Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-01-05

sweet babe. and bore the caslgation in
silence.
After this. clients deserted his Office.
and gentlemen refused to recognize him
or return his salutes in The thoroughfares
of business. or during his morning slrolls
over the hills. Had his touch been con-
tagion, or his breath pestilenee. he could
not have been more carefully summed.
Another week passed. and the degra-
ded lawyer was in a state OF mind bor
dering ON insanity. and yet all the while
he concealed the mental torture from his
affec,ions,e wife. One evening, in a
more than common bitter and gloomy
mood, as he walked through the public
square. he was again accosted by Mike
johnson. with his cooked pistol in one
hand and uplifted eowhide in the other
The assault was the more aggravating,
as the place was thronged with specta-
tors.
Coward and villiani" exclaimed John
son, did l not tell you that l would
cowhide you every week, until whip the
courage of man and gentleman into
your yankee hide 90
"I l am not coward, retorted Thomas
in hollow tone, so unearthly fierce and
wild, that it caused every hearer to start.
At the instant his lips were livid. and
clenched between his teeth till the blood
ran. His eyes were red as mad dogs,
and the muscles of his face quivered; but
his body seemed to have the rigidity of
marble
:. He will fight now." rung in an eager
whisper through the crowd, as they saw
! ri fhat 10 -
the tiend which Turks a. different depths.
In all human nature.
eff you are not coward. why will
you not fght?" asked the duelist, some
what struck. in spite of his thorough des-
peration, hardened in the hot gore of
| dozen murders.
a. will fight if you wish it." WAS the
loud ringing answer.
"Then you accept my challenger"
Z" do. Will any one present be so
good MS to act as my second 90 inquired
the lawyer addressing the spectators.
For minute or two no one spoke. so
great was the dread of the arch duelist,
Nike johnson.
"Will no one in such mass of gene
rous men. be my second ?'' repeated the
lawer in louder tone.
! 81 will,'' said shrill, trumpet like
voice. in the outskirts of the crowd. and a
tall, commanding form. with bravery
written on his brow, and the eagles eye
beneath it. made his way 10 The centre
Of the scene ofcortenlion. and stood close
fronting Johnson, with II smiling glance.
before which the latter for an instant
quailed.
The question, "who is he ?" circulated
among the lockers on, but no one could
answer; no one had ever seen him before,
and yet everybody would have sworn to
his courage. so bold and yet trananil was
his bearing.
"Who are you 2" inquired the duelist
recovering his presence of mind.
" y stranger from Texas
" But who will rouch for your resoec-
1 liability ?''
Il can give you vouchers sufficient.
replied the stranger, frown;ng until his
brows looked frightful. and then STOPPING
forward, he whispered something in john
scn's ear. audible 10 him alone.
- am satisfied" said the duelist
aloud. and trembling percep;ibly. b" Co.
lionel Morton, will you serve as my
IIiend ."
I The individual last addressed gave his
assent.
g Now le: US adjourn to some private
room to arrange prelimins-ies. - remarked
the stranger and the principals and Sc
conds left The crowd. then increasing eve
! ry minute, and excited nearly 10 madness
by the thick crowdinS events of the last
| hour.
The meeting took place the following
nj ;ht, in l. dark room, with the door lcck-
ed, and the two seconds on the outside.
! The principals were placed in opposite
corners ot ths room, which was twenty
! feet square, and each was armed with
| large Bowie knife. nothing mere. Il was
midnight, q night without moon or stsrs.
Black, pitchy clouds enveloped the sky,
and a light, 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. TIE combatants could not
even see the blades of their own knives.
At first they stopped. and stealthily
united and took of their shoes, SO as TO
make !he least possible noise in walking
over the floor. The same though: had
struck them both &t the same tinls, TO ma
noeuvre for the vantage ground.
Thomas moved in circle, softly as a.
cat around the department 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
Hike silence, but the quick beats of his
own busy heart. Presently, however,
there crcpt into his ear a scarcely audi
bic sound. as of suppressed breathing in
the corner of The room which he had pre-
Z. ~