The Portland daily press., 1867-01-25

Wild b number OF Harper's


,oosv;ne descrip characternamed vivid
adventures of don as fon',er.nal anu
pul y whose imirably qualified him to act
Do q. cal dgh the war as scout. Inc
as he dider of this remarkable man, Doth
eventfiuring the wa, is admirably sketch
-Lcfos article by Colonel Nichols, who De-
ed,ersonaIly acquainted with him ID MIS-
G. and got the story from his own lips we
one of the most remarkable OF "Wild
Ills" adventures promising that ne was man
4 tremendous physical strength, which had
been developed and trained by his moae u
life. and that he was an unerrlne 'sno'' Inc
substantial facts OF the affair were told 10 the
writer by an officer of the regular army, who,
= hour after it occurred, saw Bill and his ten
deae ,nonepts The story as told by Bill
himself b. follows:
1T was IN 10, DUaa,S,shen guided detachment
Floyd We had near fSnan n ron aS u lamp
line, and were in South Neb.eu.' i,e nansas
afternoon went out of camp to So the cab
in OF an old friend OF mine, a Mrs Msitman
l took one OF my revolvers with me, ~
though the war had broke out l didn't think
1t necessary to carry both my pistsls, and in all
Urinary scrimmages, one is better than doz-
en-, eft you shoot straight. l saw some wild
turkeys on the road as was goin down, and
popped one of 'em over, thinking he'd be just
the thing for supper.
swell, 1 rode up to Mrs. Waltman's jumped
off my horse, and went into the cabin, which
is like most OF the cabins on the prarer, with
only one room, and that had two doors, one
opening in front and t'other on yard, like
Chow are you, Mrs. Mailman p said, feel
ing as jolly as you please. a4
THE minute she saw me sh turned as white
as sheet and screamed: rs that you, Bill
oh, my God! they will kill you! kunl run
They win kill you'll
"'Who's a-goin to kin me p said I. There's
two that can play at that game
It's Mkandlas and his gang. There's ten
of them, and you've no chance. They've jes
gone down the road to the corn-rack. They
came up here only five minutes ago. M'Kand-
las was dragging poor Parson Shipley on the
ground with lariat round his neck. The
preacher was most dead with choking and the
horses stamping on him. MKandlas knows
yer bringin in that party CT Yankee cavalry,
and he swears he'll cut yer heart out Run,
Bill run! But it's too late; they're comm up
the lane ASA
while she was talkin remembered I
had but one revolver, and load gone out OF
that. On the table there was a horn of pow
der and some little bars of lead. poured
some powder into the empty chamber and
rammed the lead after it by hammering the
barrel on the table, and had just capped the
pistol when heard M'Kandlas Shout
:" There's that id Yank Wild Bills horse
he's here and we II skin him alivep
III had thought of runnin before it was
too late now, and the house was my best holt
IA sort oil fortress, like. never thought
should leave that room alive"
The scout stopped in his story, rose from his
seat, and strobe back and forward in state
of great excitement
II tell you what it is, Kernel,n he resumed,
after while, 81 don't mind scrimmage with
these feers round here. Snoot one or two
and the rest run away. But all Of M Kand-
lass gang were reckless, blood-thrsty devils,
who would fight as long as they had strength
to pull a trigger. have been in tight places,
but that's one OF the few times said my pray
ers."
"'Surround the house and give him no
quarterp yelled M'Kandlas. When heard
that felt as quiet and cool as it were going
to church. looked round the room and saw
Hawkins rife hangin' over the bed.
lis that loadedp said l to Mrs. Mailman.
"'Yes,' the poor thing whispered. She was
SO frightened she couldn't speak out loud.
Are you sure? said |, as jumped to the
bed and caught it from its hooks. Although
my eye did not leave the door, yet I could see
she nodded Yes again. 1 put the revolver
on the bed, and just then M'Kandlas poked
his nose inside the doorway, but jumped back
when he saw me with the rifle in my hand.
Come in here, you cowardly dogP l
shouted. Come in here and tight meP
Mkandlas was no coward ii he was bull
ly. He jumped inside the room with his gun
ievelled to shoot; but he was not quick
enough. My rifle-ball went through his heart.
He fell back outside the house, where he was
found afterward holding tight to his rifle,
which had fallen over his head.
''His disappearance was followed by yell
from his gang, and then there was dead 81
lence. put down the rifle and took the re-
volver, and said to myself: only six shots
and nine men to kill. Save your powder Bill,
for the death h ugs a-comin! 4 don't know
why it was Kernel continued Bill, looking
at me inquiringly, but at that moment things
seemed clear aud sharp. 1 could think
strong. A
"There was few seconds of that awfu
stiffness, and then the villains came rushing
in at both doors. How wild they looked with
their red, drunken faces aud inf1am6d eyes,
shouting and cursiDgl But l never aimed
more deliberately in my life.
Observation-Disclosures and four men fell
dead.
THAT didn't stop the rest Two OF them
fired their bird guns at me. And then L felt
a sting run all over me. The room was Jul
OF smoke. Two got in close to me, their eyes
glariug out of the clouds. One knocked
down with my fist. you are out OF the way
for whie,' 4 thought. The second shot
dead. The other three clutcbed me and
crowdel me onto the bed. L fought hard.
broke with my hand one mans arm. He had
his fingers round my throat Before 4 coui1
get 10 INV feet was struck across the breast
with the stock OF rifle, and felt the blood
rushing o6f of my nose and mouth; Then
got ugly, and remember t6at d eo ,,, noie OF q
was wild, and 1 struck savage blows, foIlowno
the devils up from one side to the other ~
the room and isto the corners, striking ami
slashing until knew that every one wa,
dead.
IAN Of suten ii seemed as if my hear,
was on fire was bleeding everywhere
rushed out tone well and drank from the
bueket, and aen tumbled down In a faipt.D
breath leswlth the intense interest will
which hs followed this strange story. ali
the more Filling and weird when its hero
seeming tive over again the bloody events OF
thai day. ave way TO its terrible spirit with
wild save gestures. saw then-wbat INV
scuItinF the morning had failed to discover
the TT which lay concealed beneath the
peatleierior."
10, aust have been hurt almost to death, |"
L sail -
"iere were eleven buckshoe in me. / car
sde OF them now 1 was cut in thirteen
pltcs All OF them bad enough to have let
g n ne LIE OF man. But that blessed old
IT nr; aus pulled me safe through it, after
oed siege of many long weeks -
nat prayer OF yours, Bill, may lave been
more more potent for your safo.y than you think
gu should thank God for your deliverance."
Ito tell you the truth, Kernel" responded
graveout with certain solemnity in his
the peop> IL don't talk about SIGH things ter
Thankful whend here, but alters feel sort of
ont Of n l,ad co.o-o