WHEN BILL CAME DOWN.

Bush Advocate, Volume VII, Issue 650, 16 July 1892, Page 6

WHEN BILL CAME DOWN.

A blazing hot day in lSfi— , and a " regular roaster" ou the Frazer River, wherever the suu struck fair between the grim walls of tho marvelloua Canyon. The narrow strip of snowwhite sand, marking tho shorewnrd limit of " Sally's Bii-," Bhouo like a band of burnished metal, and where it spread far out beneath the shallow, tumbliug current, there gloamcd a million golden lights, as though the entire bed of the river was formed of that yellow talisman which drew men over hundreds of miles of perilous wilds into the heart of British Columbia. The lirst wild rush was long over. The pioneers of placer raining had years before scrambled through the ranges and up the river in a desperate race. Toiling, drinking, cursing, fighting, and murdering they came ; some toiled back again with fortunes; some, shattered in mind and body, crawled home emptyhanded. Years after there ruffians canio others, like gleaners ou a golden stubblo, seeking for what had been passed over. Among these was the redoubtable "Lucky Sally," who' had piloted his partners — Old Lant, "Sloppy," aud Dave— to their present camp, the only one for miles. Ho had, with hia ueuai luck, discovered tho bar; it proved rich, and was promptly named after him by his admiring associates. Lucky Sally, or Sally, as he was commonly called, was a Chinese puzzle to all men. Unmistakably a gentleman by birth, yet really one of tho hardest men on the rivor. A I nil, graceful, golden-haired, blonde, monstached devil ; phenomenally lucky in everything he undertook — love, cards, or prospecting, Evor since tte days when he, a wee towheaded cherub, stole into the diuiugroom to drain the wineglasses after dinner, he seemod to havo been cnrsed.with au appetite for liquor, and evor since ho ran away, as a twelve-year-old, from home, he had followed his own sweet will and evil passions. His associates found him honest as tho day, sttangely self-reliant, and game to tho last gasp, and asked no more. His one grand redeeming feature was his love for his brother, known far aud wide through tho camps as Black Bill. Like Sally, Bill had fled his home, and suddenly turned up on the river. He, too, was a handsonio man, and every whit as bad, savo that he rarely drank to excess. Between these atraugely-imi'cd brothers Bprang up one of those enduring lovis that wauld havo been holy had they beeu better men. A rough note, stuck in a forked stick near the camp, had been found on the morning oat' story opens, left by somo silent moecasined Siwaßh following tho Cariboo trail by night. It read;" Will bo down on tho 10th, your birthday, old bay. — Bill." ****** It was a holiday in the littla camp, partly owing to the heat, partly because the proprietors were entertaining company. A notsd "bad man," rejoicing in the name of Bloody Pete, had halted ou his way up to a newly started ranch to swap nows and have a bit of a game to rest himself. Ho was a groat, hulking, swaggering brute, who had dropped his man ou more thnu one occasion. Half the men who knew him disliked htm conscientiously and woll, and tho other hull secretly, or openly, feared him ; but ttioro was no such thing as fear at Sally's Bar, aud tho unwritten law commanded hospitality to all men, hence ho was cordially welcomed and entertained, according to custom, with whiskey and carde. As usual Sally was ahoad of tho game, and Old Lint grew quite cheerful as ho saw Peto's goodly pile gradually malsiiig its way across tho board to the nonchalant wizard, who seemingly controlled fate. "Ef I didn't know yer fur equar, ye wummin-faced wulf, I'd be sartiu jer'd crost me," ho added. " Air yer broke., pardncr? Help yerself, jeat er loan, till yer happen erlong agin," remarked Old Lant, Bhoviug a handful of Sally's winnings towards tho guest, while the rest chorussed, " Right fur you, 010 man." Peto took tho offering in a shame-faced sort of way, muttering, " 'Bliged, pards, much "bligeil," and then a mingling of conversation and drinks followed, until voices became louder, and roughor jokes told that "whiskey wnsdoiug its work. None of them wero drunk, but they had rcachod that inflammable Btago when a word might mean trouble. Sally's mind evidontly was full of Bill and tho note he had received, aud for vjorhap3 tho twentieth time ho introduced a series of remarks with, " When Bill comes down we'll," eic. Suddenly Pete interrupted him Heroely. " Fer God's sake choke that clobber 'bout Bill; yer'd think a pack-train frum Farrydioe wuzcomin' down thur trail the way yer goin 1 on, instead uv a suoakin' black-uu-tan dogy that'll " The seutonce was never iinished. The insulting tone in which it was voiced roused Sally like lightning, and, forgotful of weapon and all the doapemte chances, he leaped to his feet and flashed his rinjit fist against tho bully's jaw with a force that lifted Pete a foot in air. Tbo others sat stupefied for an instant, for this meant death to ono or both. Peto was on his feet again, and had his gun bvelled almost buforo Sally had regained his balance. Tho curly head nover flinched ; the blue eyes blitzed a terrible wrath full into the cruel barrels, whilo through tho sot tooth was hissed, ** Shoot, aud bo d d!" Tho next instant ho went down with it onißh ou tho yielding table, baaring all to tho floor, where braiuß nnd carJs and gold mingled hideously beneath tho smoking tanglo of curls. Old Lant gave a yell of fury and grasped a rude bench with tho pious intention of splitting tho murderer's skull, but tho weapon was long and the roof low, and (ho blow never fell. One Btrong leap placed Pete oatsido, half -a-dozen hurried strides carriod him to his waiting pony, nnd, leaping upon his back, ho rode like tho wind up the trail, o rinding hh teeth in a perfect fmy. Ijint thruot tho others aside aud snatched his Wiuchester from the

I wall, drove the muzzle through the solitary \ pane of glass that did duty as a window, and fired a hurried snapshot, then dashing out he liuelt in the snnd nud covered the flying horse' num. The iiony vanished bohiud a hugo rock as a puff of white dust told that the aim was true, but the leaden servant of fate arrived a fraction bolriud time. Sally was dead and Pete wan safe. I'hree pairs of oye3 gleamed the same wish — a horse at chat moment would have brought a heavy price ! .-** — - »• -i * f cv A miio and a half up the Cariboo trail, whore the dizzy pathway — half road, half bridge — clung to the face of a tremendous c!ift', at a sickening olevatiou above the tumult of the Frazer, a rider halted his pony. For minute after minute he gazed thoughtfully upon tho glorious reach of tho Canyon, his eyes roving from the wbito wrath of the waters away below to tho magnificent rock-wall opposite, and thonco up, and up, an<l up, to silent battlements towering far above his head and sharply defined agiinst the cloudless Bky. One of the grandestpicturos in the world, ]' perhaps Xalure'smostperfect effort, was spread before him, and hia very soul stirred in resconse to the mystic power of the scene. At last he turned to go, and as he moved the sound of a horse's feet caught his ear, and he found himself face to face with a burly ruffian and a panting pony. " Hello, Pete." " Hello, Bill," " You've bin crowdin' hitn, I see r" " Naw, the blank fool bolted| thot's all." " Hid you stop at Sally's P" " Yes, thuv all thar waitin' fur yer. So long." Kill turned nnd looked after him curiously, muttering, "That brute has been up to some deviltry ; woDder whore he's bound for i" Then moved by a sudden impulse ho shouted, "Are they all well? Is Sally well?" The answer came back, " Reckon thur woll ernuff ; Sally's larut sense at last. He's mighty quiet jist now ; yer'd hardly know him fur thur same feller." Bill rode down the trail, turning this strange news over aud over in his mind. "Sally turned quiet . Ye gods ! bow Btrange ! What if he too had got sick of it 'i Queer if I could get him to join in on bis birthday and go home." Here the pony broke into a lox.e and soon, brought him in Bight of the camp. " Why, whatever the davit arc they about?" Three men were standing around a table, upon which appeared to bo a body lying. As he pulled up, Old Lout sprang at him, shouting, "Thar's squarness 'bout God, yer's Bill! Yank loose tl.et kit, tellers— quick, er thur chanco ez gono ! Luka thur, Bfll, Bloody Pete dun the t fur yer. Up yer git again. Now^ ride!" and the old man jerkett the pony's htaa round and pointed up the trail. Dill saw it all in the 6no twift glnice; the black patch of powder oh the white, t>till face, tho frightful bol« in the fi-rehead, and with the sight come the brutal meaning of Pole's statement that Sully wa« quiet now. lie gavu ore; great gasp ! then drove the ron els into t!ic nba of the terrified pony and thundered lj:iek ovtr the path he hau ju\t covered, with n fare as whito an the do.iv niiin'p, but bKiring a look which mercifully a buiniin countenance seldom we.-ire. Lant and the other watched him as far as they could, and the old man gavo a joyful ehout ns lie marked him Bteady the puny at the first rough bit. * * XiOOka thai-, fellers, he knows what he*s 'bout! Thnt narve nairy quit yet. Thar'll be a 6<iuarin' of this day's job up youusr, tho' we can t git thar. Now, let'e finish tidyin' up Sally 'forehe cums back." Sadly and silently they busied themselves about the corpse in their own rough way till they could do no more, and then, without a word, sat dovpn to wait. Bill reached the place where he had halted and met Pete. The pony was blowing hard and he checked him to recover hia wind, for he expected to ride at least a mile further. Fa'o ruled the act, for that moment his restlc&s ejes, following oagerly tho trail ahead, caught one glimpse of a thread of scarlet, sinking down among the duller rocku, und lie knew hifl enemy was ambushing him, not more than eishly yards in advance. Ptle was too old a hand to be caught off his guard. Some men would have dashed gallantly on, nnd been shot for their folly; otlieia would have ambushed in their turn and lain patiently till night deepened tho shadows and offered a chance to crawl, inch by inch, unseen aud unheard, face to face. For a moment Bill thought of this, then a more daring plan opened. He remembered passing that rock and noticing a great funnel-shaped cleft on its farther side ; he knew- that the glint of red he had seen was part of Pete's shirt, and tint the slayer of his urolhor was crouched iv that rockeleft, writing, with weapon ready, till thu clatter of a pony*6 feet told of the avengei''a approach. He guessed tbaltPeto had aluady seen, or heard, him, and would understand his halting to rest tho pony, aud wa3 waiting to ''got the drop." His cool nervorapidly decided upon tho thing to do. Placing his knife between his teeth aud gripping hie guti firmly, he led tho pony a low yards, then gavo it a kick that sent it leaping forward, while he ran like a buck close behind. As the pony passed the rock a figure vose, and that iustunt Bill fired, then threw himself headlong through the smoke of the answering shot and gripped liia man, -while his strong hand drove the hilt once, twice, thrice, into the writhing form below. Then he staggered out upon the trail, dragging hia quivering victim bodily after. * -i * t »■ The threesatwaitingtill the shadows thickeqnd to a purple haze, and the .sun slid down from the peaks. Suddenly old Lint exclaimed, "Hiat! I hear thur pony. Looka, yoimer be comes. Boyi, thar's been hell to pay sumwhnrs." They looked at Bill as he halted, aud Laut asked but one word — "Fit?" A nod was the Bole reply, then they sprang to catch him as he fell heavily Irom the saddle. — JjoiiiiiiioH Monthly.