The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-11-22
BILLS PATIENT.
l..E. w. pin Chicago Tribunal


isolated ma. come TO the surfaces. Bill Rage
dale. desperate, gambler. crack shot, The
most un c.upui2us claim jumper i'll the dig
gings ioau.l hnl elf, much to his own sur
prise, converted by force OF circumstances
into @ sicl.-nur-e. He had shot several men
and been fired at ut odd times himself, and
through all maintained feeling OF COM
parative Indifference. Therefore TO watch
and work, and hops for the life OF q man to
whom he In not spoken moro than a dozen
times was enough 20 surprise Bill Eagsdals
or anybody vino 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 pseping through, Bill and
dozen companions were seizsd with n desire
to wind up their noisy carousal with
dence. In the corner, Sleeping. with Ter
head On a bench, was a woman whose occu-
patton it was to assist the barkeepsr in
misistering to the bibuious desires a. thu
miners and to play the huriy-gurdy When
these ferocious bacchanais wished to linn
Der their joints with their clumsy dance.
One of the men went up to the woman 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 wretcAed
creature insensible even to this ru ieness
Seeing 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 lau he'd uproariou5ly she
screamed AMI struck cut wildly at her per-
secutor, but Bill, in whom some latent
spark of chivalry scanned suddenly awak-
ened, sprang to her assistance with an oath
and a menace. Every man IN the crowd
naturally considered this Interference an in
fringemert upon their esta blishei liberties,
and the in lomitable Bill was surrounded by
his late companions, who had suddenly con-
yerted them elves into executioners and de-
ternined to defend tie code Of
Iawlessnes A dozen revolvers in
the hands of a. many blear-eye1
british men were aimed more or less IN
steadily at Ragsdale, who caught lis breath,
made a movement toward his belt. found
his revolver missing. and threw up his
hands with an instructive gestura-a pro-
test of helplesness---when the door burst
suddenly open and d man bounded i'll. As
ne did so a bullet carried off his high felt
hat, two other buried themselves in tae
wood work of the door, and the rest viii tod
past him into the outer air. second later
the man who had struck the woman
dropped dead on tie floor. Then the smoke
rose and showed Bill in pos essiol of the
dead mans revolver. "I've got thu drop on
ye," said Bill covering the nearest two with
his weapon. Put up your guns an take
Big Jim out o. here" Then he grasped
the strangers hand whom still held the
smoking revolver. "Say, stranger. pui it
thar" he said 81 don't know who you be,
but there's nuthn' ye can't have if ye want
it. Let's go, Moli, an get up" he roughly
to the woman, who still crouched on the
sawdust floor clutching his leg Several Of
tho men had carried Big Jim into a back
room which tn, barkeeper grumblingly pre-
pared for them. The newcomer picked up
his perforated hat
al don't know who was in the right" he
said. Il only saw an unarmed man defend
ing q woman against a dozen men. was
directly in the line of their fire, AMI don'5
know that l helped you any mere than l
helped myself"
The young stranger settled down to the
diggings, and from that day out he aaI
Bill were friends They saw bat little of
each ether. for "Boston," as Bill had chris
tened the newcomer, seldom entered Rags
dals'S haunt, but now AMI then the bUrly
gambler took occasion t. give his protege
"a warn ne word when lie Jaw the young
man was likely to be bitten by prospecsors
more experienced than he. Gradually there
sprang up between them sort of rough
comradery, which existad without laUcn
demonstration, and which. perhaps, they
both would have been little ashamed to
confess to. The rigors of the winter proved
more than Bo toa's nurture could stand.
Bill Ragsdalc his way through tho
gulch. hal heard, as lie passed. the
little cabin which Bost IN hal built
and grooming, and, entering, found the
young stranger deiir.ous, no fire to keapout
the freez.n- Geld, and no food on the scelf.
THIS ex}gency resolved ITSELF into prime
anu ement .oc Bill. He kept house, cooked
for Tie sick man Cor. like all pioneers, he
had some skill in border cuislne), anl, though
rather sile ptical as to taa efficacy of msdi-
cine, got one OF the several doctors that
fiourishel in the town. Tn, sixth day Of MS
Illness Boston recovered his ri INT mind ana
rec Md Bill. who Wa, filed win procipi
tate rejoiein 4 guess you ain'G tealin'
very smart Boston smiled feebIy and
shook his head. you've baen sick a long
SPELL" volunteered tie nurse. cheerfuily.
You about like t. died. The sick man
uoiled feebly, then asked:
Am / coiu: to cot weil.'
We'll. l calc'la.a thar's q chance il ye
dom git no settack-aa' ye amt agoin' to.
ye KNOW" continued BIZ brightly. Boston
said nothing, but lay watching the other
with that CLASSY stare the sick have.
Il s'pose you amt got no folks around
var, Lev yes' Bill asked in solic,tous tone
20. ton shock his head impatiently. lie
thought for long time with his eyes fixel
on the ceiling; then he aroused himself sui
denly AMI motioRed Bill to his side When
his companion had seated himself on the bel
Boston lad one thin hand On his and said,
while the tears of gratitude and feeb.epSss
gathered in his eyes:
4 know | would have died here alone if
1t hadn't been for YOU
Get out.n cried Bill Indignantly" ".Ain't
we evenl guess IL be out thar with my
boots en- if it hadn't been for you"
Il don't know that I care particularly
about getting we'll, bu. if / DO we're part
ners in ali good luck"
BIZ flashed and said: Il guess you'd bet
ter dry up u3w.n
B ,,on lay perfectly still after this. and
Bill tlou5lt be was sleeping; but after
to beav wat he was trying to say.
"R H." n whispered, III tie worst cc-zos,