Hank's Yarn.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

Hank's Yarn.

♦ You hoc, it whs like this : I was courting Mehetabel Stubbs, who in those days lived Eldorado. Some of you will remember ber — smart wench, blind on the off side, though she was none the worso for that. She didn't marry me ; Cyrus J. Jumper was her husband. I hanged him at Villajo in '57 for horse-stealing — but that's no matter. Well, Mehetabel had two brothers — Samuel and Daniel. Dan Stubbs put a bullet through my new sombrero when I first went a-courting Mehetabel ; but that was only his fun, and I forgave him — although I had paid five dollars for it only the day before. About this time a stranger came into town — a nice-looking young chap, with a straight nose and a brown beard. His name was George Fenton. Well, Dan Stubbs and the stranger got very thick, and were always together, and we thought 'em the best of friends, till one afternoon a boy came rushing up from Hooligan's Hotel to tell us that Fenton had quarrelled with Dan at cards and shot him. Mehetabel went into hysterics, -and Sam and me went down to Hooligan's in a great hurry, and, sure enough, we found poor Dan lying dead on the floor, with his head in such a mess as you wouldn't believe unless you saw it. Poor old Dan hadn't got a gun, and Hooligan, who saw it all, said that Fenton had a few words, and then dropped Dan before he could get his hands up. It was a clear case of murder, and so I went round and turned out a few of the boys, while Sam went up and got the horses and guns. Hooligan brought a bit of rope along. Hooligan said that Fenton had jumped out of the window and run off towards Plum Tree Bridge, and so we went off in that direction. We knew he hadn't a chance, 'cause he hadn't got a horse, an' wouldn't know the country ; but we were a bit surprised, you bet, when we came on him in the twilight, for with the start he had he ought to have been about four miles further on. He was sitting with his fane in his hands on a stump close by Murphy's old cabin. He didn't try to get away, but jest waited for us ; an' that made me feel sick, for I don't like to take an' hang a man as won't fight. He jest sat there, while we dismounted an' oame round him, and I felt dreadful, 'cause it seemed so like murder, an' I was new to that sort o' work then ; besides, it was nearly dark, and the wind was making a queer, shivery sort of noise in the ninetops. But I pulled myself together with a big effort. " George Fenton," sezl, " you've drawn on a man when he didn't have a gun on him. Hooligan saw you. It's murder," says I, " and we've got to hang you for it, but you may be shot instead if you like." He lifted his head, and said, "Yes, I quarrelled with Dan Stubbs— at cards it was ; he was cheating, so I drew on him." He spoke like a boy saying a piece that he don't quite know by heart. "Let me bo shot," sez he; and he walked to the foot of the big pine by Murphy's cabin, and stood there, looking so proud an' straight an' bully — suoh a fine figure of a man was he that it went right against the grain to kill him. While the boys were arranging their guns, I told him that we would give him time to say a little prayer, and he could have his eyes tied over if he liked. He would not have his eyes tied, but he said his prayers, and we all took our hals off excepting Sam Stnbbs, who I taw was jest spoiling for a shot.

"Are you ready, George?" sezl. "Yes," says he, quite cool and steady, jist for all tho world as though it was tome other fellow that was going to be fhot, an' not him at all. The boys had him covered, an' I had "Fire '." on the tip of my tongue, when I heard a yell, and a man came running towards us. "Hold on, boys, don't shoot!" sez I; but there was a bung, an' George Fenton shivered an' fell, an' I saw that Sam Stubbs' gun was smoking. The man ran like one possessed, and rushed straight to tho body at the feet of the pine. " Charlie ! Charlie !" he cried Then he saw that the man was dead, and he sorter sobbed, turned, and walked up to Sam Stubbs. Sam staggered back with a yell, and the boys rushed to their nags, for there was the double of George Fenton. " Sam Stubbs," sez he, very quiet-like, "lam George Fenton, and that man you have shot is my brother Charley. I met him two hours ago; he had come from New York to find me and take me back home. I killed your brother ; you have killed mine ; an' now I'm a-going to kill yon." And the two of 'em drew, and fired like one man. So close they were, that when wo came to bury them the next morning their faces were black with the powder. When we overhauled Charley's pockets wo found some letters, and it seams that he was the son of a minister in New York. George was a wild sort of a chap, an' had come out West to make his fortune. Their mother was sick, and liko to die, and as she wanted to see George again, the other brother had come out after him. But it's allus been a licker to me how it was that Charley was such a fool as to let us shoot him for George. Praps it was 'cause he was a tenderfoot, and didn't know no better.