Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-05-05
A DEADWOOD ROMANCE.
The Story of How Boston" Came
to Life.

The Story of How Boston" Came
to Life.
In Deadwood in the heart OF winter,
when the snow buries the miners in the
cabins, or the wind and ice slay them
on the road, all that is best and all that
is worst in these isolated men come TO
the surface. Bill Ragsdalc, desperado
gambler, crack-shot, the most unscrup-
ulous aim-jumper in the diggings.
found himself, much to his own sur
prise, converted by force of crcum-
stances into a sck-nurse. He had shot
several men and been fired at at odd
times himself and through all main
tanned n feeling of comparative indifler-
eDce. Therefore TO watch, and work,
and hope for the life of man to whom
he had not spoken more than a dozen
times was enough to surprise Bill Rags
dale OF anybody who knew him. The
event had come about in this way:
One night, when the darkness had
nearly worn itself thrcadbarc and the
gray of the morning was pecping
through, Bill and dozen companions
were seized with q desire TO wind up
their noisy carousal with dance. In
the corner sleeping, with her head on
bench, was a woman whose occupa-
ton it was TO assist the barkeeper in
ministering to the bibulous desires of
the m ners and to play the hurdy- gurdy
when these ferocious bacchanals wished
tolimber their joints with their clumsy
dance. One of the men went up to the
woman and kicked her roughly with
his boot.
:" See here, Colonel Molly, give us a
tune out of that old music-box of
yours" he cried
Liquor and fatigue made the wretched
creature inscnsblc even to this rude
ness. 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 laughed
uproariously as sho screamed and
struck out wildly at her prosecutor, but
Bill, in whom some latent spark of
chivalry seemed suddenly awakened,
sprang to her assistance with an oath
and menace. Every man in the
crowd naturally considered this inter-
ference IN infringement upon his estab-
lishcd liberties, and the indomitable
Bill was surrounded by his late COM
panionS, who had suddenly converted
themselves into cXecutioners, each de-
termined to defend his code of lawless-
ness. A dozen rcvolvers in the hands
Of as many blear-eyed, british men
were aimed more or less unsteadily at
Ragsdale, who caught his breath, made
a movement towards his belt, found
his revolver missing, and threw up
his hands with an instructive gcst-
urea protest of helplessness--
when the door burst suddenly
open and a man bounded in. As he did
50 bullet carried off his 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 re-
volvcr I've got the drop on yc,"
said Bill, covering the nearest two with
his weapon. Put up yer guns an
take Big Jim out o. here" Then he
graspcd the strangers hand, which
still held the smoking revolver. "Say,
stranger, put il thar" he said. ~
don't know who you be, but there $
nothin' yc can't have if We want it.
Let's go, Mol, an get up" he said
roughly to the woman, who still
crouched on the sawdust floor clutch
ing his leg Several of the men had
carried Big Jim into u back room
which the barkeeper grumblingly pre-
pared for them. The newcomer picked
up his perforated hat.
81 don't know who was i'm the
right" he said. II only saw an un-
armed man defending a woman against
dozen men. was directly i'm the line
of their fire, and ! don't know that I
helped you any more than helped my
self. ~
The young stranger settled down to
the diggings, and from that day out he
and Bill were friends. They saw but
little of each other, for Boston," as
Bill had christcncd the newcomer, sell
dom entered Ragsdalc's haunts, but
now and then the burly gambler took
occasion TO give his protcgc warning
word when he saw the young man was
likely TO be bitten by prospcctors more
experienced than. he. Gradually there
sprang up between them sort of
rough comradery, which existed with
out much demonstration, and which,
perhaps, they both would have been a
little ashamed TO confess 10. The
rigors of the winter proved more than
Boston's nurture could stand. Bill
Ragsdale, on his way through the
gulch, had heard, as he passed the lit
tle cabin which Boston had built near
his claim, q man crying out and groan-
ing, and, entering. found the young
stranger delrious, no fro 10 keep ont
tho freezing cold, and no food on tho
shelf. This exigency resolved itself in
to prime amusement for Bill. He kept