Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-08-06


Then he drew long breath. My text
is from Proverbs. There Is n lion In
the way, lion Is In the streets
Friends. there Is lion In the streets
OF Usage. our fair city, soon to be
queen of the Great Southwest lion
is In the streets. And ! have been
liar and coward and an avaricious
knave. For | pretended not to have
knowledge which | have; and went
about asking for information OF this
lion-though | would change the word
lion to jackal or dirty skunk II | did
not feel 1t to be sacrilege to take lib
critics with Holy Wrlt-when already
had proof positive OF his guilt
proof In writing. for which paid. and
about which / said nothing. And the
reason for this deceit of mine am
ashamed to confess to you. but | shall
confess 1t. | intended to announce to
you all today that had this knowl-
edge, and | meant to announce to you
from this pulpit" he glanced down
at the roulette table-"from this plat
form--that | would publish this knowl-
edge In the columns of the Oklahoma
Wigwam on Thursday. hoping there
by to gain profit and fame because OF
the circulation which this would gain
for my paper, starting 1t of with
bang' At the word hang uttered
with much vehemence, the congrega-
ton OF Osage's First Methodist. Epis-
copal, Lutheran. etc. church jumped
noticeably and nervously. Friends
and fellow citizens. repent OF my
greed and OF my desire for self-ad-
vancement at the expense OF this COM
munity. no longer intend to with
hold. for my own profit. the name Of
the jackal In n lions skin who. by
threats of sudden death, has held this
town abjectly terrorized. | stand here
to announce to you that the name OF
that skunk, that skulking fend and
soulless murderer who shot down Jack
Pegler when his back was turned
that coward and poltroon--" he was
gesturing with his Bible In his hand,
brandishins it alaft-"was none other
than
He dropped the Bible TO The floor
as II ny accident, in his rae. AS he
stopped for it. on that instant. there
was the crack OF revolver, bullet
from q six-shooter In the rear Of the
tent sang past the spot where his head
had been, and there appeared in the
white surface Of the tent a tiny cir
clet of blue that was the Oklahoma
sky. But before that dot OF blue ap-
peared Yancey Cravat had raised him
self halfway from the hips. had fired
from the waist without. seemingly,
pansing to take aim. His thumb
flicked the hammer. That was all.
The crack of his six-shoOter WAS. In
fact, 30 close on the heels OF that
first report that the two seemed al
most simultaneous. The congregation
wns now on Its feet en- masse, its back
to the roulette table pulpit Its eyes
were on one figure its breath WAS
suspended. That fgure--a man-was
seen to perform some curious antics.
He looked. first OF all, surprised.
With his left hand he had gripped one
of the taut tent ropes, and now,
with his hand still grasping the hem
pen line, his fingers slipping gently
II along it, as though loath to let 60, he
sank to the floor. sat there a moment,
as II In meditation, loosed his hands
hold of the rope. turned slightly, rolled
over Oh one side and lay there quite
still.
Lion Yountis," finished Yancey.
neatly concluding his sentence and
now holding an ivory-mounted six
shooter In right and left hand.
Screams. Shouts. A stampede for
the door. Then the voice Of Yancey
Cravat, powerful, compelling, above
the roar. He sent one shot through
the dome Of the tent to command at
tention. "Stop! Stand where you
are! The first person who stampedes
this crowd gets bullet Shut that
tent flap. Jesse, like told you to this
morning. Louie Hefner, remove the
body and do your duty"
"Okeh. Yancey. It's self-defense
and justifiable homicide
II know It, Louie, Fellow
citizensi We will forego the sermon
this morning, but next Sabbath, II re-
quested, | shall be glad to take the
pulpit again. unless suitable and or
daned minister Off God can be pro-
cured. The subject OF my sermon for
next Sabbath will be from Proverbs
XVI, Of: Whose diggeth pit shall
fall therein /. This church meet
ing, brethren and sisters will now be
concluded with prayer" There was a
little thuddlng. scnf1ing sound as a
heavy, inert burden was carried out
through the tent flap into the noon
day sunshine. His .six-shooters still
In his hands, Yancey Cravat bowed his
magnificent buffalo head-but not too
far-and sent the thrilling tones Of his
beautiful voice ont into the sgitated
crowd before him.
=. bless this community, 0
Lord. =
Mournfully. and In accordance with