The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-11-10
NO-NOSED BILL.
[Not by any means by Bret Rarte, butt
By SAMUEL BLOTTER.

The sun rose on Persimmon's Cor
\ ner. 1t was 5 o'clock, A. NJ, in the
I month of May, and the gun common
! y rose at that hour, at that season of
[ the year. The sun was the only Visi-
tor at the Corner who had any regu-
! larity of habits, and even that lumi-
nary had on this occasion a very red
face.
Two men sat playing cards in the
/ single rough-WRlled room of log
bhouse, and a third looked sleepily
on, occasionally snufing a candle,
now we'll burned down. Mr.. Will
liam Ruffln, commonly called No
NOsed Bill at the settlement from a
| Disagreement to his face brought on
Fhy q violent alteration some years
before, with an individual known as
the Arkansas Stamper, sat On a box
resting on O small keg. Furniture
was scarce in 1850 at the Corner.
Bill shufiied the cards skillfully and
dealt them slowly to his opponent,
/ dark-fa young man with q great
black beard and a small forehead.
"Blow out that light, Stumpy,"
said Bill; eve shan't need it no
longer. Now, then, stranger, it's
your play"
| No sound was heard but the slam
1 of the cards on the table. The man
called, Stumpy walked up, and, lean
ing forward on both elbows, watch
ed the game. A bead of perspiration
started from the strangers forehead
meandered slowly to the extremity o (
his nose and hung there, glistening
like a diamond in the morning light.
The game ended and No-nosed Bill
calmly scraped the stakes into a
leather bag, now quite full, which
he drew from the bosom of his red
shirt. Suddenly the stranger sprang
to his feet and remarked
I (His language is ommitted by the
! author on account of its unpleasant
vehemence.
/ q Easy, stranger said Bill, calmly,
leaning back and crossing his leg
| over his knee. easy, now. If you
{ want to bile over and you think it
/ would make you feel more comfort
able like, why bile. But there amt
no occasion for you to go and say
them cards were stocked. cause they
I was played fair, and Stumpy hefe'll
tell you so, and so would any other
man, if there had been any other
man lookin' on, which they wasn't
| Now you jest keep calm, stranger,
and dOn'tyOu go and get riled, cause
it won't do you no good"
The strangers language is again
suppressed by reason of its unwar-
ranted violence.
"Now, look here stranger" said
Bill. "You're the unreasonablest
man, most that ever see.
There amt no man at the Corner, as
can say but I've acted sQuar'. May be
[ did cut up a little rough with
French Freddy night afore last, but
what of it? 1t wasn't my fault
He made some sich remarks as
them you've been lettin' out, and
then he drored his shooter on me.
Was l goin' to STAN there and be
drored on by man as wasn't half
my size? guess not. So l WeAt for
him, kind o. promiscous like, and
when 1 got through, there wasn't no
[ more Freddy. Some of 'em blamed
me, but there wasn't no 'casiOn for
any body to say but what l did the
gentlemany thing"
1The strangers language Is again
omitted on account of its fOrcibIe
inelegance.
"Now, see here, stranger, there
; amt nOthin' mean about me-" said
Bill, still without excitement. "IIl
tell you what I'll do, you seem to be
a goodish sort of chap, though you
kdon't know so much about keerds
perhaps, as some folks. I've pulled
In since we set down yesterday noon,
p'raps seven hundred dollars, besides
| some gold dust and some change.
Now you may have the god dust
and the change and Wen call it
, squar'."
The strangers language is mad
(, missible. He pulled out formida-
: BILE bowie-knife and stuck it CULVER
ing in the table.
"I will see that, and go you one
better" remarked Bill, quietly draw
ing q knife twice as large, with q
blade al both ends. Tie stranger
. drew q derringer and fourished it
: wildly. No-NOsed Bill whipped out
I ! a six-barreled revolver and covered
! him with ii. Seeing that his argu-
ments were Intellectual the stranger
withdrew, and his CALCULATIONS as
, he strobe away were borne back to
! them on the morning air.
al don't see no call for man tC
be unreasonable" said Bill, "Come
. Stumpy, its too late to turn in; well
have little game of seven up. And
. he poured out the last drop from the
black bottle which stood on the table
+ and drank it off with the remark
: that he was sorry there was no more
: but he supposed his companion die
not feel thirsty. a red-headed lac
: of ten, with freckled face, tumbleC
! off a low couch in the corner anC
= came toward them. Bill passed hii
hands through the boys curls, anC
4 with smile of fOndness bade him t.
Q return to his bed.
J. The lads rnswer is omitted on &C
e count of its terseness and strength
# He was allowed to take a hand, anC
O expressed his thirst and his disgust a
e the condition of the bottle.
= "Thet boy" said Bill, "is TOT
e KNOWN" Their amt no game he an
It up to, there's some / can't give hin
y no points on. But this sort o lif
,, amt Just the thing for the boy, yoI
e know, Stumpy. It's sharpenin'
q know, but there is some things be
y sides sharpenin." Now, I made VI
e my mind tonight as 1 sOt there be
= tween deals, as how l had none,
g. enough to afford to send him Eas
o and put him in some college, wheF
II he could larn Feadin' and within ant
It few other things l don't know
q What's your idea Of that, youn:
l. 'un ?"
If The reply is suppressed on &C
l. count of its violence. The boy thel
l. inquired what his father was sittint
IL tll.
sits POWDER" replied Bill
"blarstin powder. 1t don't bel0ni
u to me. The expFessman left ii here
10 accidentally like, and thought i