Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

420 Beginning with golden fleece, Indigo, King Robert, angleworm, golf, and the soft-shelled Slovak cravat. Continuing with Circe and Ulysses, car- conductors and soot, not forgetting Cashier Phelps and his able aid, Mr. Mike Burns. Adding to all the foregoing, one phaeton, one hand organ, one pair lace shoes with two brass eyelets, the world’s best litera- ture, Marshal Tom, Clerk Tim, as well as the latter’s latent abilities as an “‘ inspec- tor.” It was extremely fitting, therefore, that Mr. Bugbee, having cornered all the loose inspection in and around the Mansion House a little earlier in the evening, should now try to give everything that deft, mu- tilated appearance which only King Robert of Sicily could display heretofore, when ex- hibited in Coalport. Mr. Bugbee, in short, touched off all the unsuspected TNT by merely mentioning “stranger,” “golf player,” and “telegram.” Yet, his motives were pure as the driven snow. It is not ‘good form” to mention a man’s name in 4 poker room on the occasion of his first visit, even if you know it. Such carelessness has been known to breed complications, which subsequently prevent “ regulars” from gathering golden fleece from others or each other. In this instance, nevertheless, Mr. Bug- bee’s rigid adherence to the proprieties of poker-room etiquette bred an immediate ex- plosion—and a terrific one—not of itself, wholly; but chiefly originating in Jimmy Stuart’s facetious habit of wearing his dis- position inside-out or vice versa on coming into Coalport. Hence, no real blame can be attached to Mr. Bugbee for what next happened. The North Star, alias a scoundrel who had given the name of Norman Baldwin, hearing Mr. Bugbee mention “ stranger,” “telegram,” and “ golf-player,” suddenly peered across the table and into the eye of Alias the Angleworm, who was standing by Marshal Tom, but a little to the left and behind him. The scoundrel rose, slowly, and kept looking at Jimmy, his face, where visible, ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. taking on a hue like mud and mustard, mixed. As Jimmy took the telegram from Mr: Bugbee, the scoundrel dropped his hand to his hip-pocket and whipped out an ugly, murderous pistol, while Marshal Tredway —to whom all of Mr. Bugbee’s maneuvers were equally as perplexing as to Jimmy— was watching that transaction instead of | what was happening on the other side of the poker table. Tom Tredway was wonder- ing who had sent that telegram; what was in it; if Mr. Bugbee had read it, and was now on tap with another “ tip ” to him, as the police force of Coalport, to “‘ jug ” his man. ; All of the other habitués of the game, including the bantam, were likewise looking at the drama on the side. But the man who raised the pistol did not aim at Alias the Angleworm at all. Jimmy didn’t know why, any more than he facetiously guessed he might have changed hiinself in and out so many times since coming into Coalport that even Nor- man Baldwin didn’t know him. That idea, however, was self-evidently more preposterous than many things which Jimmy had since done~-had appeared to be to Marshal Tom—at whom the weapon was actually leveled. ° ‘You dirty, white-livered, double-cross- in’, blankety-blank-blank!” gritted the pis- tol-holder. ‘‘ You wé#l write me a letter, ‘ hoping to see me at home soon ’—and then try to frame me, cold, for my wad!” The roar of a pistol filled the room. Shock! Then, the deadly, noxious fear which petrifies all right-thinking men who are numbed by the intrusion of death—which ever stalks in the midst of life, unseen. Aftermath of amazement. No one killed. Instead, a scoundrel, who would have di:d in his tracks but for an invalid mother and a lovely, sympathetic sister, was reeling back with clanging pistol echoing up from the floor, while he clasped the hand from which it had been cleanly shot away by an extremely good bit of shooting from the man standing by Marshal Tredway, who had to shoot between the heads of two other poker players to do what he had done NOO = S Co (C(O) mM