Oroville daily Butte record., 1856-11-19
Otuuille Dailg Bntte Returh.
THE ARKANSAS COWARD.
A WESTERN SKETCH.
CONCLUDED.

And now the inward and terrible
passions of Meyers found vent in ap-
paIling explosions His curses were
fearful, he spurncd his enemy with his
foot, and wished aloud he had hun
dred lives. so that he could enjoy the
pleasure of killing him hundred times
over. His wrath then changed for his
other insulters. He flew at loafer Bill
Green, and tore out his Soap locks by
handfulis. He sprang upon Gen Cole,
and pulled his nose until ii Was hatten.
ed between his thumb and fingers, all
the while that CORY knife driwying with
blood.
His enemies we're taken by surprise,
terror-stricken, stupifidd, that for a
space they seemed utterly incapable Of
voluntary motion.
The coward had suddenly become
the bravest of the brave. The equi-
poisc of opposite feeling was destroyed
forever; the sheer power of pure will
had conquered physical fear.
On the evening Of the same day
Gen. Cole called a special council of
his friends to consult on the course he
should pursue. There was but one
opinion, that he had been insulted by
a gross public iudignity.
Accordingly upon the following day
q challenge was dispatched, which Mr..
Meyers very promptly accepted, and
fixed the time at noon Of the same day
the weapons TO be doubie-barreled
shot guns, the distance ten PAGES.
The parties met on the sand beach, h,
under the bank Of the river, above the
town, and hundreds assembled to wit
ness the issue. The mortal beliger-
ents were placed by their seconds, and
the death-dealing guns, enormous dou-
ble-barrels, rested with dark, yawning
muzzles on the sand, in their hands
The spectators were much astonished
by the strange contrast exhibited in
their appearance. Gen. Cole was an
old, experienced duelist, who had shot
his man before was eighteen, and had
often been engaged IN aflirs OF the
kind.
On the contrary, Meyers was unac-
quainted with firearms, and had al
ways hitherto beer deemed an unmiti-
gated poltroon. And yet, singular TO
record, the duclist was nervous and agi~
tated, almost trembling, while the re-
puted coward was calm, firm, steady As
a rock, with that horrid smile on his
curlod lip, and a few scattered tear
drops, cleaning in the sun, on his
check
Gen. Coles second gave the word.
Fire-one, two, three! He need not,
however, to have counted so many,
for, with the echo Of the word fire,
Meyers elevated his piece as quick as
z thought, and touched the trigger.
There was a tremendous roar, and
Gen. Cole fell dead. His head was
pierced with twenty buckshot.
No man ever again called Meyers a
coward in Arkansas, no one ever
thought of the term as his shadow
cleaned in the sunlight. He had talk
en- his degree in the college of desper-
alton, and his diploma was written in
blood
He became politician of great no.
toriety--a leader in that part Of the
State; was repeatedly elected to the
Legislature, where he acquired distinc.
tion by his talents, but more by his
fearless daring, and he is said to be in
progress of ascension, having recently
obtained the commission of Mojor. Gen
eral ofthe militia. Before many months
we may see his name in the roll of
members of Congress.
Nature made him coward; love
for his insulted wife made him brave,
and bravery has conferred honor.