Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-21
NO-NOSED BILL.
mot BY any means by Bret Harte, butt

Two men sat playing cards in the single
rough-walled room OF a log house, and third
lookedsleepily on, occasionally snuff ng candle,
now well burned down. Mr.. William Ruffin,
commonly called NO-Nosed Bill at the settle
ment from a Disagreement to his face brought
on by violent alteration some years before
with an individual known as the Arkansas
Stamper, sat on a box resting on a small key
Furniture was scarce in 1850 at the Corner.
Bill shuffied the cards skilfully and dealt them
slowly to his opponent, dark-faced young
head.
." Blow ont that light, Stumpy. /" said Bill; give
shant need it no longer. Now, then, stranger,
it's your play"
No sound was heard but the slamming of the
cards on the table. The man called Stumpy
wake up, and, leaning forward on both elbows,
watched the game. A bead of Precipitation
starting from the summit of the strangers fore
head meandercd slowly to the extremity of his
nose and hung there, glistening like diamond
in the morning light The game ended and No
Nosed Bill calmly scraped OFF the stakes into
leather bag, now quite full, which he drew from
the bosom of his red shirt. Suddenly the stranger
sprang to his feet and remarked
Ills language is omitted by the author on
account of its unpleasant vehemence.l
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 comfortable like, why
bile. But there amt no occasion for you 10 90
and say them cards was stocked cause they was
played fair, and Stumpy here'll tell you SO, and
so would any other man, if they'd been any other
Z.
jest keep calm, stranger and don't you go and
get riled, cause it won't do you no goods
THE strangers language is again suppressed
by reason of its unwarranted violence.l
"NOw, look here, stranger, }" said Bill. you're
the unreaSonablest man, most, that ever L see.
There amt no man at the Corner, as can say
but I've acted squar'. May be did cut up
little rough with French Freddy night afore last,
but what of it 1t wasn't my fault. He made
some SIGH remarks as them you've been lettin'
out, and then he drOred his shooter on me- Was
/ fhnr and a Il hxra
as wasn't half my size guess not. So went
for him, kind O'prOmiscoOus like land when l
got through, there want no more Freddy. Some
OF EN- blamed me, but there want no 'cassiOn
for nybody to say but what did the gentleman
~ thing"
1.-THE strangers language is again omitted on
account of its forcible inelegance.l
Now, see here, stranger, there amt nothin'
mean about me, :" said Bill, still without excite
ment e" I'll tell you what III do, you seem to
be a goldfish sort of chap, though YOU don't know
so much about keerds perhaps, as some folks
I've pulledin since we set down Yesterday noon
p'raps seven hundred dollars. besides some gold
dust and the change, and well call it squar'."
The strangers language Is inadmiSsible. He
pulled out a formidable bowie knife and stuck IL
quivering in the table.
(" will see that, and 60 YOU one better re-
marked Bill, quietly drawing a knife twice as
large, with blade at both ends. The stranger
drew derringer and fiOurished it wildly No
NOSed Bill whipped out a SiX-barrelled revolver
and covered him with il. Seeing that his argu-
ments were Intellectual, the stranger withdrew
and his CALCULATIONS as he strobe away were
borne back TO them OIL the morning air.
I" don't see no call for a man to be unreasOn-
able" said Bill, 81 come Stumpy, its too late to
turn in; Wen have little game OF seven-up."
And he poured out the last drop from the black
bottle which stood on the table, and drank il OFF
with the remark that he was sorry there was no
more, but he supposed his companion did not
A red-headed lad of ten. with freckled face.
tumbled off a low couch in the corner and came
toward them: Bill passed his hands through
the boys curls, and with a smile of fpndnGss
bade him to return TO his bed.
The lads answer il omitted on account of its
tersent IS and strength. He was allowed to take
hand and expressed his thirst and his disgust
at the condition OF the bottle.
Thet boy" said Bill, sis too KNOWN. Their
amt no game he amt up 70, and there's some /
cant give him no points on; But this sort o.
life amt just the thing for the boy. YOU know,
Stumpy. It's sharpenin', know, but there is
some things besides sharpenin'. Now, | made
M my mind tonight as / sOt here between deals,
as how l had money enough to afford to send
HIM East and put him in some college, where he
could larn readin' and writiu' ana few other
things Don't know. What's your idea of that,
The reply is suppressed on account of its vio
lence. The boy then inq lircd what his father
was sitting on.
der. 1t don't belong to me. The cxpresSman
left it here, accidentally Ike, and 1 thought Ia
keep It, ] thought il might be brandy, till l
a 4.
The door was all at once opened Just then and
Judge Lynch entered, followed by the stranger
and seven citizens OF the Corner. Each man
wore long black beard and a red flannel shirt
and carried revolver in one hand and bowie
knife in the other. Judge Lynch stepped for
ward to the table, and taking M the bottle
held II to the light. 1t empty The con
GltIOn of that bottle was destined TO have an
effect on the future population of Persimmon's
Corner
"It's empty, jedge," said Bill. "Pm sorry.
IL nif FfVtI
around 10 the Shades and ill itup.v
civilian Rufiin," said the judge, with as
much sternness as the asthma would permit,
: we have come for you, and You can have ten
minutes 10 prepare"
"wen now, that is jest a little rough" said
BIN. That isn't quite neighborly. No man
can't say ever didn't act squar' by 'em. Hey
you picked out the tree, Jedge?"
"Well, we thought as how that old pine, Jest
outside the door, would answer about as well
as any," replied the judge. " That limb Just
over the door rather took our eye as We come
along"
The lad threw himself at his fathers feet and
burst into tears. Bill put him gently aside.
"Jedge,' he said, " I'll jest trouble you to hand
me that there pipe on the mantel, there. Ten
minutes is time enough TO play this hand out and
have one more smoke"
As the Judge turned. No-Nosed Bill struck a
match and stopped over. A terrible explosion
followed When the smoke cleared away, it
was remarked that the door was split in two,
and hung by one hinge, aud the window was
blown out, while at least a third of the roof was
gone.
The judge was no more; Stumpey and the boy
were no more; the stranger more; No
Nosed Bill was-a little more, but not much.
With loud imprecatiOn which tore off an
other large piece of the root, the seven men
sprang upon Bill with their knives, but he
teehly waved them OFF with an uniniured hand.
" Easy, now, gentlemen" he said, family
"JCst let me play out this hand my own way.
I've only got few keerds left and there amt
none on EN- trUmps. jest lean what there is
left OF me up against the wall, there, will We,
and let me pass in my chips now without no in
reference. No man can't say as ever 1 took
no advantage of 'em, and that is about all L have
TO say"
They complied with his request, ard also
gave him his pipe and lighted it, when he
asked for it, but he seemed not to enjoy his
smoke.
"Ive got seven thousand dollars in that ERE
trunk there" he said presently, ''and (puff)
wish you'd set up monument over me and this
boy (put.) I'm sorry for the boy. / was goin'
TO make a scholar and gentleman of that boy.
And hev sOmethin' writ on the marble, you
know, about how as / never took no advantage
of no NAV and allus tried 10 do my level best
(puf, puffy And put up a smallish kind of
one over that stranger there. There amt nothin'
mean about me-"
The head of NO-Nosed Bill dropped upon his
shoulder, and his pipe falling from his lips
dropped on the floor and broke into pieces The
seven men invOluntarily sheathed their bowie-
knives and took off their hats. And the faint