The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-08-12


for his eye would take in all sides OF
the room, which made ii sorter awk-
ward. He shot fellow once and got
of on The plea that IL was an accident
on this account. -Four men swore that
he was looking right at them, aud that
his gun went of in the other direction.
The Court allowed that man couldn't
be hung because OF an in6rmity, but
said overriding Providence would rake
in prominent citizen. For you see
there wasn't any getting away from
Bills straight shooting, even ii he had
crookedsy When he had the drop on
man you could bet on funeral with
the same Christian confidence you
could on four aces.
But Bill went under and in a queer
way too. II was after they found some
good lodes Of free milling quartz above
the gulch, and the camp had become
town. Bill Was running a bank above
the nugget saloon, and he made it pay
big. One day fellow walked into
town all rags and misery and went 10
the bank. Bill was keeping cases, aud
the minute he saw the stranger lac
jumped up and walked over 70 him.
There was some talk and they shook
hands. Then Bill came back 70 the
table leadir : the stranger. Boys"
said lac, "w,l 1 was sick this man
doctored me; when was hungry he fed
me; when crawled out OF rebel
stockade in Macon and tried 10 get
North he helped me. My friends are
his friends. His enemies are my enc
mics. No matter how the cards run
bali I've got is his" Then Bill sat
down for he WASN'T much Of talker.
The next day the stranger came out
Ia better outfit, but IL didn't help his
looks much. There was something
mean about his eyes that looked like
the DEVILS trade mark. He had moi.
sy, clustering way about him, and no
body took to Bills pet. And it wasn't
u good day for Bill when be came
either, for alter that everything seemed
to go wrong. The stranger spent an
awful sight Of money, and all Of il cane
from Bill. He used 10 cut up and
make bad breaks about the bank, but
Bill stood IL all and never said word.
II any Of the boys growled bed just
take in three angles OF the rosrn with
his eyes and that settled matters. II
they talked to him be Il j st shrng Lis
shoulders and say h. ~.s vi "g..
One day, though. D,I's bamS closed.
Nobody knew what a. mIsanI I 'r a~ile.
but when Georges, that's what
they called ,h- strangrt did tara up,
il got whispe,.i aLuut tia. he Lad
gathered up all the loose acads aud
skipped. Bill would never say 10,
though. He wouldn't talk about il at
all. lie just soaked hls watch and
pin and went in for another pile, with
tao different expressions in his eyes,
one harder than tho other. About
"Gcor.g .gia" he never said word.
lie got to drinking pretty hard after
that, but his luck was big. II WAS hard
" tell how much he won, for he would
not talk about it, but lac made big
winning and must have had nice little
pile. He never said anything to any
one, and didn't want any friends.
Things went on this way for some time
after "GeergiA" left, and then there
was an excitement. Two bronchos had
been stolen above the camp, and the
thief was caught and brought into town.
1t was Georgia, looking more hang
dog and meaner than ever. As soon
as Bill heard Of il he went to the own
ers Of the stock and offered them dou.
BILE the price not to prosecute. They
took il and agreed, but the thing had
raised such row that trial Was bound
to come of anyhow. IL didn't though.
The day set Georgia escaped Jail and
got away scott free. There was good
deal Of talk about il, and the next time
Bill was seen on the streets il was no.
ticed that he didn't wear his watch.
He bet low at the tables that evening
too.
That changcG his luck, and when q
gamblers luck changes he's gone. The
cards never turn up right after they've
got out Of the habit. 1t was bad on
Bill. He drank hard and looked hard
He wore his clothes a goodideal longer
than he used to, and when the snow
began to fy he was on the streets with.
out an overcoat. No one could help
him, he wouldn't have it. He lived
over little dive on an of street, and
didn't allow anybody to come near his
room. He was surly and bitter
and ugly, and when he got int
a row with man he used to beat hin
with anything he could get his hands
on. He never did that in his better
days. He'd Just shoot and be don,
with it. So all of the boys sort of KEEP
away from him, and he got a ba,
name. When he played at all it wa
with tin horn crowd, and queer ste
ries become to be circulated after
time. There was good deal of "hOld
| ing up" in those days,and peop'e got a
idea that Bill might be doing some c
it. At any rate man was killed i
front of Bills place early one morning
and when the crowd came up and foun
Bill there it was quick enough te thin
that he had done it. He had been see
with the dead man the night befor.
and there was another man all muffie
with him, but Bill wouldA't say VIII
he was. Fact is he wouldn't answe
any questions at all, and when th
trial came it did't take the jury long I
bring in verdict ofguilty. The tow
was little scared up, and the peopl
thought there ought to be an exampl
There was one queer thing about !
though. The murdered man had Il
of money, bat there wasn't nickel 0
Il Bill After the verdict. there was q