The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-12-12

seen him before, and yet everybody
would have then sworn to his courage,
so bold yet tranquil was his bearing
''Who are youP' inquired the duellist,
recovering his presence of mind.
"a stranger from Texas
.sBut who will vouch for your respect
ability"
81 can give YOU vouchers sufficient, !"
replied the stranger, frowning till his
brows looked frightful and then stoop-
ing forwards, he whispered something in
Johnson's ear, audible alone to him.
II am satisfied" said the duellist
aloud, and trembling perceptibly. "Col
Morton, will you serve as my friend?"
The individual last addressed gave his
assent
"Now, let us adjourn. to some private
room to arrange the preliminares, ;" re-
marked the stranger; and the principals
and seconds left the crowd, then increas-
ing every minute, and excited nearly to
madness by the Understanding events of
the hour.
The meeting took place the following
night, in a dark room, with the door
locked, and the two seconds on the out
side. The principals were placed iE op-
posite corners of the apartment, which
was twenty feet square, and each was
armed with q large bowie knife---no
more, 1t was midnigpt-a night without
moon or stars. BlacE, pitchy clouds en-
veloped the sky, and slight sitting mist
rendered the shadows: Of the earth more
intense. Hence, the room where the
duel was about to begin was wrapped in
rayless darkness. The combatants could
not even see the blades of their own
knives.
At first, they both stopped, and stealth
lily united and took off their shoes, so as
to make the least possible noise in walk
ing over the floor. The same thought
had stuck them at the same time--to
manmuvre for the vantage-ground.
Thomas moved in circle, softly as "a
cat, around the apartment, till he got
within few feet of the corner where his
enemy had first been placed, and then
paused to listen. For four or five Sc
conds, he could hear nothing in the
grave-like silence but the quick beats of
his own busy heart. Presently, how
ever, there crept into his ear a scarcely
audible sound, as of suppressed breath
ing, IN the corner Of the room which he
had previously left; and then he knew
that his foe was trying the same strata
gem. The ruse was repeated thrice,
with like result. AT length Thomas
concluded to stand perfectly still and
await Johnson's approach. Motionless
now himself, and all ear, soon he could
distinguish a soft rustling noise, like the
dropping of flakes of WOOL circling
around the floor, and gradually advanc-
lug towards him.
AT last, when the sound appeared
within about three feet of the lawyers
position, he suddenly made a bounding
plunge with his knife, aimed in the dark
air, where he supposed the bosom of his
foe to be. His blade struck against that
of the other, and a few sparks of fire
rolled at the fierce collision, and fell ex-
piring on the floor.
And then, for an instant, the seconds
without the door, heard a sharp ringing
of steel, groan, a fall, and all again
was silent as the tomb! The duel at
midnight had ended; but how? They
were appalled, at the horrible question.
Waiting some minutes and hearing moth
ing more, Col. Morton and the stranger
prepared light, unlocked the door, and
entered. The spectacle was most affect
ing. There lay the bloody corpse Of the
duellist, Johnson, mangled dreadfully,
and above it stood the erect and imposing
form of the lawyer, Thomas-unhurt,
not a cut on his skin or a rent in his
clothing, but weeping as if his heart
were broken.
He started back as the flashing light
dazzled his eyes, and growing pale as
the dead at his feet, exclaimed, in ac-
cents of unreasonable anguish-'Oh,
God! how shall endure to meet my dear
Emma, with this murderous gore on my
hands! Such stains would defile the very
gates of heaven, and blackcn the floor
of hell itself"
He did, however, afterwards meet
Emma, and her babe: but we shall not
attempt to paint the scene. A week sub
sequently, he was shot to pieces in his
own Office, whilst employed in writing
after night. The assassin was not known,
but supposed to be younger brother of
the duellist, johnson.
The stranger who acted in the combat
as the second of Thomas, was indeed
as he said, from Texas, and then travel
ling through Mississippi, and was the
bravest man, perhaps, that ever drew the
breath of life-James Bowie, who fell
only with the fall of the Alamo, when
his red knife was drunk with the blood
of Mexicans.
Reader.--But the mo:al2 You prom
ised us a moral.
W,rter.-The same moral which lies
at the bottom Of all true stories, if they
be read rightly. give you this, and
can give no more-that;the circumstan-
ces which make men, make also their
actions, as the history of many New
Highlander besides poor Thomas, in the
South, can attest. Therefore, never