Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

tie! Ne 6. believed eee Bloodgood had come with his Tunaway daughter. All was silent about the island, when the eay- _alcade came to a halt on the lake shore, but a eolumn of smoke curling from the cabin chim- ~~ evidenced the presence of life within the pavers the place?’ asked old Jim, turning to iy Pp. ?” as old Jim, i 4be land-agent, who was examining his re- volvers, “Yes. Are you all ready?” ** All ready!” was the response. dake. ing in the water Charles Seton beheld the priest, Sivodgood and his daughter s'ip from the cabin, hurry to the opposite side of the island, and clamber into a boat. In an instant he divined their intention. They were making for the marsh! CHAPTER VIII. A MYSTERIOUS RELIMF—THE PRIZE FIGHT. . “Tue first man who offers to lay a hand on ne Pll shoot through the heart!” Clearly the words rung out on the crisp even- g air, and every man knew that Wildcat Bob meant what he said. Two cocked revolvers were leveled at the soldiery, and there was not @ tremor in the hands that held them Fire of desperate determination flashed from tas eye of Sho pugilist—flre that made Lieutenant Perton Zear for his personal safety. ** Put down those weapons,” he said, his face red with passion. “When I put them down,” replied Wildcat, coolly, ‘‘there will be several dead soldiers around here, unless you take the last chance I give you to get out of pistol range. I do not wish to kill you, sir officer; I do not wish to kill any one unless driven to it. My name is Robert “f. Bancroft, You are in search of Robert Beecher. Go find him, and leave me peaceably alone. If you do mot, I shall not hold myself responsible for what occurs. Now, sir, I have said my say. I'll shoot, as I said before, the man who offers to lay a hand on me!” ‘You forget,” argued Lieutenant Perton. with as much calmness as he could command, “you forget, that in the name of the law of the nited tes of America, we can call upon those men in your rear to asaist in your capture. What could you hope to do against all of us? Why, nothing, absolutely nothing, sir, You had’ better surrender without trouble, as we Shall take you, anyhow!” Wildcat Bob laughed, outright. ** Don’t count peg chickens before they're hatched,” he replied, sarcastically. “I rather ‘hink some of fellows will stick by me. Eh! boys?’ ** Yes, hurra!” shouted the motley crowd, who were anxiousiy awaiting developments. ** Three cheers fer ther Boss Bruiser!” And they were clamorously rendered by a See wentor on be esit —_ within. * You see?” n triumphantly, Vinee ae no show,” ” 2 . settles it!” cried the lieutenant, fierce- ly. ‘I will take you, Robert Beecher, even I have to w through blood to get ‘ ‘ Comrades, charge! take yon murderer ali ve, pag spare the lives of those ued who offer you : ng shout from the pkg Bac mam m their horses they drew their eabors made a rush toward the saloon, Once! twice! thrice! the hunted pugilist fired, rien Ch eed oa for every shot some ur weapons away from him, and p his 6wo baniie $0 hie he gave vent to a wild scream like of an nized wildcat—a scream that echoed and re- ora cay en ta not exactly knowing what to make of it. Then there came back on the night breeze a series of loud screams similar to uttered by tho bruiser, and the next instant a band of fifty masked horsemen, armed with polished carbines and dressed in the garb of Spanish mountain men, Came pouring eaully over the hili-top into 3 Wildcat Bob, who returned the salutation, after band rode leisurely up over tho © and was seen no more, racer re ag a But none of those who had witnessed the scene felt called upon to ask for an ex- just taen. The next moment the horses piunged into the While they were swimming and flounder- | ; As for Wildcat Bob, he was quite composed, Wildcat Bob, tne Boss Bruiser. 9 and I am sick of life. I came ont here from and not at all excited over the affair, and as | Illinois. to mg gzoid, and left ny wife and her soon as the mystericus band was gone, he tarn- ed to the colonel. ** Well, sir, what is your opinion of the case? sr brave soldiers rather got the worst of it, ent | ‘Exactly! exactly! my son, exactly! It wer’ an admirable eend for a able one. pieces!” “You did? Humph! I reckon no one ever fools wi’ a wihicat without getting clawed, more or oe Ha ‘*“ Wal, p’rhaps thet is so. S'pose ye know who them fellars war thet com. ter your screech?” ‘* Yes, [know who they are,” was the brief reply. Then the young prize-fighter went into the saloon. 7 In the course of a half-hour Mr. Chucky White put in an ap ce, with a dirty handkerchief tied across his discolored brow. Wildcat Bob was standing by a table in the rear of the saloon, watching a game of faro, when the Champion of California came striding up. Mi Well?” he interrogated, for he saw that Mr. White had something to communicate; ‘‘ what is your opinion of rats, now, sir?’ “See here,” whispered the vanquished cham- joa, pulling him aside and taking his hand; be- sont you and me, young man, if you’d have no objections, I’d like to have you tell me what that was you hit me with!” ** What would you suppose?’ ““T hain’t tho jeast idear, sir. It war sum- thin’ awful, I'll warrant. Why, sir, I've been kicked by the hind feet of the biggest he-mule in California, and trod on by one o’ Dan Rice's heaviest elephants, but them warn’t a sarcum- stance tew.ther shock ye just give my upver system. Don’t use steel knuckles nor cobble- | stones ag’in I beg o’ ye.” ) ** Certainly not, Bruiser displayed as handsome a peir of fists as & man over boasted of. ‘* These answer my pur- pose in all pugilistic contests.” Mr. White examined them minutely, and | heaved a sigh. He doubtless felt very dubious of standing up before them in the coming set-to. He was too wiso to say so, however, and soon went off to pre himseif for the battle. © fight was not to come off until about nine o'clock in the evenine, and so the boss had plenty of time to pass away in the meanwhile. After watching the faro-bank for some time, he laid a gold eagle on the table, and in return was given ten round ivory checks, These he ‘Roposited on the queen of hearts. Hitherto kings had been siveeping the board, but by a strange chance, the queen won this time, and twenty ivories were in the bruiser’s hands. Fif- teen of these he place on the queen of diamonds, and—lost. Nothing loth, he pa his remaining five on the same card, and was fortunate enough to win. Ten, he had now, and these he clapped down on the king of hearts. He won. Still he was not satisfied, but placed the whole twanty onthe king again. An in he won, and forty checks were his. For these he took four tens, and placed all four on queen of hearts, which, strange to say, won. Eight tens were now placed by him on the same lucky card. eens won! reat was the excitement about the table, as with a triumphant smile he laid down his ivories, and called for eight twenties. “You'd better ae wi’ a hundred and sixty the dollars,” wied banker, as he reluctantly dealt out the requisite checks, fer yer luck may change this next time acomin’.” “ Yes, and again it may not,” was the cool re- tort. “If I lose [’'m able to stand it; if you lose all the better.” . The gambler uttered a curse; then the game went on. v This time Wildcat Bob hesitated a few mo- ments before “ p ing,” for he was not quite sure where to make a stroke. But at how- ever, he slapped his whale pile on the of diamonds, and yells of astonishment and incre- dulity filied the room, as it was discovered that he had won again! and three hundred and twenty dollars worth of checks was his. wi bank’s broke!” ates the gambler, on | out the amount in bills due the lucky pugili ** There, take yer cash and git.” “You bet!” replied Wildcat, with a satisfied nod, and gathering up the bills he sauntered off. he came across a miner, seated in an obscure corner, who was looking very sad and dejected. His face wore a haggard expression, and there were traces on it that told he been ® looked up ao piteously as the young prize- fighter came up, that the latter could not Pp by bers pausing to inquire the oause of his ency. “You look rather down in the moth!” be snid, in his joviel, good-natured way, as he came toahalt. “Somethie: tore wrong, eh?” “Yea, young ian, evxything has gone wrong, , Sir—an admir- I expected to see ye hacked inter All the weapon I used to- | day, or ever usc, are these,” and the Boss | of em are dead and my wife is sick abed.” |. “Ob! well, you must cheer up. She will per- oe be well again when you hear from her, you now.’ “Oh! no!” groaned the man, wringing his | bands in agony; ‘she will never recover, my | Alice, my sweet little wife. Why, oh! why wad | Lever so rash as to leave her? It is not of dis | ease that she is dyi sir; oh! nol It is of | starvation! just think of it, sir—starvation, and | I have not a nickel to send her, not a cent te carry me back to her. Were I there I could work and get money. I could keep her from starving. To-day when I received the letter I | had a hundred dollars’ worth of gold. Hoping to | double, and thereby earn enough to take me a | quick ge home and having something left over, i invested every cent I had in faro-checks, and /-o-s-t—” Here the man Pina broke down, and wept as if his heart would break. Wildcat Bob ab him searchingly, for he knew not but what | grief was - He had seen men up in D | ver who told the same sort of a story and mahi- | fested the most violent grief, just todraw money | which they would subsequently spend for whix | ky at the bar. *“What is your name?’ he asked, half afraid | to interrupt the passionate outbreak of soba, ** My name is Philip Lincoln. sir.” os Where do you reside when at home?’ “In an inland town named R ” “Yes. Now, would you mind showing meth | letter that has caused you all this distress?” ) ‘Certainly not. Here it is,” and Philip Lin- | coln handed the missive out without any hesita- |} tion, Wildcat Bob then took it to a light in | another part of the barroom, and scanned | contents eagerly. It had evidently been written | by the wife, and was so pitiful and yet so loving | that there were tears in the pugilist’s eyes whan he finished the perusal. Returning to the weeping busbend, he said: “{ am very sorry for you, and aim satisfied that you are deserving of charity. Bam not » rich man myself, but still Iam always ready w help my fellow-men as far asIam able. ¥ come with me and take some liquar. It wif. help and cheer you.” “Thank you, young man, but I have never tasted whisky, and I do not wish to contract the habit of drinking at this time in my life. Thank you all the same, but you must exctise me.” ** Of course I'll excuse you, old boy,” and the athlete thrust out his hand warmiy. “ Had you accepted my invitation to drink, you would have lowered yourself in my estimation. I do not touch liquor myself, sir, and would to God that all men were like you and me in this respect. This would be a happy and pr us worl | then. Here, my friend, are three hundred am/ twenty dollars, all but ten of which I just wor at the faro-bank where you lost. Take ft and leave the mines at once for your home, for this is no place for a man like you. Go to your suf- fering wife, and may God aid and prosper ou! So saying, the pugilist laid the money he had won before Pull Linecke and was about to turn away, when the back, and covered his : " — bless you!” ~ ays eae fervently. ** But I cannot think of taking from an utter stranger. You are orem” ourealt.”” **No, no! my friend, Iam not. \ money there’s dozens of | babesail alone. To-dayI got a letter that both i i | | en I wan~ ways to get it; besides I have several thousand stowed away wi a safe place for arainy day—savings that, had I bees a drinking cg teh have went for whisky. One hundred do of this here money belongs rightfully to you; ten of it I make you a present of, that Ke ee I invested at the table; the other two hundred and ten you can consider a donation from the crowd.” “*Oh! thank you, sir, thank you. You have. placed me above want i hee me your return to my suffering wife. name, young man, so that I my wife can both write you our thanks.” “My name is Robert or, Iam better known as Wildcat Bob. Do back to ma not to ress your thanks, but to tell me how you get along. Then after a hand-shake the two men parted. phased for ie poise AN te cantatas Cae ae ‘or come off, mammoth saloon was crammed full to overflow- ae So ae Oe leaving to Colonel Tupper’s office back in behind the bar. As he went in he tet the colonel com- the inner apartrnant. yanding | from behind the bar, and took their | Ting that had been formed. = | Goth were naked to the belt, and wa | im splendid trim, Both were of , ‘€omicboo!l