had done H.