The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-07-05

II ten men on bay horses gal
loped across the dry bed OF
Rock Greek. sklrted n little
ciump OF cottonwoods and drew rein
before the bars of the Overland Stage
Company's horse corral on the Cali.
rornla trail few miles north of Man
hattan. 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 n
Few yards away with a gun i'm 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
bar, and made some comments on
their parentage.
A few hours before they had gone
by his quarters jerking an old preach
Ell at the end of a lariat. AS they
passed they announced that they
would come back for the stage horses
In the corral at 3 o'clock In the after
noon. The young man with the gun
had replied that he would lie there
when they came back. He was paid
TO feed. harness and protect the com
pany's property. and intended to earn
his money. The ten visiting gentle
men tied their horses to the corral,
and turned to the more cheerful duty
OF eXterminating the imprudcnt and
Forward young watchman. He re-
tired into his dug-out domicllc barred
the door. and stood waiting with a
m h. 4 a
the habit OF not shooting until the oc-
casion really deranle1 1t. The high
wayncn hunted up log from among
the cottonwcods, and with prasewor-
thy industry proceeded to batter down
the door,
jim McKandlas, with revolver, a
bowie knifc. whoop and n yell leaped
across the threshold and into eternity.
AS the others rushed through the door
the man inside fred three chots, with
that accuracy of aim for which he
was so much admired In the years
that were to come. The six somewhat
startled horse thieves who remained
alive swarmed across the dug-out floor
AID piled upon the young station
keeper with revolvers and bowie
knives. One beat him over the head
with a gun and Bill McKandlas struck
with bowie knife, only 20 bury IL In
the table, and with n bullet I'm his
heart, to suddenly terminate n career
which had furnished an infinite va
riety Of interest for the sheriffs and
vlgilants of several counties The
tu CD f.Il 90 ipu
dation across the surging combatants
mixed In inextricable and sanguinary
confusion. Outside n horse broke Ills
hitching strap and galloped away.
The little table broke down beneath
the weight of thousand pounds OF
shooting. stabbing. swearing frontiers
men. The fattest bandit rolled to-
ward the door, and catching a glimpse
of the brown pralrles 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
ito have for the other four horse fan
clers that enticing interest which had
drawn them into II. AS he afterward
expressed it, the young man In charge
of the stage station had gone wild"
covered with wounds and freckled
with bullet holes he had lost evc"y
thought and instinct except the lust
of death and victory AS they fought
he struck the sixth man I'm the throat
with the bowie and the man fell across
the little pile of blankets. The three
who were now on 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 asso-
ciate 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, handed
a laurel to James Butler Hickok, and
passed on. Hickok wrestcd the gun
from Millss hand, and killed another
of his fleeing foes before they were
fifty yards away. One, badly wound
ed, sped down the little creek. found
his way to Manhattan. and died with
in two days. The ninth, more fortu-
nate, 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
border annals insensible and at the
point of death. The floor of his dug
out looked like the deck of vikings
warship after n glorious triumph. Six
months elapsed before he recovered. He
had beaten ten men In fair fight,
killing eight of them but he had won
his fight, saved his employers proper
ty. and henceforth he was "Wild BIZ
for all time.-E. c. Little. in Every
body's Magazine.
Child's Battle For Life.
Five times eleven-year- old Mary
Sunberry, of Shamokin, Penn,