Year: 1877

the biggest towards east of Chicago, and
now I'm one of the biggest west of that
town. I own right up, because know
you won't go back on me. might fight
If L was cornered, but if there was a
chance to run or crawl out wouldn' t
strike a blow"


&C But you talk very brave" said one


Z" And it's all talk, replied the Terror,
as he picked his teeth with his bowie
knife. 81 foated out here from Chi
cago, poor as a rat, and the biggest
coward in the whole train. If luck
hadn't favored me I should have been
under the sod long ago. I've got an
awful voice, and can look as ugly as a
bear in a trap; and somehow or other the
story got afoat that I killed two men in
Chicago, was rescued from the gallows
by mob, and that had come out here
to escape justice. Men grew afraid of
mined to become Terror in order to
make an honest living, and I've got the
thing right down ine."


''And you are not fighter and shooter
and slasher ?"


" Gentlemen, it's kind O. mean for
man to run his own character down, but
to be honest about it I don't suppose
there is man in Custer City who
couldn't wollop me inside of cne minute
by the watch. I go around simply to
make a show. If that saloon-keeper had
reached out for me you'd have seen me
dig out mighty lively. But these weap-
ons, the name I've got, and my anxious
look Tor gore frightened him half to
death.


eyes, everybody seems afraid Of you,"
observed the man from Troy.


"Afraid ? I guess they are ! When
I walk into place everybody begins to
quake and shiver, though have never
drawn blood in this town. There comes
the chap who acts as City Marshal,
Sheriff, Chief of Police, or whatever
you may call him. He's six feet high
and weighs over 200 pounds, and yet see
how can bluff him."


The official referred to was coming up
the street at a leisurely gait, and when
he came along opposite the group the
Terror leaped out with wild yell and
shouted:


Looking for me, are you? Want to
see me bad, do you?''


For Gods sake don't raise row
with me !'' whispered the Sheriff as he
looked around for cover 81 don'twant
-~-, DIT


"You see how it works." continued
the little man as the official moved on.
'That man could make my heels break
my neck, and yet he is afraid of me.
Here are some grizzly-bear claws which
[ bought in Omaha for two dollars.
Everybody around here thinks that I
pulled the beast out of hole in the hill,
held him by the ears with one hand, and
cut these claws off with the other. There
are twenty notches in the stock of this
rife. These folks around here have got
an idea that I have killed twenty men in
rows or fair fights, but never even shot
at one."


There was period of silence, and then
the Terror continued:


There's money in it, and it's rather
pleasant to be top of the heap, but this
thing can't last long. Some day before
long I shall light down on the wrong
man, and he'll dress me down and drive
me to the hills. I hope you boys viii
have lots of luck. I've been square and
honest with you, and now don't give
me away.


At that moment three men on horse
back came down the street, and the
Terror jumped out with screech and
shouted:


"Here's the hollyhock you are look
ing for. Here's the modest violet who
wants to be carved up and fed to the
| wolves p'


They weren't looking for him, and
they got away on a gallop. The party
| from the East went out among the dig
gings and were absent whole week.
When they returned to Custer City, they
inquired for the Terror, and a hotel
keeper replied:


eyes; they did use to call him the
Terror, I believe, but they didn't know
him. He was whooping around here in
his usual awful style three or four days
ago. swearing that he must kill some
body, when tinsmith from Dayton,
Ohio. took his rifle and bowie knife
away, spit tobacco juice on his hat, and
tllen kicked him the whole length OF
this street. The Terror was an awful
coward, gentlemen-a regular rag-baby
under the bed, and he'll never be seen
in Custer again. .'-Netu York San.