River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-12-10
Observation-Disclosures.

a DEADWOODI NCIDENI
In Deadwood, in the heart of winter,
when the snow buries the miners in the
cabins, or the wind and ice Stay them
on the road. all that is best and all that
is worst in these isolated men come to
the surface.
Bill Ragsdale, desperado, gambler,
crack shot, the most INSCRIPTIONS
claim-jumper in the diggings. found
himself, much to his own surprise con
verified by force of circumstances into a
nurse. He had shot several men, and
been fired at odd times himself, and
through all maintained a feeling of
comparative Indifference. Therefore to
watch. and work. and hope for the life
of man to whom he has not spoken
more than a dozen times, was enough
to surprise Bill Ragsdale, or anybody
who knew him The event had come
about in this way:
One night, when the darkness had
nearly worn itself threadbare, and the
gray OF the morning was peeping
through, Bill, and dozen of his COM
panions, were seized with a desire to
wind up their noisy carousal with a
dance.
I In the corner, sleeping, with her head
on bench, was woman whose occuPa-
ton it was to assist the barkeeper IN
ministering to the bibulous desires of the
miners, and to play the hurdy-gurdy
when these ferocious bacchanels wished
to timber their joints with their
clumsy dance,
One of the men went up to the wO-
man and kicked her roughly with his
! boot.
See here, Col. Molly, give us tune
out of that old music-box of yours" he
cried
Liquor and fatigue made the wretched
I creature insensible, even to this rude
ness. Seeing that she did not move,
the man gave her an impatient shake.
then twisted his hand in her hair. and
by it lifted her to her feet The men
laughed very uproariously as she
screamed and struck out wildly at her
prosecutor, but Bill, in whom some
latent spark of chivalry seemed sudden
" awakened, sprang to her assistance
with an oath and menace. Every
man in the crowd naturally considered
this interference an infringement upon
his established liberties, and the in
d0mitHble Bill was surrounded by his
late companions, who had suddenly
converted themselves into executiOners,
each determined to defend his code OF
lawlesSness.
A dozen revolvers, in the hands of as
many blear-eyed, british men, were
aimed nlcre or less unsteadilv al Rags
dale, aho caught his breath, made a
movement towards his belt, found his
revolver mi ssing, and threw up bis
hands with an instructive GESTURE
protest of helplessness-wh when the door
burst suddenly open, and a man
bounded in As he did so bullet
carried off his high felt hat, two Others
buried themselves in the woodwork OF
the door. and the rest whistled past
him INTO the outer air.
A second later, the man who had
struck the woman dropped dead on
the floor. Then the smoke rose and
showed Bill in possession OF the dead
mans revolver.
Il We got the drop on We, said Hlll
covering the nearest two with his re
yolver. Put up yer guns, an TAXI
H,g Jim out o here.
rnaa he grasped the stranger hand
which stii held the smoking revolver
Say, stranger. put it thar, he
said Il don't know VINO you be, bu'
there's nuthin We can't have i We want
1t. Let 90, Mol, an Git up, he sale
roughly to the woman, who still
c~ouched on the sawdust floor
cluten;ng his leg.
Several OF the men had carried big
jim in to a back room, which the bar
keeper grumblingly prepared for tnem
The newcomer picked up his perforated
hat.
II don know who was in the right,
he said II only say an unarmed maj
defending woman against q doZei
; armed men | was directly III IN!
iiaa of their fire. and | don't know
mat i Helped YOU any more than
helped myself.
The Young stranger settled down t
the diggings, and from that dag out h
and Bill were friends. They saw blu
little on each other, for Boston, a
Bill had christaaad the newcomer
seldom entered Ragsdale's haunts but
noy and then the burly gam1ieE tool
occasion TO give his protege q warnin!
bo u
was likely to be bitten by prospector
more experienced than he. Gradual.
there sprang mp between them a sort o
rough cOmradery, which existed WIN
ont much demonstration, and which
perhaps. they both would have been
little ashamed TO confess.
The riqors of the winter drove
more than Boston nature could stand
Bin Ragsdale. on his way through tn
Cule,,. AID heard, as he passed tn
: little cabin which Boston had bl Il
near his claim maR cFying out an
! croaning; and, on entering, found 70
! Young stranger delirions, no fire t
: keep out the freezing cold, and no foo
5 on me shelf
This exigency resolved itself int
: prime amusement for ssisl. He KEEP
{ house. cooked for the sick man, tiol
, like sll pioneers. he had some skill i
: border cassine), and, though rattle
skeplieai as 10 lha efficacy of medicine
cot one Of the several doctors that flour
iShed in the town The sixth day Q
: his illness Boston recovered his righ
0 mind. aud recognized Bill, who wa
: flIed with precipi,ate rejoieings.
. Il guess you ain t feeling very smart
Boston smiled feebly and shook hi
head. ;,
s you've been sick a long spell.
, volunteered the nurse. eheerfulig
You about like to died.
) The sick man nodded his head feebly
and then asked: -.
cam l going to get well9'