Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-05-04


flnical taste--his fingers flashing with
rings, and his person adorned In the
most gaudy manner His long hair
Of bright golden eolor. waving in
curls around his shoulders, and ,be
sweet snliis Of complacent vanity
beaming on his features, gave him an
aspect almost ludicrously feminine.
Colonel Bill Berlin gazed OH this
apparition with inefIable contempt,
and whispered his romratles---"We
will have ii all our own way. as
Houston has kindly sent us Miss
Nanevis
If the COL had paid mere attention
TO the man, and less to the clothing
he would, perhaps, have been led to
different conclusion; for there wasa
astraiige light In thu vivid blue eyes Of
The stranger--a light that went and
came at irregular intervals, like the
play Of lightning in summer cloud,
while The corners Of his mouth wore
n wild, fesolute, sneerihg expression,
betokening the opposite Of pliancy
and fear.
The grand jury being called and
sworn. The Judge commenced his
charge, and at the sound Of Els voice
everybody started; for the tones were
shrill ms q trumpet---stern. ringing,
imperious, like the accents Of com.
mander ON parade. Having glanced
rapidly over The legal definitions and
penalties of crime, he proceeded to
descant on The responsibility Of juries
to aid in its suppression. His soul
appeared to catth electric fire Mt the
theme-his voice borrowed the rich
roll of thunder--his vived blue eyes
literally ,tlazed with that strange
light--the wild expression grew,ter.
rible on his wriihing lips--and his
words flew like volleys Of burning
arrows. He painted the horrors Of
lawless anarchy I'LL the very heart
siclened he described the beauty Of
regular government as vision of
heaven realised on earth md he fin
ally closed with the bold announce.
pent---'1 will perform my duty. |
will put down Iynchipe wherever
have the honor Of presiding, or will
myself be put in the grave r.
"l'heu, Miss Nancy, take care nf your
eyssl' cred hoafse voi-e. loular and
more tnenaeing than that Of the Judge.
Every heart save one shnidetpd The |
sentence seemed like warning from
eternity--a rev slaiiou, rs ii were. from The |
depths IF hell.
"Who afe yon that thus dsrrs 10 inter
rupt The business of The court 7" exrIaD. |
ed Judge Evans, with the grave majesty
Of king. .as'
"Ny name Is Colmei tIiIl.sT,mIn; In, |
IN ~ persons cal me Death IN tbs Eys4l'"
WAS The answer.
"Bu' IN law yon have another nane."
rcjoined Evans, smiling.
STell M whit IL ia but take good care
Of your eyssl" rstorted Berlin, with un.
speakable tuty.
''It ia murderer 7" sid Evans, and The
smile OH his lips, before pale sunshine,
was now a w'eb'h Of lurid fife.
"You shall pay dearly f,. that VOID
within the week |" fairly shouted The duel
list, grinding bis teeth like raging Wild
beast.
"1'hsre IL no tine like the present."
was the ca IN reply.
"Nnw p in,erro ta'cd Berlin, ~ if
doubling The evidence Of his ears.
"Yes, nSp Il YOU have The courage 10
challenge M" said Evans.
II do challenge yoor thnndered Borlie.
"And accepts" answered Evans.
"Name your seconds"
"We will fgh, without any"
"1'he terms - asked Boflia, with signs
or establishment
"On horse',uck in the little prairie west
ofthe village, one half hour from this, each
armed with as many pistols and knives as
he ran procure, or sees fit 10 carry" said
Evans. apparently pas.iouless as If de-
Tending a motion In court.
Not one but Tie chief actors in this
extraordinary scene uttered q asyllable,
or offered to interfere. for all saw that
such attempts would be unavailipg,
perhaps dangerous to the meddler.
One half hour afterwards the parties
met in the little prairie, which was
circular In form, and about three hun
drod yards in diameter. BY tacit
consent, both actuated by the same
purpose. they assumed their stations
in the edge Of the timber on opposite
sides. Both wore strong belts literal
ly stiff with knives ard pistols. Both
were mounted OH powerful steetls, but
Of opposite colors, that Of the judge
being white as snow cloud, while
the colonels was black and glossy az
the wing Of raven. The features
Of the riders in that race Of death
very different types Of ex-
preston. The colonels brow looked
dark rs the gloom Of a tempest
Stern, lowering, awful but the hand
some face Of the judge was gay, smil-
ing, joyous; brilliant as the sunbeam
that kissed it. The multitude stood
around in the grove, speechless, al
most terrified with the scene about to
open.
Suddenly the colonel waved a
white handkerchief, as the signal that
he was in the act Of starting; and
swift as arrowsfrom the bow, terrible
as balls from the cannon's mouth, the
two horsemen, with pistols cooked
and fingers firm on the trigger, shot
each other. When within
fifty steps Of his enemy the colonel
halted with surprising dexterity, and