Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-08-26
BOLD BIG jim.
The Last Adventure of the Exiled Bully
of Hill City.

oOES LIN OIVts
The Last Adventure of the Exiled Bully
of Hill City.
"He's a bullyr'
"He's a coward"
"He's got to hang!'
That's his third man"
The one narrow street of the frontier
town was filled with surging crowd
of excited men. There were Indian
fighters, scouters, gamblers, tramps,
miners, speculators-every thing and
every body.
Every town has its bully-every
frontier town. Big Jim was the bully
of Hill City, and the story of his last
adventures stamps him as man whom
some would call heroic. He could
drink more. curse louder, shoot quick
er, and start row sooner than any
other man. When he shot Timber Joe
it was stand-off. 1t was rough against
rough. Whoever went under the town
would be gamer The death of his
second victim brought him certain
amount of respect, for he had given the
man a fair show. There was limit to
the number of men one might shoot in
Hill City. 1t was three times and out
Big Jim had killed his third.
Two hundred men-all eXcited-some
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!'
"He's got to hang!'
"Bring out the bully and cowardH'
There was rush, but it was
checked. Men had pistols and knives
IN their hands, but the sight of Big Jim
with big "navy" in each hand cooled
their ardor. A life for life is no re-
venge. They lied when they called
him a bully. Bullies strike and run,
or bluster and dare not strike. They
lied when they called him a coward.
Cowards do not remain to face death.
Big Jim advanced little. The
crowd fell back. He stood in the door
and surveyed the mob as another man
might have looked up at the pine-cov'
cred crest of Carter's Peak. The moi
grew quiet. There were two hundred
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
man of them--seeming to cover every
breast with the black muzzles of his
revolvers-the man backed away uI
the road into the darkness, out Of theil
sight and hearing. He said not word
There wasn't whisper from thu
crowd until he had disappeared. Their
men drew long breaths of relief. A
terrible menace had passed away.
Out into the darkness, down th'
rough road, over the rude bridge, anC
there Big Jim put up his revolvers
turned his face square to the west, ant
stepped out without a. look back at thu
camp. 1t was ten miles to Harney'
Bend. Men driven from one CAM
took refuge in the other. The half
way landmark was bit of vale,
skirted by creek. Wayfarers wh'
were iourneying by team many time
halted there On this night there wa
a lone wagon. Under the canvas cove
slept mother and four children. Rest
ing against the wheel was the husband
and father, his eyes piercing int
the darkness, his ears drinking in ever.
sound.
Big Jim had not reached the vale.
yet when the still night air was rem
with war-whoops, the crack OF rifles
the screams of woman and her chill
dren. Indians had discovered the Ion
and almost defenseless family. Their
) were five scalps to adorn their lodges
The bully and the coward had not bee
discovered. He could find safe hid
ing-place. Did hep
A half-dozen screaming, yellin
fiends were dancing about the wago
shooting, striking, dodging, closin
in on the one white man, who some
how escaped their blows and bullets
when there was cheer and rusl
and the navies began to crack. Sixt
seconds later dead silence had falle
upon the valley.
-two-t three dead Indians. Til
immigrant leaned against the wagol
faint, with wound in his head Th
wife looked out, with an awful torre
at her heart. Bullets had ehipped an
splintered wheel and body.
Who are youP" asked the imm
) grant, as figure approached hi
; from the darkness.
!. big jim"
You have saved us from mass
cre."
"Yes, and there is no further da
ger"
When the blaze caught the fires
fagots and lighted up the little vale
!, the immigrant counted the dead L
: dians again-one-two-three.
' turned with extended hand, but B
It Jim had departed. Next day, VIII,
r men from Hills and Harney's -four
h his dead body beside the rocks a mi
. away, with five wounds which had |
his life blood out, they whispered
each other:
y ave thought we knowed him, b
; we didn't Omaha Bee.
= The YAQuI INDIANS.