Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-12-16

steps of the platform, and slowly an(
deliberately advanced through tht
hall some forty feet, in the direction
of his foe-all the while that ghastlJ
horrid smile, coiling up his pallid lipF
and his ears moving backwards ant
forwards, with those strange, short
sharp vibrations Which had won fol
him long before the nickname o
II orse Ears.
AS Antholiy y was cor rnmonfy consid
cred a coward, when the spectator;
beheld the .hr-famed and all-dreadel
duellist adyhI Icing upon him with up
lifted blade glanoing aloft in the air
as ready for the fatal blow, ali sup.
posed that THE reputea craven would
flee in terrot from his place. N 0 one
believed thdt he was armed, or that
he would fight under any circumstan-
ces, or with any odds of position OF
weapons. But III this opinion every.
body was mistaken, and no one, per-
haps, more Sd, than his infurl ted adj
versary. Willie that ferocious man
was coming towards him, he stood
calm and hi4tionIess. as a pillar q
marble. His color did not change
one shade. All his limbs were rigid
as iron Ills only evidence OF unu-
sual emotion was a copious elflux Of
tears! At the sight of this We all
shuddered, ,bs then we knew the weep
er would c epnauer or perish. In tile
backwoods, experience has d lemon
Strated two unmistakable tokd rs Of
thorough d k1e,utipn : frozen smiles
and hot gu uFhihg tears; and tear may
always be Regarded as fur the most
dangerous. Such a conclusion was
verified fully in the present Instance;
for as soon as the speaker approached
within ten feet of his weeping e hemy;
the latter su ddenly unsheathed a
bowie-knifA from his bosom, and step
ped boldlY(foFwartl tp the pr5ffered
battlel Ana then com menced a strug-
gle for life hnd death, the most obsti-
nate, bloody a |nd 'protracted e Yer wit
messed in the Southwe est.
Wilson ! knife was long, kfeh, and
SO highly polished that you might
see yourself in the reflection OF its
smooth, bright surfade, as in th E most
perfect lo5ki1g-glas$. The image
being an ektr4 mely small miniature,
so symmed dric;I was the rounding of
the fine glittering steel @ h each
side of thd GA shilg blade was a pic
tura the fac st4nRf Of the other
wrought ID gold enamel, Of tw , Indi-
ans, in their wild, rItive costu ume en-.
gagged in mortal cor pbat With bowie
knives.
The Weapon Of Anthony was Of the
largest SIZE of THE class called !in that
country, 4Ark ansas tooth-piehs," the
most murder3u$ implement Of de-
structior, before which human eye
ever quaiIed. On one side Of this
broad, gleanlill g blaa de was the picture
ola fight Betwlxt a hunter and a black
bear. The bear seemed to be lsqueez-
ing the man to Death in,its il ION hug,
while he WAS fercaly digging at the
shaggy nj mbnster's heart with the point
Of his knife.
Such devices are common on the
arms of the most notorious despera-
does on the frontiers, and are the OBJ
.lects OF as in tense. al pride 10 their
owners, a$ were the insignia Of the
most exhlted chiyalry to the knights
of the hepric ages For all men are
poets; and the idea seeks forever
more to rende r itself incarnate in the
material form Ito speak in knowing
signs to the senses. DestruGtiveness
will haveits images as well as Deyo-
tion.
Wilson made the first pass-a de-
termined' thrhst aimed at the pit OF
his antagonists stomach, which the
other dexterously parried. For a
time both parties fought With admi-
rable coolness and with such consum-
mate skill, that only slight wounds
were inflicted, and those on the head
or face, whence blood began to trick
lie freely And still ominous and
awful vision--wh the contest ragged,
the oppos Bite and Characteristic signs
Of despetatidn remain he'd fixed, seulp-
tured by I'll le hand |of| terrible ven
geance in either co hnt tenance. The
cold smil lie, now conyertd ID into Gend-
ish grin of immeasuralP Pile malice, still
fingered on Wilson's livid lips; and
the tears still flowed, mingling noB