The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 



.at cards, lightened him of eight hundred dollars 

 all he possessed. On telling his wife, this lady 

 sought out Soapy Smith, crying bitterly, and 

 saying that they were stranded without a cent. 

 Soapy comforted the poor woman, then handed 

 her a five-hundred- dollar bill, a good one, too, 

 at that, with this remark : " Here's five hundred 

 dollars for you, ma'am. Take care of that man 

 of yours, for he ain't fit to be about by hisself ! " 



A carpenter had bought a small block of land 

 and had built himself a shack, thinking to earn 

 a few dollars, as he owned two horses. He gave 

 out that he was prepared to pack goods and 

 freight with them up to, or over, the White Horse 

 Pass. Soapy Smith, hearing this, gave him a job 

 to pack a lot of useless things to the Pass. The 

 man started from Skagway, and was barely out 

 of the town on his journey when Soapy sold the 

 poor fellow's block of land and house to the 

 highest bidder, for cash. 



The gang consisted of Soapy, several lieu- 

 tenants, and about thirty more scum of the earth. 

 They had been running Skagway for months, 

 every one being more or less scared of them. 

 At last things became so bad that a Vigilance 

 Committee was formed from the law-abiding 

 citizens, headed by a man who had just 

 arrived, and who was the new sheriff. All 

 were determined to clear up these rascals. 

 Soapy got to hear of the decision, and, collecting 



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