"NUMBER ONE HARD."

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7449, 15 January 1890, Page 2

"NUMBER ONE HARD."

By Wilijam Waixace Cook. Detroit Free Press. That was all the name he went by in Skvtown. He had never thought it worth while to give his fall name, and out there, where eastern titles were considered as delicate subjects and handled accordingly, no one in the community cared to press the matter. He had to be catalogued, however, and Charley Atwood demonstrated his ingenuity by christening, the sturdy blacksmith "Number One Hard." The boys shortened the appellation to suit themselves, but it was no mattes, so long as identification was complete. Number One was of powerful build, with a biceps and stature of herculean proportions. It has never been my fortune to see another such magnificent physique. He was old and gray, but hie majestic shoulders were erect and straight as those of a youth. His temperament was peaceable and retiring, and he was never seen in the saloon;, or at the card tables at Skytown. He minded his own business, put in six full days at his anvil every week, and allowed the world to wag as it would. He had a fine face, but I, who was brought into contact with him more perhaps than any of the rest, could trace lines of a deep sorrow among the wrinkles of age. ' "Some family skeleton," I thought; "unhappy in the East, he has come tp this rough section to bury his sadness and end his life. Poor Number One."

Though six years have passed I remember as tl It had occurred but yesterday the j strange event which brought Number One i conspicuously before the rough denizens of [ Skytown and proved a turning point for the better in the old man's life. The autumn of '83 was a particularly disgraceful one for the pioneer community in which I found myself. >■ Rowdies from the Mouse River country and cowboys from the far Montana border conspired to keep alive an element of lawlessness that put civilisation to the blush. The scattered farming population evaded the town to trade at another village even though obliged to go many miles farther. 1 had opened a general store In Skytown, and this evasion by the farmers nearly ruined mc. In company with two or three other law-abiding citizens, as interested as myself in the preservation of the peace, I openly expressed my disgust and disapproval to the sheriff, but he (being a mere figurehead and too much of a rascal himself to perform bis swora duty) paid little heed to our demands, save to re-! assure us by stating that "it would only last a few days." One particularly lawless individual had come down with the Mouse river delegation who rejoiced in th« sobriquet of " Long-haired Pete.* , He was an athletic young fellow of twenty-two, or thereabouts, but very quarrelsome either in or out of hit "cops," and no one had the

hardihood to cross Wβ will or j*o_ against his slightest wish. He was looked* up 4* and universally admired by all the Mouse River rowdies. " Pete did this' or. Jl* Pete did that," was a rigid demand upon his followers to go and do likewise. .This gentleman reigned supreme m bfcytown until the demoralised Montana faction dragged a rival god from beyond the Missouri, crowned him, and flaunted his colours malignantly in the faces of Longhaired Pete's partisans. I had noticed the trend of affairs from afar and had about concluded to pack my stock in divers waggons and move to a more congenial clime. There woumaoon be a war of extermination I felt positive, and the sooner I moved to less barbarous surroundings the better—for mc. But the climax was reached before I had fairly decided and I was compelled to see the drama through. Covert sneers and half-uttered threats had been carried back and forth between the two champions until both parties were warm for an encounter. They both sought it, and one afternoon Pete collected his followers about him and they surged into Spangler's saloon where Montana DicK was holding forth with his friends. Sundry jeers and derisive laughs were indulged in, but Pete heeded them not. He stalked straight to the bar and then, turning half around, he looked at Montan* Dick. " Her a drink with mef he asked, emilingblandly. Was Pete backing down? Had he acknowledged a superior I These were the startled thoughts of his paopte as they stood in an agony of doubt behind their hero. Montana Dick seemed surprised, too, and he looked his rival or*r and gave a contemptuous: sniff. Then he looked about him triumphantly. "I don't mind, seehvs ye want mc to. Td drink "with the meanest feller that walks," he added when the liquor had been pourea." "I. wouldn't," said Pete, suddenly raising his glasp and dashing its contents full in the other's face. What a bedlam of approbation went up from Pete's friends! For a second Dick, with the liquor streaming from his eyes, was dazed and seemed not to realise what occurred; then, with a yell of rage, he jumped backwards, drew his revolver, and emptied every shell at his enemy. Hβ was too insane with liquor and rage to fire accurately, and every bullet wenc wide of the mark save one, and that passed through Pete's shirt, but did not touch bis body. " If you want to fight," cried Pete, when the smoke had cleared away, "jjst come out doors and fight like a man. We stand too big a chance of hittin* some one else in here." ■ Pell-mell they rushed out japon the prairie, and the combatants were soon facing each other with loaded revolvers in their nands. " Wen I drop my hat you fellers fire, cried "Roxy" of the Montanians. But before Roxy could drop his his hat Number One stepped from the crowd of onlookers. He raised his hand imperiously. "Wait!" Something about the man commanded attention and he was accorded a hearing. ** What's the use of this needless bloodshed. In this manner both of you are liable to die. I cry out against it 1" " Git out o' the way," yelled Dick ; and the crowd, taking its cue from him, endeavoured to frighten the old man off. "We'rehere to fight," said Pete/ " and fight we will, whether one or both of us go under." Number One never looked at him. " Let: mc propose a way ot settling the difficulty," said he, drawing two pistols from his pocket, both exactly alike. '* One of these weapons is loaded with powder only ; the other with powder and ball. Now, I will lay them on the grass here, and you , , Montana Dick, and you, Longhaired Pete, are to approach and take one, each of you. I will toss up a dollar and the one that wins the toss is to pat his pistol at the breast of the other and fire. In the event of that pistol being loaded with powder only, then the other is to have his turn. In this way only one of the duellists will be killed, and one life saved at all events. It is a fair method for settling the dispute. Fate will decide it. What have you to cay gentlemen V Not a sound came from the assembled men. Theawfulness of that battle seemed to strike even their hardened hearts with fear./ : y- ■..,■■ •. . | Pete bowed his head and his broad! bosom heaved a moment. ( •-■?'- I'm ready," he declared, looking op. There was a murmur of admiration from the crowd, and I fancied the old blacksmith looked towards the youug fellow with sudden pride. But it was only a flitting shadow that crossed his face and it became as passive as before. To be outdone by his enemy would have cost Montana Dick his laurels, and, shaking back his shoulders with the air of a braggadocia, he cried: " fin ready, too " Humber One stepped back. Dick strode over to the pistols and selected his, and Pete then approached and took the remaining one. ~ ■■■•■..■ They stood facing each other, but the bully had faded entirely out of Montana Dick's bearing. The combatants, both of them, were white-faced and filled with foreboding. - One of them had the loaded pistol— which was it? It is a false sentimentalism which accredits man with a contempt of danger in times like these. Uncertainty kills a thousand times where death strikes once. The rabble about the two men was quiet as the men themselves, and even when Number One tossed the coin and Montana Dick won there was only a fflinfc caeer from his supporters. ■:■;.'-. \ Dick's eyes shot a malignant gleam at Pete as he approached and placed the muzzle of the pistol within a foot of his breast. If I should live to the end of eternity I could never forget the bravery of Longhaired Pet* at this supreme moment. His face was of an ashy pallor, but, drawing himself to his full height, he folded his arms and awaited the decree of fate. With a sneering laugh Montana Dick pressed the trigger. There followed a bright flash and loud report, but Pete still stood erect before his enemy. The Mouse River men gave a shout of exultation. Realising that he had selected the wrong pistol, Montana Dick fell back iv dismay and fear. His enemy had failed! P«ta grasped his pistol firmly and rushed towards the cowerins champion of the Montanians. At this moment Number One stepped between them. ..." Stop I" h\ commanded. : Pete looked at him angrily, with a harsh reply on his lips, but, meeting the steady gaze of Number One, he continued looking as by some weird fascination. His arms fell limp beside him and he staggered back. Hie lips moved, bat they uttered no word. .. " Give mc that pistol." It was mechanically handed to him. " Now, go 1" commanded Number One; " leave this town at once." Pete turned, walked slowly out on the prairie where his horse was grazing, saddled and bridled the animal, mounted, and rode away. As in a kind of stupefaction the crowd had observed this strange proceeding. When Pete had disappeared in the purple haze where horizon and prairie met, the men passed silently away and Number One was the first to go. 'After this, although "white-winged peace" did not roost in the neighbourhood of Skytown, the backbone of dissension was,broken and everything settled down to a fairly harmonious channel for a pioneer village. Business picked up so well that I concluded to chance it a while longer, and I have lived to be glad that I did. ■■ ■■'■■■■ . The never-failing topic of conversation continued to be the strange duel engineered by. Number One, and for months after that affair the all-important question of "what made Long-haired Pote. throw up his hands and get out when Number One told him to" remained unanswered. . For mc the mystery was cleared away, but I sever breathed the secret to a soul in Skytown. About four weeks after the duel Number fne Hard came into the store dressed in his best clothes and carrying a satchel in his hand. I expressed great surprise at hia intended departure, and he, drawing mc on one side, thrust a letter into my hand. ■ * " Read that, Mr Barlow." a? and > M near ** * <»» Jfemeraber the following was written in the note in a very awkward hand:— found mc, and I never wanted to go home sotadteallmy life aal do now? I will meet you in Jimtown the loth of this month: Fm tired of this life and ready fo* something better. Will you meet mc there?, If so, we will go East together, and, try pur fortunes once more in the little anop at Roxbury.—Affectionately, ■■ - ■ ■ Pete." ; w Who is Pete r I queried, completely nonplussed. •.>.,._«- v *; Why;* Long-haired Pete.'"•. ri " Fact. All I came oat West f6? w&a to

.never knew anything about?till j,,?* 4 * : gone. He leffc a not! saying that J become a little restless ; K didn't blacksmithing was his forte, and Jn «?* and thought he'd try it out WeS aiw & i thought about where he'd come af rß* * 1 v,| him. Brother Joe hadn't seen I® I * 6 * *? ever, so I calculated to settle dowirftfe* town for a spell and just hoiS-P h and maybe fi find him in §SS£ £2 !|A ; see, I wasn't disappointed tori** l across him just on the point; of nt -t with that Montana rowdj. »? dn vfts * that up pretty cute ?" ' ac *$ i '' Perhaps so, but I think your son « - a poor show" J TOQ »tw " Not a bit of It! Why, Mr neither of those pistols were bullets. I Hed a little, but I,S ' I felicitated the old gentlenmaon^ , genuity. uun : * 4 If I can only save Pete from a whiskey appetite he has here it will make mc a happy marf" '** 'Don't let that worry you. 1' fellow that can look into the tnnf»t y % revolver with as much imponi'V "f» whether it is loaded or unloaded is- a h of the highest moral development" t " He \ b raT>-nobody ever doubts n 3 I knew he'd write mc I I firm]*i~ *H 5 that letter. ' Will 1 meet him tas£E** Of course I will, and it will for mother when she sees come home together and go to f dusty little sEop just across tKP Just think, we've been tjone fromW • two years! My sakes, I feel If younger now that Tm going buE&S I Pete. But here's the stage? CWu* s 1 Mr Barlow; I'm much obliged \ all your kindness. roa % \ I shook his hand heartily. , ' "Good-bye and good luck loyoar "' ! He boarded the stage, waved'htalu* > mc from the window, and-th a ?tSg ilast of Number One. f