The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-29

WF'N'h ~ y So ~ ~
We we're Just rea3S to leave.
And her It occurred to me that |
would get a drink. | was the young
est peeler OIL the Lazy u, Chuck buying
was a man size job, and had a sense
Of great Importance IN 1t. A, fellow
gringo diablo, little wart, where did
they pick you OFF,
Dingy Adobe Saloon.
| wanted to prove myself At the iol
the mon had held mo down. Jim had
showed me away from whisky, | felt
II was time to assert myself,
The saloon was a dlngy, one-roomed
Spanish adobe with an atmosphere OF
stale f~rijoles and green flies, There
were n few M%exicans gambling rather
Idly and n couple OF cowpunohers play
WAg. billiards, | sauntered up to the bar
n took a drink, ordered another and
then u third, II was the first time In
my life | had ever had more than one
at a throw, II fired me In an instant,
Just to let them Know | was there ]
shot three BOTTLES off the back bar
The old looking glass anne down with
a crash and went plumbWwlld and
started to sock the place fun Of lead
The MeXicans got scared and made for
the back door. one OF the cowpunchers
caught his billiard cue across the door
and the whole crowd was banked ur
there, | was reeling by this time and
went to bursting a few ASS at theil
feet,
Two shots were fired, Just grazing tn,
skin OF my neck | turned, The room
was hung with the gray smoke cloud
and the whisky had me reeling. but
through the haze | saw the bartender
aiming straight for my head, Two NOR,
shots went wild, | fired pointblanl
at the fellows face. He went down
Awaked in Calaboose.
II sobered me, | made for the door
A crowd Of greasers clamored abou
me. My s~ix-shooter empty. AS | go
To the street some n smashed m,
across the head with tho butt OF n AZ
| woke up In the calaboose,
| didn't know why ] was there,
remembered nothing but the terrihl,
crashing In my head, Then they tol,
naA that | had killed u man and aske'
mo II | had any friends, Chicken wa
the only fellow on the range that
adder fighter and came In TO finisl
up the town for me-. / felt sure tina
he would get me out somehow.
The calabcose was a wooden pc
about SNi0, For six weeks | was 3kep
there with Mexican Pete for my guard
Pete would sit In the sun outside tn
grating and describe my execution. II
went into all its details, Every morn
Ing he strung me up In n different way
But he vas a good sort. After tn
first week we were friends, Pete ha
all the Mexican treachery to the stran
ger and all their dog-hke fidelity to
friend.
They would have hanged me with a
little conjunction as they would drow
an excess kitten, but they felt no hatre
for me az a murderer. life was reck
oned cheap In the COW country,
one morning Pete stuck his head be
tween the bars OF the calaboose. HI
long yellow teeth CLEANED. Your padr,
he come" he said.
IL was a. u lightning went tbroug
me. I thought that Pete was poktn
fun at. me. He repeated, Your padr'
big fellow. he come
would rather have been taken o,
10 the tree and hanged, I did not war
10 see my father. ] had the picture {
him lying at Shrieber's store seattle
into my mind, had the memory (
q hundred gentle things he had don
balancing the rvughness OF that la'
impression. ! did rot want him 10 ~
me In the pen with q Mexican stand
ing guard over me, For the first tin
felt sorry for the whole affair.
II was Chicken who had sent Il