The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-06
C%OPPERHEAD BILL,

THAT reminds NO." remarked Alkali
lke In n reminiscent way, ''of the oaso Of
Copperhcad Bill, which engaged our atten-
tion for u spell last summer. Toll you all
nbout 1t. Tho day upon which this yoro
Copporhead Bill attnins prominence tho
stage from Rocket City is considerable
late, an mo IN several other influential
citizons Is congregatcd on tho porch of tho
Cosmopolitan hotel prognostioatin ON tho
pleasant possibility of somethin hupponin
to broak tho monotony which has been
hovorin over Hawville for nearly half o
moon. Anything that stirs us up is plenty
welcome, for things has boon at u stand
still ever since tho night tho Rov. Juck
Jonks' pound party, whent tho south wall
of the parsonage gifts pushed out. Xiii
Doyyer toll you about that2 You see, it,
pardon me-" interrupted tho tourist
politely, "but I should prefer to hear
about Copperhcad Bill if you please"
"Shorol WAL, rs I was a-sayin, tho
latcncss Of tho stage mndo US sorter hope
full. Old Whoop Slnddook was drivin them
days, an of all tho things that Old Whoop
was hostile to the chief was proorastina-
ton. I've seen him como in with u hind
wheel off IN tho axlo hittin only tho high
DltCCoJ UllfOMlu UuEl ~ lCUU nlhn ivory
time it struck, with tourists heads pro-
jectin from every windor al their Dyes
bulgin out till you could have 1icked 'em
off with u feather duster, tho six mules
layin right out straight an Old Whoop
himself standin up an pourin tho leather
to 'cln with both han S an Swcarin in Eng
lish an three different indian dialects sim
ply borcuz the outfit was 90 minutes behind
schedule time. Thorn tourists didn't
breathe regular for u week.
"Waal, by tho time tho stage is two
hours lato quite q tribe of us is millin
around on tho hotel porch jowcrin over the
probable cause Of tho delay, with the ma
jority warmly in favor Of tho theory that
nuthin short of n hold up is big enough to
SGT Old Whoop back hat far. Bimoby,
jest as We arc flggcrin OH ridin out to meet
him, yoro comes somethin over tho brow of
tho riso Il mile away whur Whoop alwers
begins to string tho mules out proper for
comm into tho settlement on two wheels.
A yell of relief goes up an then falls down
into u growl of disappointment.
Huh! That hain't Whoop,' says Gu
sack plenty positive. Them mules is
walkin.'
1T shore is Whoop, says Grizzly John
son, who Inns tho best eyes in tho settle
ment. That's him hoonn 1t beside tho
hearso. Thar amt nobody on tho box.'
"'Mcbby he has had n holdup an has
owned tho whole gang an Is bringin 'em
along in tho COACH says Tarantula Jim.
"'You don't reckon hos whirlcd in IN
got married, an now has tho blurshin bride
ponned up III tho coach?' says Three Fin
gcrcd Babcock, u heep solemn.
Perhaps it is an eastern capitalist In
stead of u BRIDE suggested tho editor of
The Clarion.
"'Waal, whatever is the bone of conton.
tion,' says Grizzly sagely, us people will
do mighty we'll to lingcr yero an wait for
him to open up. Old Whoop is powerful
hostile when his private affairs is tam
perod with
The coach crawled up to tho hotel, an
wo t'rowcd up our hands in astonishment
when tho old roprobato opened tho door,
an with q soothin, zero we are, gram
mawP koorfully lifted out n poor, broken
down old woman an carried her in his
arms up tho steps.
is no hcre?' sho pipcd in "a tremblin
voice. rs my Willie here9'
mo; l don't reckon hos zero Jest now,
gran'maw,' answered Whoop, us gentle as
If talkin to n sick baby, but as soon rs wo
git you bedded down comfortable Won
hunt him up
iAc iauulhuy CuinO DuSClln out, an
thoy all went up stairs. When Old Whoop
comes down agin, ho looks somehow like
u wolf in u corner. The rest of us don't
say nuthin.
"'About six of you coyotes tear out an
hunt up Doc Sladc,' says he. Don't mat
ter whur no Is ut nor who hos attendin-
fetch him If You nav to pack him by the
four corners. Gitl'
"They got.
That thar old lady, says Whoop to
tho rest of us, like repoatin II lesson, is bad
sick. She's wrong in hor head an is broke.
Sho works her way out zero from the
States solnewhurs lookin for a son who
years ago. Thinks he Is yero In
the territory an goes from ono settlement
to another searchin for hor Willie. She
hnin't found him yet. I don't reckon
sho'l over mako search no further than
HnWville. She's broke an helpless, mebby
dyin, and If ary gent yero don't like my
way of dom I'd like to nave him make his
objections right nowP
"Wo all liked it. About now up comes
DR.. Slado, hustled along by three, four
fellors an growlin that he'd been snatched
away In tho midst of sottin u broken log.
81 don't reckon the leg man will spile
before you sit back, says Whoop. Go on
up stairs an look that thar old lady over.
Give her the best you've got in your modi-
cine bags an tally it to mo-
"Bimoby tho doctor makes his report.
The old lady is in a bad way, duo to ago
an tho years of hard slcddin sho's been
through. Mebby shu'll live several days,
mebby not. It's only the hopo Of scoin
her boy agin thaa has kept her alive this
long.
AL that can be dono is to mako tho
poor old soul as comfortable rs possible.
says tho doctor. Let her cherish rs lor s,
as she can tho hope Of socin her boy
agin. She IS lyin thero DOW, Door old