Show OUR AYFOL FIGIITER I I I 0 k Why He Joined Us and Why He Left Us i HIS CASK WAS THE SADDEST t ImHIla the Proud Possessor of a NoveltyA I rlcndly CrittcA atunl InquIrjA Timely Table I It having becomo noised about that wo were going to mako a horseback trip through I a portion of the cattle country various mdi viduala made applications for situations We needed only a cook and a man to take charge of too baggage but the applicants kept I coming com-ing and the day before we left a chap appeared ap-peared who introduced himself as Awful Davis Look a hero fellers ho began In a busl ness way I want to bo counted in on this Indeed its a slight on mo that you hadnt applied for my services Youd have been in a purty pickle to havo gone without tho undersigned Un When asked to explain what peculiar valuo his services might have to us ho uttered along a-long whistle of surprise and replied Well you are innocents and no mistake Wbos going to do your fighting for you I As tho Indians were at peace wo didnt expert pert any trouble Oh you dont Bless me but what dear good little boys Injurs Nobody said In I juus Its the white men youvo got to lookout look-out foi Youre going among the tufTest lot ill the whole world They aro right on the fight all day and all night Auy one of tho gang can turn himself loose and hammer I lalifllx out of tho wholo live of you in ten I utinuhs lie wanted to go along to do our fighting Ilo would furnish his own iniilo and make the trip for II dollar a day and his keep When asked if he had any recommends ho put on an injured air and answered And you never heard of Awful Davis Never heard of tho man who has lit fifty SLX lights and como out on top every time Pur tend that you want a certificate of character 1 mm a feller who fights standing kneeling or lying on his backl This mal esme weary I tt o talked it over and finally engaged him I and when informed of tho filet ho rnnlirvl Very well gentlemen From this mom mo-m nt you are in my keeping Just put out the kuv you want pulverized aud Ill do the I business I shant put airy limit on you Im i to fight day or night and to lick six men a day II you could bring about three or four a day for the next week lI should feel obliged as my liver is lectio torpid and I want ex err so During the first days ride wo met but few people Ono of those was an old Indian lamo in tho left leg and Awful Dais halted tho party and observed Gouts did I hear any of you tell me to lick this copper reptile bone of us had told himso I beg jour pardon gents I want you to understand that Im allus on hand Id like to git down and hammer him for the benefit of my liver but of course Im under orders We had pitched camp and wero waiting for supper when a cowboy rode up The greetings greet-ings were friendly and he got down to have a bite with us Ho was hardly on the ground before ho saw our Awful fighter and uttered a humph of disgust What you got tharl he asked Hes our fighter Your fighter Did you bring him along to fight anybody or anything lio hired to us to do our fighting but hes had no show yet Well Ill give him a show Como out o that you cowardly kyotel Thu Awful jyas skulking behind the baggage bag-gage Ho rose up at tho command and tho cowboy shouted at him Bill Whoeson I know ye and I owe ye one Come out hero and earn jer hire l t Is that you Jim Phillips queried our jLvf uj as he advanced a step if i course its me you yaller cur from the bottom hinds And you want to fight I want to show these ero gents that you ar the biggest liar and coward in America I Come out here Gents is it your wish that I projuco a uhmoral here I asked tho Awful as ha turned to us shall I bang his feechurs into one bloody mass kill him deadern a beef bone with ono blowr We answered that it was Here Uo ono hand behind mcti both hands behind metie my feet together and Ill lick him then I howled tho cowboy Jim Phillips you havent got two taints to exist solemnly announced the Awful hlm comic fur yo like a dozen cyclones biled into one Look out now Ho spit on his hands and stepped back as if to get a running start and next thing we heard was the thump thump of his feet as he fled afar into tho darkness Some tuna during tho night ho returned for his mule Next morning wo found the following explanation ex-planation scrawled on a piece of paper and stuck into a split stick Sensed with sudent yillnessgoodbLNew York Sun |