The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-17
WILDCAT SMITH OF CALDWELL
Said to Be the Bravest Man in the
State Of Texas.

WHEN lie IIldhSS oue VI MS lu1tSQU00s
visits from his log cabin in the woods
to the town of Caldwell. ex., men loob
after him with interest and murmur In
respectful undertones the name Of
Wildcat Smith.
why do they call him that?"
"Oh, -: that's jes' a nickname:
that's nothin': that wildcat foolishness
warn't the story at all. This yer Smith
one time he played the nerviest game O
guards man evec sat into in Texas"
After certain prelminaries Brazos
Pete wiped his tawny trailing mustache
with the back of SCARED and brawny
hand and went on:
"This yer Smith he come to Texas in
sc he did. an he fit anythin'-Injun,
bar, Greaser, white manfred to fight
Sam Houston once. an tn OF man toll
IN he wuz the fortieth on his list.
Wen he'd killed the other thirty-nine,
says he, 'twould be Smiths turn.
Smith, he fit Injn more'n anythin'
else O. course. Keep tab on notched
stick and had notched it down all one
side and turned it overload 1njun fur
ever notch-w'en the Comanches cor
rallied him one time.
1--WE take UNI wife man our village
by Devil river burn UNI up said the
Comanche chief He was the one they
called Big Laugh, cause had kin O.
hairlip grin, fit to make a man dream o
snakes an centipedes.
"'W'ite man UNI say wow, WOW,
wow!' in fire. Heap plenty fun UNI burn
up says this yer Big Laugh, GRIMM
jes' that away; wife man cry, "Wah,
wah, wah!' like squaw.'
""Oh, mebbe not says Smith; have
a drink
$50 they made love to the big bottle
in Smiths pocket until Big Laugh felt
good an happy, this yer Smith all
the time thinkin an thinkin'. and no.
ticin' out o. the corner O. his eye
white gal tied on one O. the ponies,
moanin' in fear an pain; somebody
they'd captured an carried off. Purtiest
gal in Texas, she was. Smith says. an
slender as young pecan tree.
YES says this Big Laugh, wife
man UNI say "Wah. wah!" like wife
Bquaw there. Play seven-up?' Fer Big
Laugh he thought he was some on
guards.
Then this yer Smith sees his chance.
fer Big Laugh was feelin' pretty good
with the whisky an all, an GRIMM
wider'n ever; but Smith he on'y says,
kim O. careless like: oh, y-a-a-s, kin
beat any man in Texas; y-a-a-s. play
seven-up jes' little
"'W'ite man UNI play me?'
'Nawthin' to play fer now, 'cept my
cussed OIL life,' says Smith. an he
made s If he'd go to sleep.
big Laugh was mad clean through.
Play UNI wife man fer life.' says he.
"'Oh, we'll, ii got ter play, trot out
yer guards says Smith. So they played,
putin down the cards on blankit,
the other Injuns a-scrowgin' round an
a-lookin' on. An pretty soon Big
Laugh an Smith they stood 6 to 6, an
It was Smiths deal. He run tn cards
an turned up jack from the bottom.
waugh grunted this yer Big
Laugh: wife man play seven-up plen-
ty! Heap git out! Mosey! Make up
track! Um go home!
But Smith he didn't want ter go
alone. Tn - glad ter git shet O. yez.
says he. slow like. 4 never did like ter
play seven-up with no dern amatoors.
says he.
"'Wite man play more?' says Big
Laugh, grumpy, cause he didn't know
what 'amatoor' meant.
"'Oh, wa-al.' says Smith. lookin' all
round slow like, let's play fer-don't
want blankit. don't want pony-e's play
fer tn gall an he p'inted to the poor
critter. cryin' on the pony; an she
looked at Smith with her big round
eyes. an he felt white all tn way thro'
staying there ter git burnt alive fer a
pair Of blue eyes.
"'Good! says this yer Big aLugh.
Play UNI game. You win me let squaW
60: you lose. we keep squaw. put vito
man on IRE, hear UNI cry "Wah. wah! =
$50 they played guards on the blankit.
tn 1njuns lookin' on an not hardly
breathin', they was SO interested. An
purt soon 1t stud 6 to agin, an twas
Big Laughs deal.
big Laugh he grinned worse than
ever as he come ter tn las guards. an
the 1njuns begun to yell. Smith says hi
could feel the fire already a-sizzlin'
round his legs. an the gal jes' kivers
her eyes with the whitest pair O. little
hands in Texas. An then with yell
Big Laugh he turned the trump.
Twas the queen O. hearts, an Smith
held an ace an deuce. Well the 1njun
couldn't give. ocourse. an Smith won.
big Laugh. his gun an two ponies.
an Smith an tn gal jes lit out fer tn
settlements. a-ridin' day an night.
Smith marry tn gal? Who's a-tell-
in this yarn? She married Colonel Sam
James. that was killed at Shiloh. Beats
- how dry talkin' makes feller.'
"But why do they call him Wildcat?"
"Oh. that wasn't nothin." said Bra
EOS Pete. with visible annoyance "Onct
q fool wildcat jumped him wen he had
MT no gun. Nachly Smith he busted the
critters stats in with his fist and got