The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-06-06
WILD BILLS FIRST BATTLE.

WILD BILLS FIRST BATTLE.
Story of the Most Remarkable Conflict in
Border Annals.
Forty years ago, in December, ten
men on bay horses galloped across the
dry bed of Rock Greek, skirted little
| clump of cottonWoods, and drew rein
before the bars of the Overland Stage
Company's horse corral Oh the Califor-
MIA trail few miles north of Manhat-
| tan. Bill Mckandlas, jumping from
his horse, put his hand on the top bar.
A tall slender young man stepped to
the door of the dug-Out few yards
| away with gun in his hand, and eyed
| the Mckandlas gang with dark disfavor.
He called out with some emphasis that
! he would shoot the first man who took
down a bar, and made some comments
on their parentage.
A few hours before they had gone by
his quarters jerking an old preacher at
the end of a lariat AS they passed
they announced that they would come
back for the stage horses in the corral
at three O'Clock in the afternoon. The
young man with the gun had replied
that he would be there when they came
back. He was paid to feed, harness,
and protect the companys property
and intended to earn his money The
ten visiting gentlemen tied their horses
to the corral, and turned to the most
cheerful duty of exterminating the i'm
prudent and forward young watch
| man. He retired into his dug-out domi
Gle, barred the door, and stood waiting
with rife in his hand. Even then he
had the habit of not shooting until the
occasion really demanded it. The high
waymen hunted up log from among
the cottonwoods, and with praiseworthy
industry proceeded to batter down the
door,
Jim McKandlas, with a revolver,
across the threshold and into eternity.
AS the others rushed through the door
the man inside fired three shots, with
that accuracy of aim for which he was
so much admired in the years that
were to come. The six somewhat star
tied horse thieves who remained alive
swarmed across the dug out floor, and
piled upon the young station keeper
with revolverS and bowie-knives. One
beat him over the head with gun, and
Bill MckandlaS struck with a bowie
knife, only to bury it in the table, and
with bullet in his heart, to suddenly
terminate career which had furnished
all INFINITE variety of interest for the
sheritfs and vigilantS of several coun-
ties. The rusty stove fell from it's inse-
cure foundation across the surging COM
batants, mixed in inextricable and san
culinary confusion. Outside a horse
broke his hitching strap and galloped
away. The little table broke down be-
meath the weight of thousand pounds
of shooting, stabbing, swearing from
tiersmen. The latest bandit rolled
toward the door, and catching glimpse
OF the brown prairies outside, which
looked good to him, suddenly reached
the conclusion that he did not really
need any stage company horses in his
business and bOlted
By this time the affair had ceased to
have for the other four horse fanciers
that enticing interest which had drawn
them into it. AS he afterwards express
ed 1t, the young man in charge of tie
stage station had gone wild" Cover
ed with wounds and freckled with bullet
holes he had lost every thought and
instinct except the lust of death and
victory. AS they fought he struck the
sixth man in the throat with the bowie,
and the man fell across the little pile of
Ui"AlhooN. L lAC eEICC W IO Wc1t llOW OIl
their feet retreated through the door
and toward their horses, their host
staggering after them with the CLEAN
OF battle still in his blue eye That
morning his associate in the company's
service had gone hunting, to return on
the run barely in time to witness the
close of the tragedy Doc Mills, the
associate, had lost a golden opportunity.
While he was out shooting quail, Fame
had knocked at the dug-out door, hand
ed a laurel to James Butler Hickok,
and passed on. Hickok wrested the
gun from Mills hand, and killed an
other OF his fleeing foes before they
were fifty yards away. One, badly
wounded, sped down the creek, found
his way to Mahattan, and died within
two days. The ninth, more fortunate,
mounted horse, and followed the fat
deserter across the prairie.
When the stage from the East came
rumbling in, half an hour later, they
found this hero of the most savage and
the most remarkable conflict in the
border annals insensible and at the
point of death. The floor of his dug-out
looked like the deck of a vikings war
ship after glorious triumph. Six
months elapsed before he recovered.
He had beaten ten men in fair fight,
killing eight of them, but he had won
the fight, saved his employers property,
and henceforth he was "Wild Bill for
all time.-E. C. Little in Everybody's
Magazine.