Evening star., 1922-12-03


cases will not stand for the row you'll
ra ise.'
At this decision he reached back
(, for his gun and yelled at the top OF MS
voice: 9TH ell I can't"
AS quick as thought. one OF his
guardians twisted his gun out of his
hand and placed 1t beyond his reach.
You amt a-goin' to take me 1n
eh? Then the boneyard will take you
in" And out he whipped big bowie
knife and made a desperate effort to
reach me.
My steward Henly) was behind the
dispensary counter when l said,
Steward. pass me that largest bot
tie of nitric acid" and it was in my
right hand at once.
| was getting mad then. and said:
You drop that knife or I will burst
this bottle of acid on the bridge Of
YOUR nose and you'll be blind for life
| in one second" The knife struck the
floor and one Of his men kicked 1t out
of his reach.
They pulled him out into the snow
and the three got on their ponies and
started down to the traders store.
but not before Blue-eyed Harry,
shaking his fist at me. said in words
to the effect that I'd be in the post
| morgue before 10 am.
1 went to my quarters and had
breakfast, after which I put on my
overcoat, which was responsible for
my being called Red Coat" all over
that part of the country. 1t was a
nj
did quality, that came to my ankles,
with heavy and deep cuffs and collar
of elegant beaver fur. The coat was
lined with a scarlet flannel lining,
so when 1t blew open could be rec
osnized at long distance. My wife
saw me buckle on my Colts AS. an
expensive revolver Of the best type.
Nothing was said. but she knew that
there was danger somewhere in the
wind.
THE officers clubroom, the mems
i clubroom and the traders store
were all under one roof. a large
building some thousand yards from
my quarters. was pretty cold when
1 reached it, and, once inside, warm
ed myself up with a swallow of rye
a. the buffe.. Only one officer was in
the room. Lieut.. Crittendon, and he
was amusing himself knocking the
billiard balls around on the table.
Tho room communicated with the
traders store by very narrow,
rather dark passage about thirty feet
in length. 1t came out behind a coun-
ter in the store, and one had to climb
over that to get into the middle area
of the room. There was wood stove
there that one could see from the
space surrounding 1t.
AS loosened up bit I said: Crit,
have you seen Blue-eyed Harry
aboutc' To which he replied: Yes:
he's now sitting by the traders stove
and keeps saying that he means to
drop you the minute he lays eyes on
YOU
1 looked down the Aforesaid pas
sage and he was sitting by the stove
in plain view, with his legs straight
ened out. and apparently every one in
the room standing away from him, as
he had recovered both his knife and
his gun.
After briefly telling Crittenden what
was up. wound up by saying that I
had to kill him just where he sat or
he'd kill me on sight when I was not
looking, and I drew my revolver with
the intention of getting him in his
right temple, as that side was toward
me.
Crittenden said he did not care to
be witness. and l lowered the pistol.
I took of my overcoat and, with gun
In hand, I ran down the little passage,
cleared the counter in the room in a
jump and lit right alongside him,
covering him as quick as a flash.
Move a muscle and I'll drop you
Take Harry's gun and knife here.
somebody. and somebody did. "Now."
I said. what's the matter with you?"
why. doc, I was pitched of my
pony when I was drunk and landed on
the front of my chest on a rock and
it pains like hell
There was a little log hotel on the
reservation where cowboys often put
up, so said: Come with me over to
the hotel and I will look out for you"
He came along as gentle as a lamb
and. on examination, found several
broken ribs, a sprained ankle and
some minor bumps A month or SO
afterward, when he was plumb sober,
never saw q man any moro grateful
than he was. When left Fetterman
to go east Blue-eyed Harry saved my
life on the road. But that's another
story I've a long time ago told else
where. and the military novelist, Gen.
Charles King, has worked it into one
Of his famous novels.
NEXT day or SO I had a Mexican
" cowboy on the operating table,
and he was not only drunk, but roar
ed at such pitch that one could
almost hear him q mile away He
had divided the tendo achilles in his
right ankle with an adze, and I got
union in it-only the fourth or fifth
successful case in the United States.
Once, at the post q big, powerful,
six-foot stage driver came in with
both his legs frozen above the knees.
I drove the frost down to his feet, but
they were hopeless told him that
a double amputation was in order be-
yond either arch. He said: DOC, I've
not q friend or a relative in the world
I'm not married, and SIS is the ex-
tent of my possessions. and I'm going
to die" In spite Of all I could do.
he died from lockjaw on the fifth day
followine the oDeration with tho fAat