Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-17
A TERRIBLE SCALP.RAISER.

Chicago Tribune.l
1t was up in saloon on West
Van Buren, street. He was a gaunt
Young man, whose face hadn't been
washed for two months, and who
wore his hair long behind. He was
attired in a slouch hat, buckskin
breeches, a red flannel shirt open at
the neck and a rough coat. He had
four revolyers and a big knife in his
belt. When four dry goods clerks
came in in a group and ordered
some beer, the first dry goods clerk
said to the barkeeper A:
"Say, John, who is that cuss
over yonder ?"
"That," said the saloon-keeper,
dropping his voice into an awe.
struck whisper, "that is Bluff lei
Ben, the Wild Trapper of the great
plains. Ask him to drink. Perhaps
he will"
The first dry goods clerk did so
and the Wild Trapper replied:
"Wall, stranger, seein' as til
you, I'll take some fire water. Al
I heerd old Red Tail say to Spotted
Cloud, It's a mighty long time be
tween drinks Here's to us" anC
he ingulfed a dose of whisky.
"You are" said the first dr.,
goods clerk, CONNECTED with tn,
trapper business ?"
ain the scalp and grizzly line
said the second dry goods clerk.
"Your "reminiscences of a per
sonal character, | doubt not, woult
be exciting and interesting" sale
the third dry goods clerk.
oval, no." said the trapper; /"
never drink when Pm off the wa
trail. 1t kinder makes me ugly
yer see, and Pm apt to drop m
cutlery. killed seven men up t
st. 10, Mezz0uri, onst-seven me-
that l was talking, to as friendly a
mout be to you, but l sorter 60
riled-wall, gimme some NOR
whisky"
"Yeur hand," said one Of tn
dry goods clerks, "has often bee
stained with human blood?"
Stranger, she hev. The fus
time yer come up and see me at m
wickiup in Montana-second lodg
on the right beyond the Yellow
stone river-and be sure yer tur
to the left by the big boulders thre
thousand miles this side; ask an
Injun and tell him yer want Sc
Bluff Ter Ben, and eff he don't seal
yer he'll show yer the road plul
straight. I'll show yer Old Bull
Eye, my rifle. She's old Kaintuc
stock likewise the barely, and
sixteen feet long, and whenever
wipe out a white man | make
notch on the barrel, and there
notches all the way up on one sid
and nine feet on the other. liver
; up to yer graveyaFds at Cavalry an
| Greeceland. They're a good de,
S like my private graveyards, MOI
posies and statutes and so Of
! though they amt as spacious. Nov
? iist about three months ago
! turned loose in a bar-room down
] Lafayette, Arkansaw, and the co
: oner was kept busy for three da,
: after attending to seven inquest
(. And this was just because a dun
!, skunk stood up at the bar and in
proved his mind with my converS
ton, and never asked me if won
i, take
E Here one Of the dry goods clerl
caught Bluff Ter Ben's eye, al
stammered out an invitation to +
. her up again. Mr.. Bluff Ter b
irrigated himself, and in reply to
t. question concerning his solution
the Indian question, said;
: "Iniunsl Wall, no; | ney
keep count of reds | wipe out
r, used to when | was young and SC
J of vain, but / grew out'n it. ! 81
pose Pve not taken the trouble
lift the bar of the last one hundr
and fifty or two hundred 1
killed. Before that ! was kinC
particular that way, and took
, many scalps that / bust the 'Fris
II chignon market and seventeen de
ers in false hair went into bar