Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-03-13
A DEADWOOD INCIDENT.

In Deadwood in the heart of winter, when
the snow buries the miners In the cabins, or
the wind and ice STAY them on the road, all
that Is best and all that is worst in these iso-
lated men come to the surface. Bill Ragsdale.
desperate, gambler, crack shot, the most UNI
scrupulOus claim-jumper in the diggings,
found himself, much to his own surprise, con.
verted by force OF circumstances into sick
nurse. He had shot several men and been
fired at at odd times himself, and through all
maintained feeling Of comparative indiffer-
ence. Therefore to watch, and work, and
hope for the life Of a man TO whom he had
not spoken more than a dozen times was
enough to surprise Bill Ragsdale or any,
body who 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 peeping through, Bill and
dozen companions were seized with a de-
sire to wind up their noisy carOusal with q
dance. In the corner, sleeping, with her
head ON bench, was woman whose Occu-
patton 1t was to assist the barkeeper in min
istering to the bi5ulous desires Of the miners
and to play the hurdy-gurdy when these fe-
rOciOuS bacchanals wished to timber their
joints with their clumsy dance. One of the
men went 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 wretched
creature insenslble even to this rudeness.
Seeing she did not move the man gave her
an impatient shake, then twisted his hand in
her hair and by 1t lifted her to her feet The
men laughed uproariously as she screamed
and struck out wildly at her prosecutor, but
Bill, In whom some latent spark OF chivalry
seemed suddenly awakened, sprany to her
assistance with an oath and menace. Every
man In the crowd naturally considered this
interference an Infringement upon his es-
tablished liberties, and the indOmitable Bill
was surrounded by his late companions, who
had suddenly converted themselves into exc
cutiOners, each determined to defend his
code Of lawlessness A dozen revOlvers in
the hands of as many blear-eyed, british
men were aimed more or less unsteadily at
Ragsdale, who caught his breath. made
movement towards his belt found his re-
vOlver missing, and threw up his hands with
an instructive gesturc-a protest of helpless
nesS-when the door burst suddenly open
and man bounded in. As he did so bullet
carried of his high felt hat, two others bur-
led themselves In the woodwork of the door,
and the rest whistled past him into the 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 revolver. 'l've got the drop
on ye." said Bill, covering the nearest two
with his weapon. Put up yer guns an
take Big Jim out O. here" Then he grasped
the strangers hand, which still held the
smoking revolver. ''Say stranger, put it
thar" he said. II don't know who you be,
but there's nuthin' ye can't have IL ye want
It Let's 60, M0ll, an get up" he said
roughly to the woman, who still crouched on
the sawdust floor clutching his leg. Several
Of the men had carried Big Jim into . back
room which the barkeeper grumblingly pre-
pared for them. The newcomer picked up
his perforated hat.
Il don't know who was in the right" he
said. II only saw an unarmed man defend
ing woman against dozen men. / was
directly in the line Of their fire, and don't
know that helped you any more than
helped myself"
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 christened
the newcomer, seldom entered Ragsdale's
haunts, but now and then the burly gambler
took occasion to give his prOtege q warning
word when he saw the young man was likely
70 be bitten by prospectOrs more experienced
than he. Gradually there sprang up between
them . sort Of rough comradery. which ex-
listed without much demonstration, and
which, perhaps, they both would have been
. little ashamed to confess to. 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 little cabin which Boston had
built near his claim, man crying out and
groaning, and, entering. found the young
stranger delirious, no fire to keep out the
freezing cold, and no food on the shelf. This
EFFICIENCY resolved itself into primo amuse.
ment for Bill. He kept house, cooked for
the sick man (fOr, like all pioneers, he had
some skill in border cuisine), and, though
rather skeptical as to the efficacy Of medi-
cine, got one Of the several doctors that -four
ished In the town. Tho sixth day Of his i'll.
ness Boston recovered his right mind and rec
ognized Bill, who was filed with precipitate
rejoicings. Il guess you ain't feelin' very
smart" Boston smiled fecbly and shook his
head. you've been sick . long SPELL"
volunteered the nurse cheerfuliy. "You
about like to died" The sick man nodded
feebly. then asked;
IAN ! going to get wellr'
"Well, calc'late thar's q chance IL 70
don't git no setback-an' ye amt agoin' to,
70 know" continued Bill brightly. Boston
said nothing, but lay watching the other
with that CLASSY stare the sick have.
II s'p0se you amt Got no folks around
var. hev YEP Bill asked In solicitous tone.