News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-06-24
BIG JIM THE BULLY.
A Story of the West with Frontier Peculiar
tiles.

''He's bullyl'
''He'S a coward !"
''He's got to hang!"
''That's his third manr'
The one narrow street of the frontier
town was filed with a surging crowd of
excited men. There were Indian fight
ers, scouts, gamblers, tramps, miners,
SPECTATORS everything and everybody.
Every town has its bully every from
tier town. Big Jim was the bully of Hill
City. He could drink more, curse loud
er, shoot quicker, and start row sooner
than any sother man. When he shot
Timber Joe it was stand-off. 1t was
rough against rough. Whoever went
under the town would be the gamer
Tie death of his second victim brought
him certain respect, for he had given
the man fair show. There was a limit
to the number of men one might shoot
in ill City. 1t was three times and out
Big Jim had killed his third
Two hundred men-all eXcited-some
half crazed-all indignant-sone terribly
aroused, surged down the street to the
Red Star Saloon bent on vengeance 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 coward"
There was rush, but it was checked
Men had pistols and knives in their
hands, but the sight of Big Jim with a
navy" in each hand cooled their ardor.
A life for life is no revenge. They lied
when they called him 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 at the door and
surveyed the mob as coolly as another
man might have looked up at the pine
covered crest of Carriers Peak. The
mob grew quiet There were two hun
dred right hands clutching deadly
weapons, but not hand moved. Two
hundred to one is appalling odds, but
the one was lnastess Seeming t6 face
every man of them to cover
every breast with the black muzzles of
his revolvers-the man backed away up
the road into the darkness, out of their
sight and hearing. He said not word
There wasn't whisper from the crowd
until he had disappeared. Then men
drew long breaths of relief. A terrible
menace had passed away.
Out into the darkness-dOwn the
rough road-over the rude bridge, and
there Big jim put up his revolvers,
turned his face square to the West, and
stepped out without a look back at the
camp. It was ten miles to Harvey's
Bend. Men driven from the one camp
took refuge in the other. The half way
landmark was bit of a valley skirted
by a creek. Wayfarers who were jour
neying by team many times halted
here. On this night there was lone
wagon. Under the canvas cover slept
mother and four children. Resting
against the wheel was the husband and
father, his eyes peering into the dark
ness, his ears drinking in every
sound
Big Jim had not reached the valley
yet when the still night air was rent
with war-whoops, the crack of rifles,
the screams of a woman and her child
rem. Indians had discovered the lone
and almost defenseless family. There
were five scalps to adorn their lodges.
The bully and the coward had not been
discovered. He could find safe hid
ing place. Did he2
A half-dozen screaming, yelling fends
were dancing about the wagon-shoot-
ing-striking- lodging closing in on
one white man who somehow escaped
their blows and bullets, when there was
a cheer and rush, and the Navys be-
gan to crack. Sixty seconds later dead
silence had fallen upon the valley.
One-two-three dead Indians. The
immigrant leaned against the wagon,
faint with wound in his head. The
wife looked out with an awful terror at
her heart. Bullets had Clipped and
splintered wheel and body.
'sWho are youf" asked the immigrants
as figure approached from the dark
ness.
''Big Jim"
'sYou have saved us from a massacre"
eyes, it was well that l happened
along! Rouse up the fire, for there is no
further danger"
When the blaze caught the fresh
fagots and lighted up the little valley
the immigrant counted the dead In
dians again-one-two-t He turn
ed with extended hand, but Big Jim had
departed. Next day, when men from
Hills and Harneys found his dead body
beside the rocks half mile away, with
five wounds which had let his life blood
out, they whispered to each other:
'We thought we knowed him, but we
didn't Detroit Free Press