Reel Life (Sep 1914 - Mar 1915)

Sixteen REEL LIFE "The Passing of Two-Gun Hicks" The Story of a Western Bad Man's Sacrifice for a Good Woman OF all the disreputable characters who made Moose Gulch their home none equalled in disrepute and evil record the newcomer, who drifted that pleasant afternoon into the Red Eye saloon and lounged lazily up to the bar. Perhaps if that unusual aggregation of criminal talent had known who this stranger was, life in Moose Gulch the ensuing week might have been different. As it was, none of the crowd guessed that it was Two-Gun Hicks, principal in a score of pistol duels, who was ordering a drink for himself, least of all, Bad Ike, the local bully. Bad Ike sauntered up to the bar. i "Have a drink, stranger?" he enquired with an evil leer. Two-Gun merely looked at him. "On your way," he remarked, succinctly. "Beat it ! I don't like your ugly mug." With an angry exclamation Bad Ike reached for his weapon, there was a flash, and with a helpless choke the bully flung up his arms, sank to his knees in the sawdust that covered the floor and toppled over into a quivering heap. Two-Gun Hicks had shot first, and he was now thoughtfully surveying the roomful of excited spectators, with both guns aimed. i.Hjs eyes practically dared them to come on. This exhibition of daring quite won the bad man the attention and regard of the sort of women that frequent a saloon of that type in a Western mining camp. Hayes, the gambler, their previous favorite, saw all this, but cared nothing. He even smiled as he watched, for he could see through the window a prettier woman than any of these inside coming down the street This woman was Mrs. Jenks, May lenks, wife of loe lenks, the drunkard of Moose Gulch, a weakling and a coward, who, by one of those strange twists of sentiment that are inexplicable to the 'masculine mind, but essentially feminine, had persuaded this wonderful creature to be his wife. Hayes loved her. So did Two-Gun Hicks the moment he saw her. Scorning the dancing girls hovering round him like bees round the honey, he walked out the door to meet the woman. Try as he would, however, he could make no impression on her, and in the end he concluded that she must have refused him because of love for her husband. He pondered over this fact, and finally because of it, although he had never before hesitated to shoot anyone who stood CAST Two-Gun Hicks William S. Hart May Jenks Leona Hutton Joe Jenks Arthur Maude Bad Ike Willis Hayes J. Barney Sherry Two Reel Ince-Sullivan Photoplay Produced by W. S. Hart and Broncho Players in his way, he decided to spare her husband. That would have ended the matter had it not been for the gambler Hayes, who for some time had been plotting to get May lenks for himself, and who now saw his opportunity. He knew why Hicks had spared lenks. He knew it by a process of elimination. As Two-Gun was the quickest shot and craftiest fighter in the West nothing short of love could have kept him from getting Jenks. There would never be any chance of Jenks getting TwoGun Hicks. The drunkard was too slow. So Hayes fook Jenks aside and began buying him drinks. It was a slow process. It was easy enough to convince the weakling that Two-Gun Hicks had been making love to Mrs. Jenks, but when it came to nerving the fellow up to the point of shooting the desperado who he believed had trifled with his wife, it was another matter. Hayes steeled himself to the task, however, for he felt that with Jenks dead, he could easily win Mrs. Jenks. Later, Jenks, after screwing his courage up to the sticking point, when he found Hicks speaking with his wife at their cabin, gave him until five o'clock the following afternoon to get out of town. "Get out, or I'll kill you," he shouted in drunken anger. Two-Gun Hicks only laughed, and turned his back. "Small chance," he grunted. "Run along now and souse up. You've got no business foolin' with fire-arms." As soon as Jenks left the scornful bad man, he was rejoined by the gambler, who immediately began buying him drinks again in order that his courage might not fail him. Had Hayes known that Two-Gun had just made up his mind not only to kill Jenks, but to take his wife when he had done so, the gambler might not have been so anxious. But it was the woman herself who decided the whole affair by going to Hicks late that night. "I love my husband," she said, pleadingly. "If you love me as you say, spare him." "I love you, right enough," Tzuo Gun replied, moodily, and went his way. The next afternoon at five o'clock the idlers gathered in the Red Eye saloon to see the fun. All but May Jenks and Hicks were there. The woman was on her knees in her cabin praying for the bad man, riding alone and silent along the trail that led him away from Moose Gulch forever. 'I'll Give You Till Five o'clock to Get Out of \Town," He Said Drunkenly