Vigilante Days and Ways: The pioneers of the Rockies; the makers and making of Montana and IdahoLangford, Nathaniel Pitt
History
Vigilante Days and Ways: The pioneers of the Rockies; the makers and making of Montana and Idaho
Langford, Nathaniel Pitt
Frontier and pioneer life -- Northwestern States; Northwestern States -- History; Vigilance committees; West (U.S.) -- History
On one of the days of this dismal period, two young men, named Banfield
and Sapp, the first a gambler, the latter a miner, engaged in a game of
poker in Cyrus Skinner’s saloon. During the game, Sapp saw Banfield
abstract a card from the deck, by the aid of which he was enabled to
declare a “flush” hand. He charged him with the theft. Jumping to his
feet, Banfield drew his revolver, which he levelled at the head of his
antagonist, who was unarmed. Jack Russell, who was watching the game,
now interfered, and quiet being restored, the men resumed play. In a few
moments Sapp again charged Banfield with cheating. Banfield fired at him
without effect. Sapp being unarmed, Dr. Bissell thrust a revolver into
his hand, and the two men at once engaged in a pistol fight, dodging
around the posts which supported the roof, and firing at random until
their revolvers were emptied. They then clinched, and Russell tried to
separate them. Moore and Reeves were in one of the bunks fastened to the
wall of the saloon, asleep. Roused by the firing both got up, and Moore,
pistol in hand, at once joined in the fight. Placing the muzzle of his
revolver in Russell’s ear, he pulled the trigger, and the cap failing to
explode, he pulled a second time, with a like result. So rapid had been
the movements of Moore, that it was not until after the second failure
that Russell could turn his face toward him and exclaim,
“What do you mean?”
Moore, who had not recognized him until that moment dropped his arm,
replying,
“Oh, is that you, Jack?”
Russell said in explanation,
“These are friends of mine, and I want them to stop quarrelling.”
Moore now assisted Russell, and they succeeded in a few minutes in
separating the combatants.
“Let’s all take a drink,” said Moore, “and be friends.”
To this Sapp and Banfield, as neither had injured the other, assented.
As they stood with their glasses raised, Moore heard a groan, and going
towards the table, saw Buz Cavan’s dog just expiring.
“Boys,” said he, turning towards the two reconciled men who were waiting
for him to rejoin them at the bar, “you’ve killed a dog.”
Banfield called immediately for more drinks, when another groan was
heard. On going to the bunk from whence it came, they found George
Carrhart writhing in extreme agony. Dr. Bissell lifted him from the bunk
to the table, and after a brief examination of his body and pulse, made
the announcement,
“He is dying.”
Moore who stood by, on hearing this, called to Reeves and Forbes who
were standing in another part of the room,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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