Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

‘ iy o> “ & iy Jt eye ¢ > ed a mrs alte! we Mea oe ao te %, ~ < . ne New York Library. Par Vol. I. good. Come, now, I’m bizness sye-teeth. Move along ahead, thar, right 24 " opoan: I won’t move worth a cent?” + by ther luvely roses o’ last summer, Pl baste ye wi’ the toe end o’ my boot. Cum! eum! are ye startin’?”’ ‘* What if I refuse to start?” retorted the pu- gilist in the same provoking manner. ‘‘ Haven’t geen me start yet, have you, sir?’ ** Darn my socks, but yer the coclest *un I ever we'd. I ret Rf now, thout enny more foolin’, ons Bposin’ I won't peg?” The miner Wadgied Wewabveiat curse and pulled back the lock of his weapon to full cock. “* Now, git!” he said, epaadas § Pot Ny kin spit terbacker juice all over me I don’ giv’ yea “* You bet,” was the laconic reply. ‘* Which way shall I pedestrianize?”’ “Straight ahead, thar, up thet path that leads out o’ the gulch, then due northeast, an’, mind ye, don’t try no skedaddleum games on me, ef ye don’t eon a ay Sep cag ag wi’ esr purgatory pe ‘ ike a peaceable snoozer, an’ no harm ’Il wag yeat my hands.” “Indeed! You are kind; but s’posin’ 1 don’t go along for a step?” ben uttered another curse, and in his rage pulled the trigger of his revolver. The weapon ed with a loud report, and a bullet tore h the fleshy part of the Wildcat’s arm. But h the wound proved painful, not a move of muscles of the pugilist was notice- able. He stood like a statue there before his sav- age captor, a sarcastic smile hovering about his firm-set lips. . “A poor shot, that,” he said, with just the least bit of contempt in his tone. ‘You had better go and practice at the side of some neigh- ; you might possibly hit that, though d hate to risk much money onit. Now, have got h, for if you have, lead the way your camp, as I am anxious to see these noto- rious Bloodhounds there is so muck talk about.” ve = re yerself,” ee Reuben, recock- +) “an up. I won miss you next time, bet ges books This pillbox ar’ Zood ve plugs, Without any further palaver, Wildcat Bob started off, the outlaw miner followed in his tracks, covering him with his revolver. The pugilist evidently saw that he could not well escape wi t serious injury, if at all. He had {eft his weapons among his effects at the saloon, and he knew that the miner had five chances to kill him, should he attempt to escape. Therefore he resolved to obey his directions until he saw a suitable chance to break away. For some time the two trudged —— Their route lay through a rough, rocky, and wooded portion of the country, and, as there was no moon, the journey was slow and tedious. At last the miner suddenly halted. “’Sh!”’ he cautioned. Then he stood stock-still, and listened in- tently, i Thar's sum 0’ the b’yees heer; lin tell that,” he finally muttered. ‘‘ Wonder whar ther rest oh ’em’s gono to-night?” Wildcat Bob was next pushed swiftly for- ward, a muzzle of his captor’s revolver pressed in the course of two or three minutes the suddenly debouched into a little glade of halt an acre’s extent, in the center of which burned a camp-fire, yee this loun several , repulsive- fellows, ining on blankets or sitting manufactured stools, as the case might be. All were either smoking, or drinking from a large demijohn that sat in a conspicuous place near the fire. As — et Poort out — the Gro-light, those about the b!aze arose with ejacu- tations of surprise, and crowded around. “Who've ye got thar, Reuben?’ demanded one, evidently chief in authority. ‘‘ Whar’d ye pick up this crowd?’ “Up to Pompeii,” replied Reuben, with a tri- in. ‘Collared = him ’s slick asa . Wat's yer jedgment o’ him, fellers?” “He ain't in’ scrum ” grunted the ker. ‘* Who am he ** Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser.” “‘ The devil, Pan abl “Yas, he’s ther feller w’at clipped ther cap- wings, sure’s thar’s modesty in a hornet.” 1 Se er hunks, is this true? Ar’ ye sure ey he’s the same ual w’at salivated ther boss?’ woop big Chucky: White all inter ho time in fos sweep uc ter no time in less n it takes to time hist bug-juice? He jest bewtchifally salted thet. big ornia cuss fer all he ar worth.” j ** Don’t tell us! An’ he’s the rock thet busted ther boss’ eve?’ “ Ther iden same.” A lonz pause, during which the gaping crowd over from to foot. ‘*o you're Wildcat Bob, hey?" ried the leader, at last, as if he still doubted: the - pap yep the feller thet eye out o’ La Vergs, hey?” : “1 had the honor to do that little job,” re-| _“ Hurra’!” yelled one of the men, enthnaiastie poetical effusion. lied Bob, coolly. ‘*Perhapssome of you would | ike to clench fists inst me?’ i Bat the outlaws only shook their heads. They | had no such desires. They knew when they were well off, and were quite satisfied to let well enough alone, as far as the Boss Bruiser was concerned. At this juncture came the tramp of a horse’s feet in the wood, and a horseman rode out into | the glade, coming to a halt beside the fire. He was tall and commanding in stature, but, unlike the other outlaws, wore a mask upon his | face. ‘What have you here?” he questioned, as he | slid from the saddle. ‘‘ Who is this prisoner?” The outlaws lained in a few words, and | then old Reuben ; . ‘* How is it that ye cum on ahead o’ the other fellers, Darley.” ‘* To see that the route was clear. The boys ain’t far off.” ‘* How did ye make out, an’ whar ye been to- night?” * Had no luck at-all. We went down to old Wood’s mill aftera sum of money some feller left him, but the cuss war game to the last, an’ would not squeel out, so we sawed him up into fence boards and come away.” ‘* Didn’t git his darter?” ‘No; she slid off somehow, and eluded the boys. ! there they come now. Better bind this fellow, or he may eel his way off before we kno’ it.” Accordingiy, Wildcat Bob was bound hand and foot, and thrown upon the ground. He could not resist, for never did the pistol in Reu- ben’s hand leave a level with his heart. His hopes began to sink, for he well knew that if Big Hank La poo was among these ruffians, who so justly styled themselves the Blood- hounds, his chances for this world would be slim, indeed. The bully, after the loss of his eye, would have no mercy, and probably he would inflict the worst torture on his captive that his devilish brain could conceive. Soon, as Darley had said, the outlaws made their ap ce, a score of them filing out into the glade camp, and dismounting. They no longer wore the white robes that had enveloped their forms during the shocking tragedy at the mill, and were unmasked. : Several among the party Bob reco as , Big Hank, arising and _ ‘tyer favyer has gon’ clean inter my h’art a streak o’ ligh | without speaking a wo: those who had been at the saloon, an —— nent among these was Big Hank, the bully. He seeme socket of his lost optic did not add to the beauty of his repulsive countenance, upon vanced upon him. : : ‘* Wahoo! wahoo!” he roared, rubbing his -unbeg ether, a way of expressing his grea 3 mately-born gentlers frum ther sacred precincts o’ howlin’ yowlin’ Kansass;—ther—ther grate squawkin’, crowin’, double-toed, flat-futted fightin’-cock monarkies or ther Topeeky hen- o’ ther rooster at all polished, ciipped, an’ tew fight enny other rival hemale hen that scratches dirt-att pizmires in this universal univarse!” Here the giant was forced to stop for breath, pre and he glared about him to note the effect of his | glass eye,” sugge words on his fellow ‘* roosters.” All were grin- ning their approbation, and, seeing this, the at pg gentleman from Kansas knelt by the side of the helpless pugilist, a broad smile of triumph on his ugly visage. bs Howdy do, my salubrious — my festive snoozer, my lamblike, angelic buffer, howdy do! Glad to see ye, jes’ like a cow is cee to see hay, only a darned sight gladder. ow d’ye feel, how’s yer How’s yer he’d, yer mouth, yer teeth—” ‘An’ yer eyes!” interrupted one of the out- | laws, whereupon there was a general shout of | ee !” roared the bully, his face sud “ Yes, yer eyes the ace sud- denly boackittae black with anger. “Oh! ye cuss, ye darned little sneakin’, white-livered de- cockshun of condemnedness, now I’ve got ae jes’ hn om make ye aoe how I =~ ye. 1 ye by inches, ye ile, ye creep green- ed, siooth-face! Hseard?* ; ey. Wildcat Bob, ever cool and collected, gave vent to a low, tantalizing oe “Oh! yeneedn’t laff, fA rable goslin’, ye foul odoriferous dunk; make ye leff t’other side o’ yer mouth ‘twixt this an’ sum other time. | I'll make ye wish ye’d nevyer see’d me, ther gee- lorious oo orum o’ ther Topeeky henery —ther dubbel-spurred, thick-combed, yaller- necked fightin’ cock o’ howlin’, yowlin’ Kan- | sass. Thet’s ther kind o’ a shanghigh I am: “ Ther shanghigh chicken An’ ther ehanghigh ben, Ther shanghigh robber | An’ his shanghigh men, | Ther shanghich creation Ar’s now rf’l fine fowl, What kin beet the v derfl if anything, larger and more | ferocious looking than before, and the empty | t , imagined his own race heartless enough to inflict | such a crnelty. He was the first to see his enemy, as he lay | the ground. bound and helpless, and a dev- | ilish gleam shot athwart his visage, as he ad- ' to | elight; hoor we be, ther fam’us legiti- | ’ } roost ;—ther cacklin’, thin-beaked, egg producers SS constitoochinal inderwiduallity? | thar’s enn downright over the giant’s uncouth ‘Three cheers for the boss!” _And three long, loud cheers were accordingly ven. “*Feller-roosters an’ bug-juice h’isters,” said making a prof bow, like in’, an’ ] am pleased. ere- fore, I opine we'd all better saturate!” The proposal was received with universal ap- propecem and the demijohn was not nearly as ull after it had been around as before. Big Hank in icular lubricated rather freely, aud then pranced up and down the camp r t a; but evidently racki his brain for some terrible mode of torture would furnish the most excruciating agony to the prisoner. Finally he seemed to settle upon a plan, for his visage became contorted by a grin of demonia-~ cal Ble, and he renewed his prancing like a free colt, ** Wah hoo!” he roared, snatching off his hat, whirling it under his legs and eatahin g it on hie head again, after the manner of a circus clown. ‘I’ve grabbed it, I’ve originated ther de’th-war- rant ov thet viper, thet danged whitetivered. hg He shail stretch two hemps at one e. For once the Bloodhounds looked blank. ‘How d’ye mean?” demanded Reuben, ia @ “The bully laid 4 led gained e y laid down, rolled over, regai his mcd nated, evilly: ‘Bring two hosses,” he chuckled, executing s. fancy dance before the helpless captive, ‘* an? Pll Varn ye how ter stretch two hemps. Ye Tom Darley, fetch two stout pieces of rope that measure ten or twelve feet in length.” Darley and a couple of his comrades hurried away to do their superior’s bidding, and soon re- turned, leading the horses and bringing a half coil of rope. Reuben was about to cut this inte the required length, when the bully snatched it from his hand, and cut it himself... One end of each piece was secured about the neck and heels = the prisoner, Pape <4 Fig Hank’s order 6 remaining ends of each piece were made f, to ie grasinat - i) Rasaal Yow the ight of his awful peril seemed te dawn on Wildcat Bob; he knew full well what wa = lan of torture to nee he was to be subjected. were goin lhimasunder} He had frequently heard the tarrible torture de- scribed as being the favorite punishment am the Comanches, but had never for an instan Big Hank watched the work till it had been. os ga and then a fiendish chuckle escaped 8 * W’at d’ye think about exes now, my gay an” festive Bob-o-link, ye feeroshus W ldrkbesnpunte W’at's yer candid ‘0 inyun uv ther great high- cockolorum o’ ther Topeeky hen-roost, an’ things in general now, my fine gosling? Hain’t got very pond liking fer ther dubbel-spurred, cack- lin’, he-male Len o’ howlin’, yowlin’ Kansass, bev ye? No, I'spec’ not. Can't help et, tho’. Ye hed yer day, like every dog does, and sali- vated me about as much as mortal man ked stand; an’ now thar'’s no reason afore ther grand. iat f why I shouldn't liquidate my debts ter ** Par’ps he'll beg yer parding, an’ buy ye a ed one of the o png a peek “If you wai eg, maybe another eye will grow in the place of the los ” i Wades Boh, aus 2 coolly. seta Tepe * shan’t wait!” wled th fiercely, ‘“shan’t wait fer nothin’, Vaien oo, an’ screech, an’ plead an’ yell’s much es ye dang’d please, but et’ll not help ye one io I'm to count one, two, three, an’ then, ef virtue in hoss-power, we'll see cum smart fun, bet yer boots!” Wildcat Bob could not but help sh Lum ty pomme o of the an, as 3 panto be te ru _But one thing: he had not long to his awful situation, for the b > ems ie the order to ready, and the ropes: rew tight, so tight that the captive began te strangle with he erie about his t t. One!” said Big Hank, his one blazing eye feasting on the white face of the captive. pine net es a slight pause. ‘Ta— e an the senten ever finished it, for prs juncture thoes Abs) . vol- ley coe ee ah! the forest, and a company of soldie y Lieutenan erton, out fret ms wood. am at they were grea heared, the Bloodhounds Sinead and fel. —— , : j ’ . iEcboo