Year: 1879

by the stage.


While he was informing me Of this,
noticed that we began to attract
considerable attention and occasion
some whispering among the passen'
gers, which Lucky Bill noticed witt
deal Of uncusiness This continued
for some time, until began to sus-
pect the reason of it, and thought oi
making myself less familiar with
Chariey and his thimble-rigging com,
panion, when little wiry looking,
middle-aged man, who had been In
tently eyeil lg Bill for some time, rose
partly UP and asked him if he did
not 60 by the name of Lucky Bill.
/ Bill looked at the stranger mo-
nlent. and then, in civil tone, asked
why he inquired.


For nothing in PARTICULAR re-
Epliedths stranger, taking his scat
''if you are not he, beg your par.
don-lf you are why"


"Why what?' interrupted Bill.
"Why, 1 might have something
more to say to you,' continued the
stranger.


"Well, suppose that was to say
| that | an Lucky Bill-Nhat then %


Then would tell you," exclaim-
ed the stranger, looking savage,
'that you are a-thief; that you as
good as stole fifteen handred dollars
from brother of mine two days ago,
and if you didn't refund every dollar
of it to me, I'd cut your rascally
heart out of you right in the stage -
and with these words he drew Il long
butcner-knife from his belt. and lean
ed over a seat towards Bill for an
| answer.


Then my reply would be, that two
can cut out hearts at the same" time
and as quick as thought Bill had
drawn large navy pistol. which he
was just in the act Of cooking as ]
caught his arm.


! The passengers then interfered, but
the stranger was not 10 be pacifed,
and continued to swing his knife
around, to the danger of every one
Lear him, and to make every attempt
to get within reach of Bill, who still
held the pistol, uncocled, in his
hand. Finding it would be impossi,
bic tokeep them apart, it was pro-
posed by some of the passengers thai
they should get out OF the stage and
fight Ii out. The stage was accord
ingly stopped, and all the passengers
alightnd, which was no sooner done
than the stranger made dash at Bill
without further ceremony. Some one
stepped in front of him before he got
within reach of his victim, but could
not prevent him from throwing the
knife, and with such precision that
the point Of it passed along Bills
right side, inficting a severe wound.
Bill then cooked his pistol and fired,
| just as the other had drawn n revolver
from his belt. The stranger fell,
with a bah in his right shoulder. He
/ was taken into the esaSc, followed
( by Bill, who was not injured so much
as to prevent him from walking, and
after a careful drive of three miles.
both the wounded man and Charley
were left at hotel some fifteen OF
twenty miles below Placerville.


In three weeks after, saw Bill
''mpe in" a teamster for two yoke
Of cattle, on the corner of j. and
Fourth Street, Sacramento City, and
then sell the loser one yoke for sixty
dollars, which was all the money he
had, and loan him the pair to get his
wagon into the mountains.


| Bill had heart, and kind one,
too, if it was touched in the right
place; and it was no uncommon oc-
cuErencc for him to contribute fifty
ur hundred dollars towards raising
fund for the relief of destitute
family, or TO enable some unfortunate
individual to return to the Atlantic
States and scarcely q day passed
that he did not refund to some one
money which he had won from him,
upon ascertaining that it left the loser
destitute. In one instance know OF
his winning three hundred dollars
from an old man, on his way home.
After he had lost it, he turned away
with such look of misery that Bill
called him back and asked him which
way he was travelling, and if he was
out of funds. The old man thought
he was being ridiculed, but answered
that he had no money left; that he
had been six months in laying up the
three hundred dollars which he had
just foolishly lost, and with which he
expected to have paid his passage
home, but that he supposed that moth
ing was left him now but to return to
the mines. Bill inquired why he was sc
anxious to return to his family, and
with scarcely money enough to pay
his passage. The other answered
that short time before he had learn.
ed that his wife was dead, and that
three of his children were without q
home. Bill did not ask another ques-
ton. but handed the three hundred
dollars back to the old maa which he
had won from him, and two hundred
dollars besides, saying, as he did so
''EIere, old man, take back your
money, and here is trifie besides,
which may come handy when you
get home l don't play to win money
from such as you. Take it, and never
again bet at any game, however
stong the temptation may be; for the
game that / play is about as honest
as any other, and the devil couldn't
win at it if he wasn't a 'capper. u
The old man took the money, and
went away wiser if not a better
man.


| In the fall of 1852 Bill returned to
the Atlantic States, taking with him
an, immense sum of money, although,
it Is said, he lost $50, 900 at ''faro''
before leaving the State. The next
we heard of him was at st. Joseph,
Mo-, in the spring of 1853. lie had
run through all he possessed, again
was hiding the 'tlittle JOKER" and
winning scores of cattle from the emf
Egrants. He crossed the plains tha,
season and settled in Carson Valley,
where he is at present residing.-San