River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-10-24

through "A War Cryg says he
What's that?' and lie knowed as well
as she did what it was.
After badgering her that way and
not making her lose an inch Of ground,
he told her he'd make proposition by
which she might sell him all the War
Crys she had The poor little thing
listened TO him, and her eyes got
bright, and she asked him what the
proposition was He had her sit down
at card table, and he took three
cards-a king and two spot cards--and
shuffled EN- on the table so that she
could see the king while he was shut
fling 'em. and then asked her II she
could pick out the king as the three
cards lay face down, alongside one an
other. on the table. She said Of course
she could lie says to her; Try it,
She done so. and Of course she picked
out the king.
HE says: That smart, and didn't
think YOU could do IL. Now, I'll tell
You what I'll 20: I'll shuttle the cards,
and every time you pick out the k'uy
III buy two War Crys- Every time
You pick out a spot card you are to give
me War Cry for nothing She agreed
To that
The poor child didn't know that she
was gambling-didn't know that she
was tackling the notorious Montana
Bill in his particular speciality-didn't
know that she had run up against the
slicLxest three.card monte thrOwer in
the whole northwest
well. you know what happened.
/ Bill cleaned the poor child out of every
War Cry she had and then laughed at
/ her. / saw her as she sat there. and l
saw how she looked when she began
10 realize that she had lost all her pa
pers and didn't have cent to show for
| EN-; / saw how white she got, and how
she stared at Bill like he'd run knife
/ through her body; | saw how she got
up and looked around at the laughing
men, like a lamb cOrnered by pack
! OF wolves; saw her try hard to keep
down the tears. and then she says:
I Men. I will pray 60 God 10 lead you all
/ into better lives And her voice was
more. Then she walked ont slowly,
and cried all tie way up the street"
The big man paused. for his own
voice had become unaccOuntably thick,
| anu had lost much of its rich. deep
swing and romance. But he soon re-
/ gained his seIf-possessic aud then
proceeded:
Montana Bill was a hard case, for
sure. but he had small streak of man
/ hood somewhere under his thick skin.
| The boys in the joint all thought it
was a great joke on the little girl, and
I they laughed and shouted till they al
most cracked the roof. But Bill didn't
/ laugh He stood silent and glum, with
his hands in his pockets, looking out
/ through the door. Then he went out,
/ saying he had a game awaiting for him
at likes saloon, and he went slOuching
up the street. The further he got
away from the joint the faster he
walked. and then he done a snealSing
I thing-he looked back to see If any of
/ the boys was following him They
wasn't. though. and then he let out
them long legs of his for the liveliest
/ walk he ever took in his lie.
lie soon caught sight of her, and
then he slowed up and follered She
was still crying, and people would stop
and wonder what was the matter, and
some of EN- laughed. Bill got on TO
that, and IL riled him through and
through He slapped one fellow clean
into the middle of the street. and went
right on without a word. heard aft
erward that several people that he
l1nowed spoke To him, but he didn't see
none Of 'em. and kept right on.
The girl went straight to the head
I quarters of the salvation Army, and
Bill follered her in. She went into a
little office, where there didn't happen
to be any bodv else. and sat down and
put her head on the table and cried
like her heart was broke For the first
time in his life Montana Bills nerve
broke down. She looked so small and
forlOrn and miserable that if he hadn't
been the man that done her up he'd "a
gone ont and whipped the Teller that
did. And when he knowed that he was
that identical scoundrel and that there
wasn't anybody big enough and man
enough to whip him. he felt just like a
thoroughbred dog that mad been caught
sucking eggs
Il want to say this for Bill Bad as
he was, he never meant TO rob the girl
He was only having fun with her in
the saloon, and he meant 20 G ve her
back the papers, but it was the way
she acted in the saloon that made him
forget IL was the pity that she
showed for him ana the little prayer
she said that male him lose his head.
And that was the first time in his life
that Montana Bill ever lost his head.
And so, when he saw her crying
out her heart in the little office,
she not knowing that anybody was
about. he didn't have the nerve to own
up like a man. He just sneaked a
twenty-doliar gold piece on to the
table aud tried to steal out like thief.
But she heard him, and saw the
money. and looked at him like he was
a ghost. and sprang ahead of him and
stopped him. and stood there looking
at him with a look he'd never seen in
no mortal face in his life.
LIT was God who put it into your
heart to bring that money, she said
to him. and as lie has done that much
lie has done more, and will keep on do
ing more. until that big manly heart
in your body beats altogether for man
kind ard its Redeemer.'"
The giant paused. His narrative
had been 50 simple and earnest that
there were tears in many eyes. Per-
haps it was these that sent mis- self
mastery astray. for when he essayed
speech again he failed. Then he looked
so foolish and helpless that sup
pressed litter ran through the audi
ence, and this made il all the worse for
him.
Atthis juncture the brigadier stepped
forth half merry, half whimsical
expression lighted up his face as ne
gently pushed the giant into a plat
form seat facing the audience and then
said:
And so it was too hard for the poor
little girl to be made to tell before all
these people what happened 70 her in
the Butte saloon that day. and so a
great, strong man, seeing how small
and cruelty tortured she was, would
come forward as her knight and pro-
tector. tie would show the strength
that lies in the heart of giant. He
But the audience having already
caught the point, and seeing how fool
ish aud childish the giant looked as he
sat facing them with tears streaming
, down his cheeks burst into great