Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser. $$$ of the giant at once perceived the fact. ** Ye needn’t git skeerd, yit!” he cried, with a coarse Jaugh, “fer we won't hurt ye, till we git up on our dander. We're gentlemen, Peat up Fran the howlin’ and yowlin’ precincts ? , ar’ we, an’ we're goin’ to hey a bu’st or bu’st the = . Them’s ther fashun o’ high- dingers we ar’; so perpere yerselves ter guv us a good fa'r shake, and we'll show ye ther shape they oi tga gentlemen down in Kansass. sez he’s liberal enuff to set up ther bug- juice fer ther crowd?’ A dead silence ensued after this little ech, during which the big bully glared about, inquir- ingly. miners sat quietly in the positions they had occupied upon the entrance of the gang, not one of them, apparently, caring to aly with meer of their earnings to satisfy pcedete appetites of the intruders. A scowl of displeasure overspread the bully’s face as no one answered. sdueeneca Sites aap iia: Sieh ca sez di iqmid speerits!” he again roared, lay ing a dirty paw upon one of several six-shooters that graced his belt. “‘ Let that graceless skunk make his presence manifest at the bar, ef he wishes to irrigate acres o’ desert waists, wi’ ther essence 0’ cornjuice, afore we git riled!” Tiiis was intended as a threat, but it failed to effect the prcduction of the desired beverage. “*Reckon ef ye want bug-juice ye'll hev ter fork over Kansas security,” laughed one miner, bolder than the rest. ‘“ We ain't on ther set up just now, no, Pil be cussed ef we ar’!” “What? yelled Big Hank, taking a step for- ward, and cocking a revolver—‘ you'll be cu'st ef 7 set up pizen ter us ie erred fightin’ cocks 0’ Topeeky? Ye won't kick out no hospi- tality ter us legitimately-born gentlemen frum yowlin’ Kansass?” ‘**No!” shouted the miners in a voice, as, of one accord, they grip’ed their weapons, and con- fronted the bully; “‘ef ye want whisky, why, pay fer it!” ” that’s precisely w’at I'm goin’ to do, ef I bu’st ther bank. alk up ter ther pulpit, feller-cityzens, and hist bug-juice. Hayr’s wot kim’s frum an’ ain’t no stingy sneak, like ther gold-grubbers 0’ Pompeii, neither, Step up, I say, b’yees, an’ wet yer whistles!” All of the giant’s crowd obeyed the summons with alacrity, but the miners reseated them- selves at their tables, to resume such games as had been interrupted on the gang’s entrance. “Cum up, I tell you, ye durned dirty skum o’ creation!” shout Big Hank, turning away brim- from the bar, after having tossed off a ming glass of raw whisky—“‘cum up an’ h’ist ps betes on UE eat b Weed one ee on i grandf coat, m *yees she clean ye out! Dye heer?” ras ‘* We hear, but don’t heed!” retorted a hand- some young miner, who, up to this moment, had been cp ig J in the rear end of the saloon. **Sce here, you big bummer, we want you to understand that we crave no liquor bought with your money, nor will we drink with you!” **' Ye won't, hey?” “No, we won’t. When we are thirsty, we've got money to buy Beton § with!” “Haw! haw! the bully; “ jes’ heer the young baboon yelp, will ye? Talis like a arter comin’ out o’ ther shell. ‘‘Ye'd he war Go Washingten or Comydoar Killpatrick, or Mea uther big frog, pom ot him ya Inste’d o’ thet he’s nuthing but a keetle banty rooster, jes’ cuttin’ his fust spurs.” * You lie, you lubberly bloat!” The words rung through the room, fiercely, sternly, and then there was a silence so deep that could have heard a pin drop. es were turned upon the giant bully, for it was known among his aisha hes also, by hearsay, among the miners, that Big Hank La re took the lie from xybony: J Cameron, the miner, had risen to his feet, and with his Faris each clasped about butt of a revolver, he was coolly awaiting the result of his words. The effect of them on the giant was wonderful to see, in a man of this type and disposition. wild, terrible glare of undying hatred swept over his repulsive vi and he trembled from head to foot, but on uttered no word or threat—only 2 a statue, and glowered at the man who had to 5 is g° 8 idiot!” “Do you e vent to a horrible oath. “Ye shell fight!” he Good. Tey kin whith nik; yom kite this Brod man that ever did it!” it! a fight!” shouted the and Pete con was formed, the men con in the of one of the pretty waiter- Over the body of John Cameron knelt the scene, girls, and threw her arms about John Cameron’s | waiter-girl, Ki B0bb: in a manner piteous neck. to behold. sca duit “Oht don’t! don’t, John!” she cried, tears | filling her eyes--‘‘ don’t fight that great mon- ster. He will kill you!” “Fear not, Kitty!’ replied the young man, as ‘Never mind, dear,” said the man, huskily, as he endeavored to raise himself on his elbow, “‘never mind me, I am past all hope now, and it’s no use of crying overme. You he kissed her on the brow, and then endeavored | will soon forget me, Kitty, and find some one to put her off. “I must fight this fellow and take some of the bully out of him. There! there, sis, never mind, and don’t cry. I promise you ru lick him, and come out best, too!” But the young girl clung to him persistently, with sobs **Ho! ho!” yelled Big Hank, suddenly catch- ing a glimpse of the pretty face and trim figure of the maiden, “ w'at in thunder’s this? A gal, eh? and by ther bullrushes o’ Moses, she’s a stunner!” * Yas, thet’s Hunky John’s gal!” said one of the ruffians, in an undertone. ‘* Ef I war’ you, cap’in, ’'d have a kiss out 0’ her, afore his face.” ** An’ so I will!” chuckled the giant, and two great leaps brought him across the room to and screams, and refused to be put | } | | and j | } i | | where Kitty was clinging desperately to her | half-stripped lover, But just as the vile wretch would have laid his brawny hand upon her, he received a stun- | ning blow on the side of the head from the fist | of a watchful miner, that spun him around like & top. This was as good as a given signal for a free fight, or, at least, it was taken in that light; for both the border-ruffians and the miners sprung eagerly forward, weapons in hand. The next instant the bar-room rung with the crack of the pistol, the clash of steel, and the yells of one and shrieks of another; chairs, venches, stools, bottles, jugs, and everything else that could be grabbed, was sent whizzing through the air; the great mirrors at the back of the bar were smashed into a thousand fragments, and bottles of Highly prized ‘‘ bug-juice ” were knocked literally into the middle of next week. One by one the miners were driven back over their own dead, but still they fought desper- ately, John Cameron and Kitty among the fore- most in the affray. But the odds against them was too great, and when the brave young miner Cameron, was seen to fall to the blood-stained floor, with the life-blood spurting from a hole in his breast, the remaining men fied from the saloon, through a back door. CHAPTER IL BIG HANK TACKLES THE WRONG CROWD—WILD- CAT BOB, THE BOSS BRUISER FROM DENVER. THe “Heifer Shebang” was undeniably cleaned out. The defeated miners fled pell-mell across the gulch to Tupper’s ‘‘ Spread Eagle,” where they hurriedly related how roughly they had been used by the men from Kansas, Out of full three-score only two of the three remained to tell the tale. The rest were either killed or wounded. “They hadn’t better venture over in this diree- tion!” pompously asserted ex-Confederate Col. Chauncey Tupper, as he strode fiercely up and down his bar-room, a six-shooter in either hand, “ or thar’ll be war, gentlemen—bloody war. Ef we ain't enough to knock spots out o’ such a lo’ Kansas roughs like them, why, we or- er be rode on a fence-rail frum heer to perdi- tion. Ain't it so, now, my jolly bummers?” A thundering cheer from the crowd, now swelled to a hundred grisly, dirty miners, an- swered. ** Good |” yelled Colonel Tupper, delightedly; “ye look at the matter in the true shinnin’ light, my ten-pins. Cum up an’ h’ist bug-juice, you blessed cherubims, an I'll stan’ all ye kin swaller, “* Hey, Jim, you lubberly bartender, fetch out ther eye-water for the crowd, an’ let ’em irrigate freely, fer thar’s anuther revolution a-comin’, an’ we must be prepared to meet steel wi’ steel!” Tn the meantime, affairs at the ‘Heifer She- bang” were p swimmingly, and Big Hank was master of the whole situation. After the miners’ flizht, no one was left to of- fer opposition except Moses Snicker and a few S. se padi ile who had taken refuge behind ‘“'Wah-hoo! wah-hoo!” roared the giant, flourishing himself about in a break-down upon the reeking floor; ‘three cheers fer ther leziti- mately-born gentlemen from Kansass—ther dub- ble-spurred fightin’-cocks o’ ther Topeeky hen- roost. Walk up, my salubrious hard-knockers, an’ help yoursel’s to w’at ye like. We're ther -cockolorums of this ranch, are we, and in fer a thunderin’ spree!” Then the rabble made ea rush for the bar, and a general fight ensued before the whisky and gin were equally divided, wegen $ which several of the gang received their death-wounds. At last, however, exch man got his share, and, seg ves alternately on top of the bar, tables, and so forth, the ruffians began to drink, sing, shout, and carouse to their hearts’ content. All this t': >, in another anoticr tcone was | ing back, and shivering. “ | the frenzied girl. ness sss / and the part of the | ed with flere glances of hatred by th coated | bce vote teres in the rear cnd of te else to love, who is more worthy of you!” ‘* No, no!” sobbed the girl, passionately. *‘I never will, John, You are all in all m I can never love another. But, oh John, I almost forgot. Tell me whoI am before you go. Oh! please do.” ' ‘“Itis a long story, dearest!” was the weary reply, “and I cannot hold out much longer. Still, I will give you a means of finding out your parentage, if you will ae ang me one thing.” ** I promise—quick! tell me.” “You must promise me this: soon there will come to Pompeii’s gulch a man who is a mortal enemy of mine. s name is Wildcat Bob, and he is a great fighting character, both with fists and ag Me cn I know of no who can stand before him in fair pugilistic play nor one who can draw a truer bead with revolver. But, for all this,he is my enemy, and I want you to promise me that you will do all-in your power to harm him—to kill him!” ‘* I promise,” faltered the girl, shuddering. “You must do more; you must swear it be- fore high heaven.” “Well, then, I—I swear it!” ** As you hope to reach heaven?” ‘* As 1 hope to reach heaven!” ‘ ““Thank you,” gasped the eens miner, sink- t's over, ¥ God!” “But my name, who am I?’ almost shrieked ‘You shall not die till you tell me. Who am I?’ ‘* Listen, then, if you would know. You are now known as Kitty Aymer, but that is not your true name,” ‘No, no, that is not my true name.” “Follow the gulch,” continued the d miner, ‘* until you find a pine-tree that has shattered by lightning. Dig down on the west side of it, till you find a box. In that box are papers that will—” ere he suddenly ceased to speak, for a tor-' rent of thick blood flowed from his mouth, and choked further utterance. And thus ended his words, for when the terrible bleeding had sub- ae John Cameron's spirit had taken its ight. nes itty Aymer, then, with the assistance of one of the other girls, succeeded in dragging him into another room of the ‘“‘Shebang,” where he was left until the overturned establishment could be righted. j By the middle of the afternoon the “ gentle- men from Kansas” had finished the last of Snicker’s liquor, and were fairly stimulated up into a “fightin’ condition,” to use their own words for it. It was then proposed that a visit be paid the “Spread-Eagle” saloon across the gulch —a_ proposition that. was vociferously agreed to by the greater share of the roughs. Accordingly they looked well to their arms,’ and filed out of the ‘‘ Shebang,” which was much the worse for the affray and carouse that had occurred within its walls. It was but a step across the gulch to the west- ern slope, and the gang, headed by Bi Hank, were soon clamoring for srinittanes fnto the saloon of the valiant Colonel Chauncey Tupper. “Ye can’t cum in heer!” shouted that worthy individual from inside his barred doors. “ Ye're a different kind 0’ a eg Mages we i, an’ 50 f ry or et ye may’s well clear out, the hull } “You to —!” roared the giant bully, hoars “‘ dye take us fer a lot o’ suckin’ lam ou buzzard? Let usin an’ set up the bug-juice, we'll bu’st down yer shanty in Jess time than takes a skeeter to chaw b’ar-meat.” ‘“* Bu’st, if ye think yer kin!” retorted the colonel through a crack in the door: “T hain’ got no objections, only I warn ye it'll be the — hottest. bu’st ye ever expeeryenced. We're ready for ye, fist, slitter, an’ barker, an’ thar’s a good hundred ‘0’ us; 60 kim along, ef ye feel that way!” “Can't 66 the pint, “th ‘re purticlar, *Can't see ther out fond o’ ’greein’ tew Bie Ri a ” “ W'at ar’ them, yo old rooster?” ** Deliver up all yer weepons,” “You to the devil! Wat kind o’ ducks take us fer? We're legitimately born gentlemen roarin frum Kansass — hightalutin’ doubl spurred cocks 0’ the ky hen-roost. Our word's as as the p -book or dixunary!” ‘‘ Don't doubt it, sir; butet ain’t good in Pom- - Ef ye want to come in and liquor, wh orrow all vo weepons on terra-firms, an’ Th open up.” oie held a short consultation ves, and it was evidently concluded that ce would be best at present, for they all un- ckled their belts and cast them upon the A ly, the colonel open th doors, filed in, But they were regard miners, at comicbook: *, he, 4 f