The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-05-20

sayin' nothin' more. | didn't suppose
he would be fool enough to come to a
showdown with ellison even IL he
held a royal flush. Ell he did / hadn't
nothin' on my conscience. cause I'd
given him far warnin'.
The very mex day what dye sup
pose I seen? Why, Jimmie and Mamie.
Jim on his bay gelding. Mamie on her
sorrel mar. cavoRtin' along the road.
talkin' and larfin' like two children on
their way to a circus. Mamie was
barely sixteen and as inexperienced as
Jimmie. My heart went down into my
boots. There was them two young
things, scercely out o. the cradle. with
no apprehension o. the horrible fate
awaitin' 'em in case they happened to
meet Josh ellison. Josh was ten years
older'n Mamie. old enough to look on
'em like two innocent children. as they
was. But | knowed that wouldn't con
cern him; all he thought about was
that he wanted the gal and wouldn't
have no mercy on nobody that tried to
take her away from him.
And what was MY horror to see Gil.
son himself comm along the road to
meet EN-. Fust thing | thought of was
that no matter how fast | rode | was
too far away from 'em all to git there
before Josh would have q chance to
murder the little cuss that was inter
FERN with him. But | hitched my gun
for'ard and dug my spurs into my
horses tanks. While ! was ridin' |
seen it all.
Josh refined i'll and got out his gun
lie seemed to be hesitatin' what to do.
lie put his gun back into its holster
and rode on. but soon took it out again
| was watchin' the children too Fust
thing | knowed when they was comm
nigh one another. Mamie rode a little
ahead o Jim and put herself between
him and Josh. That looked as if Josh
wouldn't have a chance at him without
hittin' Mamie. But what did the kid
do but ride right before her, and that
she might not lie iii the way o the gun
play he veered to the side o the road
by thunder says | to myself The
little cuss is dead game!"
| rode on across country, keepin' my
eyes on what was goin' on ahead of
me instead of Oh the ground | was
%travelin' over. 1t was mighty oneven.
| kin tell you; but, instead o givin' my
horse any chance to ease up, on comm
to a hole or n ditch | spurred him on
jist as much at one time as another.
You see, what | was wantin' to do
80. f. -. ~.:.I:. Il
Gibson afore he dropped the cherub.
They say haste makes waste. and so
it did in this case, for comm to a gully
and not seem it | pushed right on,
not even raisin' my horse for a jump
The consequence was he came down
on his knees on the opposite bank.
while ! went sprawlin' three or four
yards ahead of him.
l picked myself up and looked ahead
ag'iG to the front. While I'd been
ridin' there had been a short parley
between Gibson and the two kids. bur
by this time it was over
ellison made good his reputation for
quick shootin'. but whether jim hadn't
quite got ont o line with the gal or
somepin else, he missed. Jim fired and
hit bad, but | couldn't see where. Then
there was a rattle of shots. and Josh
fell off his horse. \ few more leaps
o my horse brought me within range.
but ! was too late to do anything for
Jimmie; he had done it all himself.
When | come up he was holdin' his left
arm with the hand of the other and
the blood was driDpin from it.
I've scooped the board. Mr.. Cook"
he says. with IA smile on his baby face
as innocent as n o them little fat
children with wings in pictur's.
| didn't have time to say nothln'. for
1 seen Mamie totterin' on her horse.
and | had just time to reach her and
catch her in my arms before she fell
| got her off her horse and laid her
down aside the road; then | looked at
Jim's arm II seen it was bleedin'
mighty free | o his handkerchief
and tied it tight just above the wound
He went to Mamie. and seen she
was comm to her senses. ran to
where Josh was layin' on his face. |
turned him over and made up my
mind right off that he was a goner.
| didn't have no trouble in Sittin
i'm back home, though | was afraid o.
the bleedin' q Jimmie's arm. and, to
tell the truth. a bullet had cut an
artery. and If | hadn't tied that hand
kerchief so tight he would "A bled to
death sent a wagon gu for Gil
sons body. and the scrap was over.
1t made Il heap o difference to Jim
mic Whitlock. Didn't any one after
that larf at him for comm west with
dime novel notions about the country.
He was the pet o all the decent men
O the territory. and gun men let him
alone. Everybody was pleased that
Mamie Walker was rid o. Josh Gil
son He wasn't up to her mark any
way Her folks was respectable and
didn't like her asSOciatin' with him.