Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

oe a: o ive - — “knife into his heart. wee > : Oe Ga ee” ae) unless he continues affair. Isay, colonel, you haven't given me my rize money, yet?” ; Right!” ejactiated the colonel, making a dive into his individual pantaloon pockets— “right, my son, right. In the excitement of the moment I had quite forgot,—yes, ahem! quite forgot;” and he laid two ten-dollar notes on the counter; ‘there, is that correct?” “Ten, twenty; yes, that makes it. Now then, I wish yon bully would be quick about waking up, as I am ia a hurry.” His wish was soon granted, for Big Hank reaeae S gave a great gasp, and sat up on the . Por some time he stared around, bewil- dered: then he seemed to have pain in his left optic, for he rubbed it with one brawny finger. As he ceased, to his great horror and conster- nation, the eve rolled out i aa on his cheek, and huag there by a fow s.ender fibers. W:thout a word he picked it up between his thumb and forefinger, and gave a wry squint at it with his uninjured eye. With almost breath- less interest the spectators watched. For several moments he gazed at it rather mournfully, his great visage the scene of a vari- ety of conflicting emotions; then, with a long- drawn sigh he attempted replace it in its socket, But it would not stay there, and after a dozen endeavors it still persisted in popping from its socket and dropping out on his chee. Plainly, the eye was a “ goner,” and ho at last seemed to comprehend the fact, for he turned to a miner and motioned to the effect that he want- ed a knife. He soon procured one, and with a single swee of the keen blade, he severed the dislodged or from its fastenings, and Inid it on the bar. Then, with a wild, awfal yell, that seemed to fairly raiso the roof, and before any one had dreamed of his devilish intention, he wheeled around and leaped upon—his enemy, the Wild- cat? No! by a strange fatality, no! All the time tho Boss Bruiser had been lean- ing sideways against tho bar, and it had been the cunning rufiilan’s plan to spring suddenly around, and taking him off guard, to plunge the But something had caused Wildcat Bob to step out from tho bar, and another man had immediately takon his place, who chanced to be one of Big Hank’s own gang. Consequently, when the ruffian whirled about and Paes a furious lunge with his knife, the blade entered not the heart of the intended vic- tim, but, instead, the heart of a desperado of the jant’s worst class. Without a groan the man Famblod to the floor—dead. ‘As he perceived what he had done, the ruffian started back. aghast, and gazed with his single eye at his work. Then, with a curse, he flung the knife from him, picked up and donned his garments, and pigs took the staring eye from the counter, and slipped it into his pocket. he said, with a sullen growl, to his men, and to the surprise of all, he stalked straight out of the saloon, followed by the &- . Pree outside, he turned and shook his fist to ward the athlete, angrily. “Pil see ye agin, my young banty-rooster!” ho roared, coupling his speech with a torrent of furious oaths, “ an’ settle over this bizness, bet yer boots, La Verge ain’t tho high-cock- olorum to cave in w'ile thar’s knuckles, peat an’ powder in therland. Keep yer eye skinned, I tell ye, fer yoll heer frum me ag’in, afore ong!’ And finishing up with another volley of agg the wretch buckled on his weapons, which been | on the ground, and mounted his steed. His id likewise, and then the whole gang rode up out of the gulch toward the east. The deserted claim, of which we have previ- ously made mention, lay ten miles down Pom- peli Be Eales and was locked in by mighty walls of and forests of heavy towering pines. The claim consisted simply of a shaft sunken down into the ground, over which was an ap- tus of the well-curb order for hoisting and owering a bucket-shaped car. This was all. Nothing else about the spot indicated that hu- man feet had ever trodden the pebbly sands. No human habitation, no nee of life, nothi anve the blank, slumberous forest, the ru gray walls of rock, and the stream that coursed along the bottom. This, since leaving the min- ing settlement above, had enlarged somewhat by the addition of several rivulets, until it was babe small river. ‘Two miles below this claim a deserted saw-mill. Before the gold-fever had attacked Pompeii’s gulch, this property had been erected for the lumber trade, and had done @ good business; for it furnished Denver with much of its early building material. But no sooner had the fever developed, than tho and the wood-cutter alike deserted their vocation, and fled to the scene of the new excitement. Consequently, the mill longer did the great water- around and around, nor the saw ** Come!” i a o bet Be owe we Ssitsu? ; a oe ee oe 3 The New York Library. | aah pm | He urchased the property at a sacrfice, | and with his daughter, a winsome maiden of | seventeen, was living away the quiet, retired | days—waiting for that distant day to come, | when the gold-fever should die out, and the mill | could begin its p rous career again. | This man, Bill Wood by name, was a middle- grisly fellow, who loved his brier-wood | pipe next to his lovely daughter, and was con- | tented with life when he had ten dollars in his | pocket, and plenty of provisions in his larder. | One thing—he never was heard to complain. On this same ony. that witnessed the scene at Col. Tupper’s “Spread Eagle Ranch,” Bill Wood was lounging on the mill-flume, when he heard a heavy footstep, and turning his head, he beheld a thin personage standing hy his side. ig was a man of perhaps fifty, and very tall, an trouble were not strangers to him. He was dressed in shabby garments, and evidently was not well-to-~lo in the world’s possessions. *€ Good afternoon,” he gg bes to the mill- owner: ‘I’m in search of | the man?” | ‘Waal, yes, I am Bill Wood. What do you | want of me?” ‘Twill tell you. You have the right to sell and receive thecash for a certain tract of land— a gold claim it is—which is known as the ‘* Haunted Claim?” ‘Waal, yes; reckon Ihave. Boss Seton told me to dispose o’ it, if I ever got a chance; but, then, you know, he never calkylated that I'd gzt a chance,” “Exactly. I sup very ready sale for the mine?” “Guess not!” declared Bill, emphatically. ‘‘ Folks, as a gener’l thing, don’t hanker arter it, ye kno’, c’ase what gold’s thar wouldn't fill a tin’ dipper, an’, ’sides, there’s sed to be spooks about the place. I never see’d any, but thar’s them as has!” The stranger laughed, a low peculiar laugh, that made cold chills creop down the mill-own- er’s spine. ‘“T'm not afraid of spooks!” he said, stooping | and picking up a chip and hurling it into the pond, ‘What is the price the owner has set upon the claim?” “Waal, it’s enough, I reckon,” answered Wood, ‘an’ a plaguey sight more’n I'd give fer it, bet yer boots. Mister Seton sed sell it if I could make it fetch five hundred dollars, an’ ef I couldn’t git thet much, to sell it fer watever I could git.” The stranger gave vent sepulchral laughs. ‘That is fair, now, I’m sure,” he admitted. amused at the old man’s honest blunder. “Tl tell you what Ill do. Are the bucket and curb in good condition?’ * First rate.” “Well, then, Ill give you a hundred gold dollars for the claim, just as it stands!” Bill opened both his eyes and huge mouth in great amazement. **- You don’t mean it?’ he gasped. ‘Certainly, I do,” was_the ‘“Have you a receipt ready to amin a hurry?” “Yas: come over to the caboose, an’ I'll fix it to another of his . yp response. out, sir, as I out, right off. Mister Seton left me a docky- | ment for thet purpose. But, stranger, ef ye won't thunk me impertinent, what in the devil d’ye want o’ the Haunted Claim? ’Pears to me as if yo warn’t in yer right mind, a-buyin’ of a hole. vay man alive, thar’s never bina smidger, of gold found there, nor wi'in ten miles o’ thar! ‘Maybe they didn’t dig deep enough ” sug- gested the stranger, evasively. “It takes un- ceasing perseverance to accomplish wonders. ae know. I shall dig down another hundred eet!’ ‘* Jeewhittaker!” whistled the rietor; but he didn’t express his opinion of the eccentric purchaser aloud. see how you git along, once ye're fairly a-goin’.” “No!” was the quick, stern response. ‘‘ You need not put yourself to that trouble. to have no one near ing.” EB All right,” granted Bill, bees . “Pd jes’s le’ve stay away as not, an’ "ll be so much shoe-leather saved.” They had aow reached and entered the set- tler’s humble shanty, and the visitor was mo- tioned to = rude, wooden bench, while Wood went to rummaging through a pile of sooty docu- ments in a chimney cup A young maiden was washing Ls fg meas of pote and kettles on a table near door, and the stranger eyed her narrowly, as he waited. She was about seventeen, in rosy, blooming health, and wondrously pretty in face and form. Her complexion was fair, her eyes of a soul- ful blue, and her hair brown, softly fine, and very long, for it fell in a wavy, mass below a waist. I prefer 4 neatness very common, coarse the wap the most aitractive plein be hed sea r of flesh, with a bearded face, which | told in its furrows and wrinkles thatsorrow and | ill Wood; are you | , then, there is not a | “Guess I'll take a run up and | the claim when I am work- | tless Ce , thought the keen-eyed observer, | th her of form and feature, and the crowd - in the wild, dismal wilderness. Bill Wood soon succeeded in hunting up the a document, and the Haunted im was duly made over to the stranger in the name oz Thomas Lamonte, and one hundred gold dollars were paid, according to the agreement. The purchaser then bade the father and daughter a pleasant good-day, and shoulderin; the pick and shovel he had brought with him, he set off up the gulch, promising to call around ‘‘as soon as he made an independent fortune,” as he laughingly remarked. CHAPTER VI. WILDCAT BOB’S ENGAGEMENT—THE ‘“‘ MEDICAL AGENT ”—AT BAY. Arter Big Hank and his g were out of sight over the summit of the slope, Wildcat Bob turned back toward the bar, behind which stood Colonel Tupper. ‘‘ That's a tough band,” he said, with his low, cool laugh—a laugh that always came from the depths of a courageous and brave heart. “‘ That big mally is a sight good for sore eyes!” “And a sore eye he's got,” returned the col- onel, facetiously, “‘or rather, no eye.” © And he will drown the pain 0’ the lost eye, wi’ pay. o’ eye-water!” suggested a miner, facetiously. ‘“No doubt! no doubt!” decided the tase ‘‘ By the way, young man, can I have a*word with you, in private?” ‘“With me?” asked the Boss Bruiser, some- what surprised. ‘Certainly! with you. Please step around be- hind the bar, into my little office, back here, em I will make the interview as brief as possi- 6, sir.” Wildcat Bob obeyed the directions, after a moment's hesitation, and the proprietor of the ‘* Spread Eagle” ushered him into an adjoming 'room, A small wing built out from the main structure was used as an office and retiring room by the colonel and his et! waiter-girls. After pointing the athlete to a capacious of- fice-chair, the colonel closed and locked the door, and seated himself close at hand. ““Young man,” he began, impressively, while he stroked and restroked_his Jcxipinn Burn- sides, *‘ I have requested this interview fer our | muteyal benefit—fer yer benefit an’ mine. In | youT behold a splendiferous specimen-brick 9’ perfectual manhood; a geelorious combination | 0’ Hercules an’ Samson; a gladiatorial conglom- meration o’ both. Thar’s money in you, sir, heaps o’ golden shiners, fortunes, milhons, sir, but it always requires capital and experience to develop an’ introduce new territory before the e. ‘You, sir, are a fortune for yourself, an’ a di- minutive remuneration to me, prowidin’ we can cum to satisfactory terms, which I’m quite sangywine in my expectations that we can, in | sho: i order. for ‘Now, my r k sir, my plan is this: | my pocket, heer, Tbave a tank eck-boo Jas | on the stand yander ar’ pen an’ ink. By ? i affixing there- out a very small — o’ paper an’ to the name 0’ ex- ‘onifedebaisa Chaemoey r. | Hea. I can make you ten thousand Spas a age gare you ar’ at this individual min- ni © | “Well, yes. You mean to say that you | give me a check on the bank ioe. that rerthny | do you not?” ‘Precisely, precisely, my dearsir. I am for three times ten on any bank between heer _an’ Frisco, The name of ex-Confederate Colo- nel C. H. Tupper is one that will be handed down in posterity. My name is good for fo: thousand from the North Pole to the South; from the East Pole to the West. Up in : mento all ye’ve got todo is tew say ‘ nee of | tew the bar-tender, and he'll imm pro- ee ecans jt te _ “Now, as I sed before, my dear sir, I'll tell _ you just whaé I will do, so listen ' ye vi ‘e cay. ’ attentively un- “ Tf you will engage yourself tome f. I will write you out a check ro ict bine dollars, board and feed you, and as soon as the | aopeenent ar’ caved in heer, I'll travel around | then. wi’ you, an’ bear your expenses fildcat Bob eyed the speaker a moment, if ig ee dumbfounded, and Cheat sales og ¢ what in the name of Cesar man, | do you require me to do?” a 7 “ colonel chuckled audibly. “I require you to lick man that ‘* With my hands, or | asked the bruiser eagerly. ei . ** With those fists of yourn.” ** What is your obj causin such a venture, pein € you to make Vol. sind hip wieaibcdernened thee Salle [ie a | while—a flower budding ints tilessor - . ‘Notoriety, sir, and gold; that makes | men kings in thi world e live in, air This is | my plan at present: every night I will match some one you, and thereby attract large crowds to saloon, for, you know the biggess Ot cnet wat get <a $0 a _ 6 ee ale, ‘ ' COMIECDOOCKS # Oe ee Mens ' | ' ¥ ad ¢ : he :