The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27

who he was. so that when the bullets be-
gan to fly none of them came close to him.
AS they neared the river bank Bill set the
pace faster and faster, but the big sergeant
never nunked. Finally a Union picket on
the other shore sang out:
!" .Hooray fer wild Biil.'
That gave the whole thing away The
sergeant saw the truth in a jiffy and
started to draw his gun, exclaiming:
BY God, believe yer Yauki
But he never lived to shoot. Bill was
loo quick for him, and TUFTS partner rolled
cut OF the saddle stone dead just as Black
Nell rose in the air TO take to the river. As
Bill swan beside his mare for the opposite
BANK the rebel pickets opened fire, and for
moment their bullets cut the water
around him like haiistones in a storm. Then
the Union sharpshooters drove them TO
cover and Bill had a better show. He
reached the shore with only slight wound
in the shoulder and went straight TO Cur
tis's headquarters. He must have brought
in important information that time, for the
army changed front before night, heading
off movement to turn the Union flank
THE MCANDLESS GANG.
1.-THE stories that were told about Wild
Bill's escapades down there in Missouri
after the war would fill a book. Some of
them were almost incredible. 1 remember
one that 1t was said Bill told himself con-
corning a single-handed fight he had with
the McCandless gang shortly after the war
broke out. The men in this McCandless
gang were border ruffians in the Kansas
row, and, of course, they went with the Sc
cessiOnists in the rebellion. Hickok, l be-
lieve was guiding a party of Union volun-
teers from Nebraska or Kansas over into
Missouri when the fight took place He had
ridden out onto the prairie alone one day to
visit d widow who was friend of his, and
while there McCandless and nine of his men
rode up to the house. All were armed,
some with pistols, others with shotguns and
only. They had known Wild Bill back in
Kansas and when McCandless saw Black
Nell tied up to the widows fence he called
. Here's that damned Yank, Wild Bill.
Boys, Wen skin him alive. Surround the
house
There was no chance for Hickok to es-
cape without fight even If he had tried to,
so he barricaded one of the doors and pre-
pared to sell his life dearly. 1t so happened
of his revolvers, and, what was worse, he
had wasted shot on a wild turkey on the
way to the widows. This left him only five
rifle hanging on the wall in the cabin.
While McCandless and his pals were parley-
ing on the outside Bill took this down and
loaded it. He also poured some powder and
a slug of lead into the empty chamber in
the cylinder of his six-shooter--that was be-
fore the days of cartridge revolvers out
there-and damned it home as best he could
by pounding it on the table. Just then Nc
Candless showed his head outside the win
dow.
. Come in here. you cowardly dog, and
fight me like man., shouted Bill
"A moment later the leader of the gang
sprang to the door, his gun already raised
to shoot. Hickok was all the while cover
ing the entrance with the old Henry up to
his face and McCandless got a bullet
through the heart before he could pull the
trigger. Then the whole gang poured
through the doorway together. Four OF
them them dropped near the entrance as the
Hickok's deadly revolver, but he got load
of buckshot at short range in return which
almost brought him down. The room was
full Of smoke, and before Hickok could see
to fire again in the confusion the rest were
upon him. One went down with his skull
crushed from terrible blow with the butt
end of Biz navy and another got bullet
in the abdomen just as Bill was crowded
back onto the bed
His last shot crashed through the arm
Of one of the gang who had him by the
throat, putting this one out of the fight for
the moment. Then Bill was hit across the
breast with swinging blow from dubbed
gun, Bringing the blood to his nose, mouth
and eyes and alf-blinding him 1t made
him crazy like. With his last shot gone
everybody was out of loaded guns by this
time-Bill drew knife and followed them
up from one side Of the room to the other,
cutting and slaShing wherever he saw
form that had life enough to move until
every one was hacked to pieces and safely
dead. He had just strength enough left to
stagger out to the we'll and drink, when
he tainted from his wounds and fell over 1t
was said that he carried off eleven buck
shot and was cut in more than a dozen
places L have heard men say that when
Wild Bill told the story of that struggle he
seemed to live 1t all over again. He would
break out in a cold sweat with excitement
and his eyes blazed and his face changed
until he looked like a murderer. When he
wasn't excited Wild Bill had a counte-
nance that was as calm and as kindly as
womans. He must have been at least
thirty years old when / knew him. al
ways understood that he came from Illi-
nois, and, while won't be certain, think
he told me So"