The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-07-30
Big Jim Was There.

That's his third man!'
The one narrow street of the frontier
town was filled with a surging crowd Of
excited men, There were Indian fioht-
| ters, scouters, gamblers, tramps. min
ers, spectators everything and every-
body.
Every town has its bully-every
frontier town. Big Jim was the BulIy
of Hill City, and the story of his last
adventures stamps him as a man whom
some would call heroic. He could
| drink more, curse louder, shoot quicker
and start row sooner than any other
man. When he shot Timber Joe it was
standof. 1t was rough against rough
Whoever went under the town would
be the gamer. The death of his second
victim brought him a certain respect.
for he had given the man fair show.
There was limit to the number of men
one might kill in Hill City. Il was three
times and out. Big Jim had killed his
third.
Two hundred men-all excited
half crazed- -all indignant--some ter
ribly aroused, surged down the street
to the Red Star saloon bent on ven
geance. Big Jim and the man he had
killed were alone in the place.
Bring him out!'
Hes got to hangr'
Bring out the bully and coward!''
There was rush, but it was checked
Men had pistols and knives in their
hands, but the sight of Big Jim with a
big navy in each hand cooled their
n, A g. e., T.
They lied when they called him bully.
Bullies strike and run, or bluster and
dare not strike. They lied when they
called him coward. Cowards do not
remain to face death.
Big Jim advanced a little. The
crowd fell back. He stood in the door
and surveyed the mob as another man
might have looked up at the pine-coy-
cred crest of Carter's Peak. The mob
grew quiet. There were 200 right
hands clutching deadly weapons, but
not hand moved. Two hundred TO
one is appalling odds, but the one was
master. Seeming to face every manof
them-seeming to cover every breast
with the black muzzles of his rcvolyers
the man backed away up the road In
to the darkness, out of their sight and
hearing. He said not word. There
WASH whisper from the crowd until
he had disappeared. Then mex drew
loag breaths of relief. A terrible men
ace had passed away.
Out into the darkness down the
rough road-over the rude bridge, ana
there Big Jim put UP his revolvers
turned his face square to the west ana
stepped out without look back to the
camp. 1t was ten miles to Harney5
Bend. Men driven from the one camp
took refuge in the other. The hall
way landmark was a bit OF a valley
skirted by creek. Wayfarers who
were journeying by team many times
halted there. On this night there was
lone wagon. Under the canvas COW
er slept a mother and four children.
Resting against a wheel was the nus
band and father, his eyes piercing into
the darkness his ears drinking 10
every sound.
Big Jim had not reached the valley
yet when the still night air was reh1
with war whoops. the crack OF rines'
the screams of woman and her cnilu-
rem. Indians had discovered the lone
and almost defenseless family. Inere
were five scalps to adorn their lodges.
The bully and the coward had not oeen
discovered. He could find a safe nluluS
place. Did heP
A half dozen screaming, yellow menus
were dancing about the wagon -snoo1-
ing, striking. lodging, closing 10 on
the one white man, who somehow es'
capped their blows and bullets when
there was a cheer and rush and Inc
navys began to crack. Sixty scconas
later dead silence had fallen upon tno'
valley. ~
One-two--three dead Indians. Inc
immigrant leaned against the wagon
faint, with wound in his head. bul,
lets had Clipped and splintered Wnse'
and body.
"Who are you?' asked the lnnm'.
grant, as figure approached INN iloD'
the darkness.
"Big jim. 7.
You have saved US from . massS
Gre. =
.Yes. and there is no further dan
ger. = q. .,s.b'
fagots and lighted up the little valley
the immigrant counted the dead T. a.,
| dians again--one--tw three p'e m
turned with extended hand, but ps
| Jim had departed. Next day, wne1|
men from Hills and Harney's iou',n ',a
| his dead body beside the rocks 2 m,ae
away. with five wounds which hau T.,
! his life blood out, they whispered -
each other: ia
sWe thought we knowed him. Du
! we didn' T. - Omaha Bee.