The daily Alaskan., 1913-10-17
His Little
 Boy $ Pistol
By THOMAS R. DUNN


 Manners in the far west are better now than they were then. Indeed, they are as civilized there as any where else,
 A stagecoach drew up in front of tavern in a small town where gun law was the only law on the statute book. But even that was an unwritten law for there was no statute books to write It in. A young man, dressed in the ordinary business costume of New York or Chicago or Philadelphia or any other eastern city, got out of the coach with the other passengers and went Into the tavern. He asked if there were any letters for him. The | landlord handed him one He read 1t and hunted through his pockets for his cigar case. Not finding 1t at once, he took out seven articles while making the search. among them a small pistol
 Several men. denlzens of the coun- try, were luuaglng about, among them q red faced man with a stubble beard and as many scars on bis face as l German student member of a duellng corps. This man caught sight of the new arrivals pistol, and it at once ex- cited his interest,
 "Lemme see that, stranger he said. The young man handed him the pis- | tol. and he looked 1t over with evident | pleasure and amusement
 'Purty isn't it?" he remarked. He continued to examine 1t, cooking and uncocking it. Meanwhile the | stranger found his cigar case and, lean ! ing a chair up on its hind legs against | the wall. sut down on it. resting his heels on the front round and, lighting a cigar, smoked
 "What do you do with it?" inquired l the rcd faced man,
 The stranger smoked on without making any reply. Ills sang frold eX- cited the attention of the bystanderS who commenced to move uneaslly away. The man who asked the Ques- ton was Scar Joe, so called from the traces of his many fights He was net used to asking questions and re- ceiving no reply. He cast a single glance at the stranger and went on cooking and uncockinE the revolver.
 "Goin' to make q birthday gift of it to your little boy?" he asked.
 Still no reply.
 "Wul it shOOtT' persisted Scar Joe.
 This third question elicitiuE no reply, the westerner took a quick aim at the strangers cigar and fired, and cigar and sparks left the smokers lips.
 He didn't turn pale He didn't look at Scar Joe Eeproachfully or fearfully or any other way. He didn't look at him at all. He simply took out auoth- ! CT cigar. lighted it and went on smok- ing.
 "Does shoot. don't it? Shoots purity l straight. don't 1t? 1 wonder If could do it again"
 He fired a second shot with like re- suits. The stranger remained as im- perturbab.e as before, taking out an- other cigar and lighting It with as lit- tie apparent objection to this waste of l cigars as if he were loaded down with 1 them Again Scar Joe sent 1t flying l amid a shower of sparks
 Stranger" said the smoker in a soft voice. you're one of the best shots 1 ever saw. That pistol I've brought | from the east as a present for my wife. I've got another for my little girl that I'll bet you cant hit a silver dollar l with at ten yards" "Lemme see it.
 The stranger thrust his right hand l into his trousers pocket and grasped something that he drew out so clutched in his fist that it was not easy to dis ceru what it was. One of the lockers on, with better or quicker sight than 1 the others. seemed to get on to some ] thing about to happen, for he ducked under table. The stranger reached | the thing out to his tormentOr It ez- plodcd. and Scar Joe staggered back ward, at the same time putting his l hand to hs hip. The something in | the strangers fist exploded again, and the weSteruer fell dead.
 One would naturally suppose that those present would be chiefly interest ed in the fallen man. So they were | till they were convinced that he had received his last scar. Then all of a sudden their minds concentrated on the thing in the stranger hands that had done the work. All eyes turned toward him cugiOusIy He had returned the | explosive thing to his pocket
 Landlord" he said, 'Td like some i thing to eat before l go. My wife writes me that she'll send q team for me to be here at ?. It's now 1. I've just time for dinner"
 'I say, stranger" said one present, would you mind lettin' us see what that was you shot him with?'
 'T know what 1t is" said the man who had sought safety under the table, It's bulldog. l seen 'em before. 1 They're the uc'icst weapon at short range they is g0iD'."
 The stranger took out a short, thick pistol with a very stOcky barrel and al- lowed the party to examine it.
 Was t'other one really a gift for 2 a