Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-25

Then, laughing for joy ct success Of my play,
And enLing its grand song in soberer key,
Whirls the reel merrilee.
Sports Afeld.
COPPERHEAD BILL.
"That reminds me-" remarked Alkali
Ike In a reminiscent way, ''of the case of
Copperhead Bill, which engaged our atten-
ton for spell last summer. Tell you oil
about 1t. The day upon which this yorc
Copperhead Dill attains prominence the
stage from Rocket City is considerable
late, all me an several other influential
citizens is congregated on the porch of the
Cosm opolitan hotel prognosticatin on the
pleasant possibility of somethin happenin
to break the monotony which has been
hoverin over Hawville for nearly half a
moon. Anything that stirs us up is plenty
welcome, for things has been at q stand
still ever since the night the Rev. Jack
Jonks' pound party, when the south wall
Of the parsonage gifts pushed out. Xiii
Denver tell you about that? You see, it,
Pardon me-" interrupted the tourist
politely, "but should prefer to hear
about Coppcrhead Bill IL you please.
''Shoro! Waal, as I was a-sayin, the
lateness Of the stage made us sorter hope
full. Old Whoop Sladdock was drivin them
days, an Of all the things that Old Whoop
was hostile to the chief was proorastina-
ton. I've seen him come in with hind
wheel off an the axle bittin only tho high
places THROWN turf 40 feet high evory
Time 1t struck, with tourists heads pro-
jectin from every winder all their eyes
bulgin out till you could have flicked 'em
off with feather duster, the six mules
layin right out straight an Old Whoop
himself standin up an pourin the leather
to 'em with both ham 8 an swearin In Eng
lish all three different Indian dialects sim
ply bercuz the outfit was 20 minutes behind
schedule time. Them tourists didn't
breathe regular for week.
WAL, by the time the stage Is two
hours late quite u tribe Of us Is Inillin
around Oh the hotel porch jowerin over the
probable cause If the delay, with tho ma
jority warmly in favor Of the theory that
nuthin short OF q hold up is big enough to
set Old Whoop back that far. Bimoby,
jest as We are 1ggerin Oh ridin out to meet
him, yere comes somethin over the brow Of
the rise mile away whur Whoop alwers
begins to string tho mules out proper for
comm into the settlement on two wheels.
A yell Of relief goes up an then falls down
into a growl of disappointment.
"'Huh! That hain't Whoop, says Gu
conlr nj 70 yncitivn tThnV,N s1lo Id
walkin.
1t shore is Whoop, says Grizzly John
son, who has tho best eyes In the settle
ment. That's him hoohn it beside the
hearse. Thar amt nobody on the box
'Mebby he has had holdup an has
downod tho whole gang an is bringin em
along in the coach, says Tarantula Jim.
g 'You don't reckon he's whirled in an
got married, an now has the blurshin bride
penned up In the coach?' says Three Fin.
gered Babcock, heep solemn.
Z" Perhaps 1t Is All eastern capitalist IN.
stead Of a BRIDE, suggested the editor Of
The Clarion.
"'Waal, whatever Is the bono of conten.
ton, says Lrizzly sagely, us people will
do mighty we'll to linger yore an wait fol
him to open up. Old Whoop is powerful
hostile when his private affairs Is tam.
pered with
1.-THE coach crawled up to the hotel, al
we t'rowed up our hands In establishment
whom the old reprobate opened the door,
an with soothin, 'Yore we are, gram
mawl keerfully lifted out poor, broken
down old woman an carried her In his
arms up the steps.
g. Is he hero9' she piped in a tremblin
voice. Is my Willie heref'
No; don't reckon he's yere jest now,
gran nav, answered Whoop, as gentle as
il taikin to sick baby, but as soon as we
git you betlded down comfortable we'll
hunt him up.
"The landlady came bustlin out, an
they all went up stairs. When Old Whoop
comes down agin, he looks somehow like
O wolf In corner. The rest Of us don't
say nuthiD.
about six Of you coyotes tear out an
hunt up Doc Slade, says he. Don't mat
ter whur ho is at nor Tho he's attendin-
fetch him if you have to pack him by the
four corners. Gitl'
They got.
That thar old lady, says Whoop to
the rest of us, like repeatin lesson, lis bad
sick. She's wrong In her head an Is broke.
She works her way out yere from the
States solnewhurs lookin for q son who
vamouses years ago. Thinks he is yere in
tho territory an goes from one settlement
to another searchin for her Willie. She
hain't found him yet don't reckon
she'll ever make search no further thar
Hawville. She's broke an helpless, mebby
dyin, and if airy gent yere don't like my
way of dom I'd like to have him make his
objections right nowP
"We oil liked 1t. About now up comes
DR.. Slade, hustled along by three, four
fellors an growth that he'd been snatched
away In tho midst Of settin broken leg.
4 don't reckon the leg man will Spite
before you git back, says Whoop Go on
up stairs an look that thar old lady over
Give her tho best ytM'Te got In your medi-
cine bags an tally it to me-
"Bimeby the doctor makes his report. |
The old lady Is in bad way, duo to age
an the years of hard sleddin she's been |
through Mebby she'll live several days, |
mebby not. It's only the hope Of seein
her boy agin that has kept her alive this |
long.
"tAll that can be done Is to make the |
poor old soul Cs comfortable as possible,
says the doctor. Let her cherish as long
as sho can tho hope Of seein her boy
agin. She Is lyin there now, poor old
soul, babblln contentedly that her Willie |
will soon be here an-aurm! hawk! I've
got to go an set that fools leg
"'She wants her boy, began somebody, |