Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-02-14
"WELD BILL

! I'D Bit IN UarperS' Monthly fol
February--is one of the most interesting
sketches of peculiar type of the Western
border men that we have ever read. If
describes some of the marvellous adventures
OF real character named ''W.id Bill,
whose education as frontiermln and q
mountaineer admirably qualified him to
act, as he did through the war, as scout.
| The eyenlful career of this remarkable
man, both before and during the war, is
admirably sketched By Col. Nichols, who
became personally acquainted with him in
Missouri, and got the story from his own
! lips
We give one Of the most remarkable OF
wild Bill's" adventures, prevising that he
was man of tremendous physical
strength, which had been developed and
trained by his mode of life, and that he was
an unerring shot. The substantial facts OF
/ the affair were told the writer by an officer
of the regular army. who, an hour after il
occurred, saw Bill and his ten dead oppo-
ncnls The story, as told by Bill himself,
( is a follows:
II was in 81 when | guided q dctach-
ment OF cavalry who were comm in from
Camp Floyd. We had nearly reached the
+ Kansas line and were in South Nebraska,
when one afternoon | went out of camp to
( go to the cabin of an old friend OF mine. a
! Mrs. Mailman. took only one oil my re
volvcrs with me. for although the war had
broke out | didn't think il necessary 10 car
ry both my pistols, and in all Urinary
scrimmagcs one is better than dozen. ci
YOU shoot straight. ! saw some wild tur
keys as WAS gong down. and popped one
Of EN- over, thinking he'd be just the thin!
for supper
Well. | rode up to Ms. Waltman'-
jumped of my horse, and went in.o the
cabin. which IS like most of the cabins on
the prairie, with only one room. and lis
had two doors, one opening in front, and
t'othcr ON yard, like.
How are YOU. Mrs. Waltman:" | said
feeling as jolly as YOU please
The minute she saw me she turned IS
white as a sheet and screamed:
lis that YOU, Bill: Oh, my God. they
will kill yod, Run, run. They will Iii
YOU.
WHO'S going to Kill meg" said
There's two that can play nj that game.
Its M'Kandlas and his gang. There:
ten OF them, and you've 10 chance
They've Just gone down the road to The
corn rack They came up here only five
minutes AGO. M'kandlas was dra"giG.
poor Parson Shipley on the ground with ;
lariat round his neck. The preacher wa
most dead with choking and the horse.
stamping on him. Mkandlas knows We
bringing in that party of Yankee catalIy
and he swcars he'll cut Yer heart out
Run. BEL. run, But its too late; they r,
comm down the lane.
While she was talkin' | remembered
had bat one revolver. and Il load gone on
of that. On the table there was a horn O
powder and some little bars of lead.
poured some powder into the empty cham
Der and rammea the lead after il bv ham
,Acring the barrel on the table. and had JUS
capped The pistol when heard Mkandla
shout:
There's that ID Yankee Wild Eli
horse, He's here, and we'll skin hin
alive"
III had though, of runuin' before, it Wa
too late now, and the house was my hes
holt-a sort of fortress like | ncvc
thought should leave that room alive.
The scout stopped in his story. rose iron
his seat. and strobe back and forward in
state of great excitement.
I | tell YOU what it is, Kernel he resumed
after while, | don't mind scrimmag'
with these fcllcrs round here. Shoot ont
or two of them and the rest run away
But al of M'Kandlas' gang were reckless
blood-thir>ty devils. who would night n
long as they had strength io pull trigger
have been in tight places, but that ont
OF the few times | said my prayers.
surround the house and give him n,
quarter" yelled MKandlaS. When
heard that Tel, a. quiet and cool as if
WAS a goin To church. ! looked round tht
room and saw Hawkins rillc h@ngin' owe
the bed
is that loaded said | to Mrs Walt,
man.
Yes" the poor thing whispered. Sh,
was 50 frightened she couldn't speak on
loud
Are YOU sure" said !. as Jumped t.
the bed and caught it from lis hooks. Al
though nv eve did not leave the door. yei
could see She nodded yes again. | put
the revolver on the bed, and just then
Mkandlas poked his nose inside the door
way. but jumped back when he saw ne
with The rifle in my hand.
Come in here you cOwardly dog.
shouted. Come in here and fight me.
M'kandIaS was no coward, If Ec was Il
/ bully He Jumped inside the room with
/ his gun levelcd to shoot; but he he was not
quick enough. Nv rifle ball went through
his heart lie fell back outside the house,
where he was found afterwards, holding
I tight to his rifle, which had fallen over his
head.
His disappearance was followed 10y a
yell from his gang, and then there was a
( dead silence. ! put down the rifle and
took the revolver. and said to myself:
Only six shots and nine men To Kill.
Save your powder, Bill. for the death-hug' 5
a COMM"
don't know why il is Kernel. continued
Bill, looking at me inquiringly. but at that
moment things seemed clear and sharp.
could think strong.
There was few seconds of that awful
stiffness. and then the rufliians came rush
inc in AT both doors How wild they look
ed. with their rcd. drunken faces, and in
famed ewes. shouting and cussiug. But
never aimed more deliberately in my life.
Onc--two-thrcc- four-and four men
fell dead.
That didn't stop the rest. Two of them
fired their bird guns at me- And then |
felt a sting run all over me. The roo:I was
full of smoke. Two got in close To me,
their eyes glaring ont of the clouds. One |
knocked down with my fist. You are ont
of the way for a while" | thought. The
other three clutched me and crowded me
onto the bed. l fought hard. / broke with
nv hand one mans arm. He had his
fingers round my throat. Before | could
get to my feet | was struck across the
breast with the stock of a life, and | felt
the blood rushing ont of my nose and
mouth. Then got ugly, and | remember
that cot hold of knife and it was all
cloudy like, and was wild, and | struck
savage blows, following the devils up from
one side to the other of the room, and into
the corners striking and slashing. until ]