Show IN A BLAZE OF GLORY THE DRAMATIC EXIT OF OLD CAP FROM LIFES STAGE lie lived a wild alfe and a wild death nod lie n audience to see him do uti final wild act the longing jbv alio center of tho exists not only in the centers of said a man who had goni west made ills pile in mining ana back to enjoy find it up in the among the hardest toughest citizens that ever handled a pick or shot a bear the melodramatic instinct Is mighty strong in most men and the glare of tho calcium is eagerly sought after by many who wont admit it I 1 knew an old man out in arizona some years ago who was ono of this kind iio waa about the most dont give a darn chaa I 1 ever knew he lived up in the mountains about ten miles bac it of tucson all by himself how he managed to live I 1 never knew but he seemed contented ilia all deeds never seemed to worry him any and the ord knows hla record was black enough lie had been a great gun fighter in his time and even in tho days I 1 speak of it do to tread on his toes he loved to tell ot his wild life and the frankness with which he related his somewhat questionable tio escapades made him an excellent entertainer if you happen to feel squeamish a common fault out way and everybody knew and liked old cap what they called him except the few who had been in trouble with him at one time or another mow no one ever thou glit that old cap was spectacular he was tho last man on earth who would be thought likely to want the center of the stags for any of his stunts but he did and the climax of his life was more pyrotechnical than any mans I 1 ever got mixed up with he certainly did go out in a blaze of glory it all happened about seven years ago I 1 was in tucson A lot of us boys were sitting around in front of a one afternoon just talking about things in general our horses tied in the yard at the back it was a mighty fine day just warm enough for solid comfort out of doors and with the sky as clear as absolute dryness could make it it was one of these days you know when you throw your chest out and congratulate yourself on being alive As I 1 was saying we all sat on easy wicker chairs talking and whittling I 1 reckon when down the street came a 10 year old boy riding a broncho we recognized him as a youngster who lived a couple of miles this side of old caps on taft same trail lie rode right up to where we were sitting and rolled an his horse with his eyes a popping and his breath the matter buby asked a tall texan who was in tho party old cap says t come up t his place right off an fetch all til laca yer kin git th is colln the indians were always liable to bust loose and do nobody suspected so w c got our horses out in a jiffy and started up the trail to old cap there were about a dozen of us and wo had our winchesters Win chesters and six shooters us when we got near to old caps we slowed up a bit and began to sharp for indians but not a of a redskin could we see well be in time boys said the texan who was leading the band ef we get to old caps cabin we kin stand off a pretty smart lot old caps cabin was situated in a clearing off alic biall around a bend with hiigli rocks hiding it until yoi caroo out in the open we reached the turn li safety and swept around it at aull gallop there we saw first of all tho little cabin looking as snug 91 and then wo noticed old cap sitting astride a leg about ten feet lu front of his door ills big gray som hercio was cocked to one side and rod scarf about his neck gave him tho look of a stage horo of the plains his had heard our horses hoofs the rocky trail before wo wheeled into view and lie was ready for us waiting until we had come within 75 yards of him lie lifted his hat and moved it above his head with a wild yell As I 1 think of it now it sounded alko the cry of a madman then bo reached into his pocket and drew forth a match this he drew carefully acro sg a rock which was within reach of tho keg upon lio sat and saving t from the brecio until st was barcly lighted ho opened his legs and dropped it between them there was a yellow puff of tinged with a flash of red and then a terrific roar old caps body flew sky waid and alien it came down it look like a human beings iio hail been sitting on a keg of powder ami had tely blown himself up funny thing for a man to do it old cap apparently got tired of alfo and decided to kill himself iio wanted an audience so he sent tha kid out to drum on up he got what be wanted ut it a very sympathetic one men dont go much on gush out there and the texan was u little core about the trick wed had played on us ho I 1 to straighten out the corpse and then lio sat down on a boulder bowlder and gazed at it well he said ll nally ho certainty did give himself a good send off and the rest of the gang guffawed guff awed loud enough to start the echoes down tho valley but it was all pretty human when you come to think of it old cap had the center of the stage when the curtain dropped and his audience then proceeded to forget 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