The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-07

Big Jim himself looked astonisbed at the feat He
PAUSED, however, but moment, and again spring.
ing forward, the arms of the two encircled each
others bosoms like hoops Of iron. Again the form
OF Jordan bent willow in the wind. and then
again recovering, broke open the monstrols lock.
a renewed shout rent the air, accompanied by cries
OF Big Jim has met with his match! Huzza for
the man who can break the black bears hug!''
HE Jax Of the arena heard the explanations of
rejoicing, and the sound seemed to madden him the
more. Making clutch with his huge ho1y fin
sefs, ne succeeded iii grasping his opponents
ltoats Dn, at the same insara felt the hand of the
o.llei hAea on ms own windpipe. Hanging on and
lugolng at each others necks like upconGuefab
bulldogs, the two champions reeled from side 10
sue during some minutes, till hoth turning purple
IN The face fell together gasping in the hot dust.
Then relaxing their weary fingers, they Ieganed
their feet and stood for several seconds anart- .
pantllg tof breath, yet still scowling dark and
dIeadful defiance
Let us fight with brave mems Tools cried Big
lim fairly trenzied with rage
=" Any you please was the laconc answer.
linen let us have bowieknives, and let our left
hands be fastened together" said the Desperate,
with the erocious frown Of a iend incarcate.
! am content with your proposition was the
brlef response of Jordan.
AT tins unexpected change in the mode of COM
bat the excitement grew houndIess The other
adiators Suspended their strife, and the beboders
began to MAJ Ike their beis-sUme laying large wa
gers that Big Jim would kill his enemy, others
stalking their money on Jordan, and others again
on death against both.
| cast glance towards the beautiful Emma
only one glance. dared 10: hazard another, she
looked so like statue of despair carved in snow
White aiabaser. Her eyes We're motionless fixed
on the horrible ring, where brother or a lover,
orperhaps both, were about to be hewn in pieces
with murderous knives Her lips Wera livid and
rigid as those of a corpse that had been dead for
days. No sign of life could be distinguished save
a shucdering III tie bosom over the region of the
neart. turned away for relief from an apparltion
50 ghosfllke to the arena, where rapid preparations
were being made for the duel. | saw the seconds
bind the left hands of their principals hard and
fast together with a small hempen cord and place
In the hands of each cleaning bowie knife of the
largest size and with edge keen as the blade of
razor; and then saw-and felt the very mar
row creep with icy GOODNESS in nv bones at the
sight-the mortal foes stand cycling each other with
calm, determined faces, in whose mirror only one
expression could be deected-measureless and un-
ntterable hate, hut no shrinking token of terror.
They We're waiting for the word to begin
Such unnatural modes of duelling are common
on the frontier, among both whites and Indians.
and result chiefly from two causes l. They nut
the weak or nnpractised footing of perfect
equality with the most skilful adopts in the art Of
staying. 2 Reckless men, conscious of total
superiority TO the fear Of death, appear to delight in
demonstrating their bravery by rushing into the
jaws of certain destruction. Such men often die
with smile ofscorntul triumph on their features
die, IN fact, because they wish to die. Having
been long accustomed to the work of slaughter,
they contract insane love for it, for its own sake
alone. IL is difficult to make persons comprehend
the motives prompting to these mutual suicides who
have never lived in such meridians-meridians
where dues with double barrelled shot guns are of
yearly occurrence-where men fight not unfre-
quently in dark rooms at midnight with dagger or
sto-where they clasp hands and walk off
beetlng precpces, or leap together into the depths
OF toaming rivers and hold each others heads
under water till both sink into fathomless gulfs,
which are their graves-in fine, where foes con-
trive for themselves more methods of wildly insane
homicide than ever did infatuated lovers in the
pages of French romance. had become pretty
we'll acquainted with such scenes in Texas and Ar
kansas, and yet could not forbear trembling in
every Joint as | saw those two youths, who ought
to have been, and had very nearly been brothers,
standing there waiting for the word that should ba
the kne OF their fune raj and their summons to the
Judgment bar of the A'mighty-yes, standing in the
broad noon blaze OF the ali-seeing sun,' with
the gaze of thousand eyes set upon their unfeeling
faces, with the sky they mi ht never look on more
so bright above, and the flowers beneath so golden,
and The little birds all singing such merry rounde-
lays they with great knives drawn back
MISUNDERSTANDING to plunge-into eternity
second, in a voice ringing over the Looking glass
Prairie clear as The tones Of bell-meta.
" Ready" they both answered, with thrilling
in the same breath.
And with the word, two fierce thrusts were aim
ed at TWO warm beating hearts-human hearts, too.
reader like yours and mine, only drawer, perhaps;
and two long keen knives pierced two bleeding
sides. The first wounds, however, were not NOR
tal-at least not Immediately sO-for other blows
followed, and steel FLASHED against steel, and the
cOmbaants continued to battle on till their bodies
We're bathed in baptism Of fresh blood and
finally both staggered and fell forwards at the same
first to their knees, and then on their
faces with their cheeks almost touching
Then wild, unearhy, wailing scream issued
from the carriage on the mound. Another, also,
had fallen, and with sharper pain in the heart
han ever ernanated from the point of a bowie
knife. The beautiful Emma had tainted.
The seconds cut asunder the cords from the left
hands of the two antagonists Horace Jordan was
dead, but Big Jim, although trghtfuly manged,
soon revived, and at last recovered. The six brave
bad brothers have since committed half hundred
murders, and robberies beyond reckoning see,
from the late annual message Of the Cherokee exc
cutlve, that the miscreants have at last been ami
fated by the swift sure vengeance OF lyHching
Justice. 80.
:" But has the story any moral! !" intarrcgates
the critic.
Aye-It has a great and useful moral if correctly
expounded. Ii prove THAI the fear OF dea,h -ttat
phantom horror which haunts the doors and d ark
ms the firesmss osclvIliZed if3s after all, not
III unconque rabie instinct, but fictitious adjunct
II education Ii proves that boundIess bravery
oS otctI III hH sUut5, I!teus VIC
,lven condition OF circumstances 10 call it forth.
t proves that the highest gifts bestowed on
nan or angel may be perverted to the vilest uses,
Is the fire on the hearth may be Incorporated to
iindle the destroying conhagration.
BRrrIsH national" DEBT. - The London
Standard of Freedom says that the constant course
# the Government to style the public debt g ma
iona is an exception TO their mode of nomeu-
;lature for everything else of public nature. The
Army and Navy are the Queens. The Church is
State Church. The Courts of Justice are all
egal. Down to the very constable, every officer
S the Queens officer; nay, the peace of the nation
$ the Queens peace. The debt alone has, ever
ince its commencement, in the year 1894 been
eemed solely the Peoples concern The part of
he Government was TO borrow and spend it. 1t
Vas the Peoples part to pay it.
LONG MINDED MAYOR Mr.. Upham, the
ewly elected Mayor of Milwaukee, upon being
pdurtpd Dfo "a. Ial;,