The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-01-12

eight years. The windows and doors are
exceedingly strong, almost half covered with
bars of iron, and are, moreover, securely fas-
tened so that we caunot possibly gain admis.
sion.-Therefore it would be best 10 name
some other place."
81 have the key" said the youth; "are you
satisfied !"
81 am"
At this answer Of the desperate, the young
man, without uttering n word turned upon
his heel and left the room, and mounting his
horse, which had been hitched near the gro
Gerry door, rode slowly of in an easterly d.
rectiOn.
The rumor of this strange challenge and
prospective duel few around the neighboring
country like the wind, and two hours before
the appointed time large crowd of specta.
tors were assembled eager TO witness the cy-
pected scene.
1t was night without moon or stars, of a
thick pitrhy darkness, with a drizzle OF light
slted rain from the ebor clouds low-lying
overhead. The spectators carried in their
hands long torches made of pine knots,
whose red glaring lustre reflected among
the green bou9hs of the dense surrounding
grove; with their luxuriant foliage all over
the lonely walls and mouldering roof of the
old building presented a scene at once pictu-
rescue and savage.
Ten minutes before twelve o'clock, stephens
accompanied by chosen second, arrived
His c0untenance was flushed, his nerves were
tremulous, his whole air and demeanor gave
evidence Of the high excitement under which
he was laboring. lie appeared to be intoxica-
ted. The stranger had not yet made his APP
pearance. Minute after minute rolled on
and still he did not come. The spectators
looked disappointed. They thought them.
selves in danger of losing their promised
sport.
1t was three minutes of twelve. Stephens
stood with his fine gold repeater in his hand
gazing on the slow moving index that glitter-
ed beneath the polished chrysta' with the
most intense anxiety. AT last both hands
were perpendicular, one above the other, and
directly over the figures XII. A sneering
smile PLAYED around his coarse features, and
he said aloud; 81 am here at the time but
where is he :"
Hardly had the last words died on his lips,
when loud voice from the Old house shou-
ted in clear, reverberating tone; "Here" A
key grated in the rusty lock, the bolt was
drawn back, the door opened with harsh,
creaking noise on its hinges, and the stranger
stepped from the SILL
We pause minute. to survey his friend
who was by his side. He was stranger al
so; 4 man of Herculean size, and exceedingly
wild aspect His hair was long, coal black,
and straight us an Indians. His skin was
smartly sun.burned, almost copper-colored.-
His fnce and forehead huge mass Of bones,
sharply projecting and repulsvely ugly; and
his dark eve flashed rays that seemed sparks
of fire to scorch the beholder
The arrangements were Immediately made
for the duel. The stranger stripped off his
coat, vest and shirt, and tied red silk han
kerchief around his waist. His weapon was
n single long dagger, not very broad, but
keen as razor and doubled-edge. The
weapon of Stephens was an enormous bowie
knife heavy MS Il war club of a savage.
The stranger exacted an oath from the se-
conds, that after the two foes entered the
house, they would neither open the door
themselves, nor sufftr any one else to open
it. 1t was also agreed that all the spectators
who bore torches should retire some twenty
PAGES from the house, so that no ray of light
might penetrate through the crevices in the
wall toillumnate, however feebly, the deadly
gloom within.
All the preiminaries being thus adjusted,
the combatants were placed by their seconds
in opposite corners of the room, when the
latter withdrew, locked the door and left the
foes alone with death.
At first they both stopped down, and steal
thily united and laid off their shoes, SO as to
make no noise in walking across the floor
The same thought had struck them at the
same time-to maneuvre for the advan-
tage.
The young stranger moved in circle, and
softly rs n cat around the room; till he got
within four feet OF the corner where his enc
my had been first placed. He then paused TO
listen. For few seconds he heard nothing
in the grave-like silence bat the quick beats
of his own heart. But presently there crept
into his ear n scarcely audible sound, as of
suppressed breathing in the opposite corner
Of the room which he had just left. His foe
was trying the same stratagem. The manG-
uvre like result. Az length the youth conclu.
ded to stand STILL and await the approach Of
his adversary. Motioncss now himself, and
all ear; soft noise, like the dropping of flakes
Of wool, became distinctly audible, and slow
ly approached him. When the sound appeared
about three feet from where he stood, he sud
deuly made II bounding plunge, with his dag
ger aimed in the air where he supposed the
bosom of his foe to be. Stephens, at the
time, was stopped forward, thus seeking
for the advantage, and the point OF the dag
ger blade, by singular fatality, perforated
his left eye, and pierced deep in the BRAIN
He fell with dull, heavy sound on the
floor. He had fought his last battle.
The seconds waited with breathless anyie-
ty until the aspiration of the twenty-five min
utes They then unlocked the door, and the
crowd rushed in with their Pickering torches.
A most hideous spectacle presented ITSELF
There lay the CORY trunk of Stephens, the
head severed from the body, and placed as if
in savage moceery on the breast Of the dead,
and there was still sticking in the bloody
left eye, the fatal two-edged dagger, almost
up to the hit in the now soulless brain =
The stranger was standing in the middle of
the room, with large hawk bill pocket
knife in his hand, stained with reeking gore,
with which he had evidently performed the
work of decapitation. On his face was the
same look and the same melancholy smile.--
He seemed in fact TO be conscious Of no:h-
ing save his own dreamy thought, that wan
dered through wide eternity.
The spectators crowded with mute coun-
tenances of horror around the mutilaied
corpse and for n moment lost sight of the
living foe, till maddened ut the lamented
sight some one cried out: "Arrest the mur-
derer!" And all the crowd cried, "Seize
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