every one of the ten visitors had his gun out, excepting Krags, who was struggling violently but ineffectually to free his hands. The Brownsville men were as quick as the strangers, but, although three or four shots were heard, none reached a mark. And after a little time, Long Mike’s voice commanded attention.
“Av we did the roight thing,” he shouted, “we’d chop holes in th’ oice, an’ send yez ahl shwimmin’ down th’ river. But Oi’m thinkin’ we can have more fun nor that. Yez’ll ahl give yer guns to Sam, an’ Oi’ll take this omadhaun out-o’-doors an’ woipe th’ ground up wid him. An’ Bixby’ll hitch up an’ carry what’s left back to La Crosse the noight widout waitin’ f’r sun-up.”
No one dissented, for Krags and his followers were as confident as the Brownsville men, and moreover counted themselves lucky to get off as they did after the exposé. And then Smithers gave a new turn to the situation by saying, “I’ll bet even money that Krags’ll lick him.”
In about three minutes all the available cash in the party was staked on the contest and the two gladiators stripped for the fray.
Then was Brownsville glorified within three minutes more, for Long Mike stood with his hands down, waiting the other’s onslaught. It came with a fury that would have demolished an ordinary man, but he took two blows that seemed enough to break his bones, and then wrapped his arms around Krags in such fashion as to hold him helpless. For a moment he stood thus, tightening his grip slowly, and then said, coolly:
“Ye’ll tell me when ye have enough.”
The other made no answer, but struggled like a wildcat, while Long Mike stood smiling and slowly tightening his awful grip. Not until the bones began to crack did the defeated man give up, but presently he gasped “Enough,” and fell, half-dead, to the ground as the other released his hold.
“Oi’m thinkin’, belike,” said Stumpy, as they watched the stage start off, “thot we might have a party up here from Dubuque next week, I don’t know. Thim social visits is foine divarsion.”
X
STUMPY VIOLATES ETIQUETTE
The fate of the one-eyed man had not been forgotten in Brownsville, but the lapse of time since his taking off had been sufficient to allay the excitement which it had occasioned.