The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-11
His Little
Boy S Pistol
By THOMAS r. DUNN

tHey are as clVlilZeQ tnere as any
where else
A stagecOach drew up In front of
tavern in 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
1t in. young man. dressed in the
ordinary business costume of New
York or Chicago or Philadelphia OF
any other eastern city. got out of
the coach with the other passengers
and went into the tavern. He asked
If there We're any letters for him. The
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 small pistol. |
Several men. deniZens Of the coun- |
try. were lounging about. among them
red faced man with stubble beard
and as many scars on his face as a
German student member of dueling
corps, This man caught sight of the
new arrivals pistol. and it at once ex-
cited his interest
''Lemme see that. stranger" ne said,
The young man handed him the PTS
tol, and he looked it over with evident
pleasure and amusement.
Purity isn't it," he remarked.
He continued to examine it, cooking
and unlocking it. Meanwhile the
stranger found his cigar case and. lean
ing chair up on its hind legs against
the wall. sat down on it, resting his
heels on the front round and. lighting
cigar. smoked.
What do you do with itr' inquired
| the red faced man.
j The stranger smoked on withoW
making any reply. His sang froid eX.
cited the attention of the bystanders.
! who commenced to move uneasiiy
| away The man who asked the ques-
! ton was Scar Joe, so called from the
traces of his many fights. He was
not used to asking questions and re-
ceiving no reply He cast single
glance at the stranger and went on
/ cooking and unlocking the revolver.
"Goin' to make a birthday gift Of it
to your little boy?" he asked
Still no reply.
"win i, shootr' persisted Scar Joe.
This third question elicsting no reply
the westerner took quick aim at the
strangers cigar and fred. and cigar
and sparks left the smokers lips.
He didn't turn pale. He didn't look
at Scar Joe reproachfully or fearfully
or any other way He didn't look at
him at all He simply took out anoth-
er cigar. lighted 1t and went on smok-
ing.
Does shoot. don't 1t? Shoots purity
straight. don't It? wonder II could
do II again!"
suits. The stranger remained as i'm
perturbable as before, taking out an
other cigar and lighting It with as lit
tie apparent objection to this waste OF
cigars as If he were loaded down with
them Again Scar Joe sent 1t flying
amid a shower Of sparks
stranger" said the smoker in soft
voice, you're one Of the best shots
ever saw That pistol I've brought
from the east as present for my wife
I've got another for my little girl that
I'll bet you can't hit silver dollar
with mt ten yards"
"Lemme see it."
The stranger thrust his right hant
into bis trousers pocket and graspe,
something that he drew out SO clutche'
In his fist that it was not easy to dis
Germ what II was One OF the locker
on, with better or quicker sight thai
the others. seemed to get on to some
thing about to happen. for he ducke
under a table The stranger reache
the thing out to his tormentOr. It Ell
ploded. and Scar Joe staggered bach
!. ward. ut the same time putting hi
hand to his hip The something i
the strangers fist exploded again. an
> the westerner fell dead.
One would naturally suppose ths
: those present would be chiefly interes
: ed In the fallen man. So they wer
till they were convinced that he ha
received his last scar. Then all Of
3 sudden their minds concentrated on tn
: thing in the stranger hands that ha
!, done the work. All eyes turned towar
him curiously. He had returned til
n explosive thing to his pocket
= Landlord" he said, I'D like SOM
8 thing to eat before ! 60. My vii
8 writes me that she'll send team Il
d me to be here at 2 It's now l. ~
Just time for dinner"
i" II say. stranger" said one presen
n would you mind lettin' us see wh'
that was you shot him within
b ~ know what 1t Is" said the ma
c. who had sought safety under the tabl
e IT'S a bulldog. seen 'em befor
They're the ugliest weapon at sho
y range they Is goin'."
4, The stranger took out short, thit
d pistol with very stocky barrel and
lowed the party to examine It.
IT "Was t'other one really q gift 4
r, your wife?" asked one.
e. Certainly. When I was called ca
10 she asked me to bring her a revolv
~ suitable for a woman"
While the stranger was dining q
n. body of his victim was being remove
r When his team arrived and he "
Il. driving away one Of the crowd vi
ID had gathered to see him Oh cried out
Much obleeged for gettin' rid Of Sc
a Joe. He was gittin' TO be nuisance
On the identical spot where II
+ episode happened there IL now q han
I some hotel. lighted by electricity q
n. having all The modern Improvement