Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-06-21

began to fill glasses and hand out cigars,
crying-'Toast to the brave, my boys !
Wen never want while the world has
chickens Of the white feather
The firing in the grocery having ceased
for more than an hour, being replaced by
a din of the most boisterous mirth, Myers,
by great effort, mustered the spirit to
return. He found the customers helping
themselves with vengeance, and thought
to overcome them by the assumption of
heroic airs. He snatched revolver from
his pocket, and pointing il at Warhawk's 8
breast, sternly ordered him to leave the
house.
If that's what you're arter,' shouted
Jack, unsheathing his big bowie, and
springing back over the counter, 'here's
what will give you ladle full.'
Myers still kept the revolver presented,
but his hand shook like a leaf in the
tempest, and his very lips grew white with
terror, and his very feet inVoluntarily re-
treated backwards by short quivering steps.
The two feelings, physical fear and moral
courage, were struggling for the mastery.
He was endeavoring to act bravely, but
his nerves refused their concurrence, and
he remained, SO to speak, in equipoise-
totally incapable Of acting at all. He
was impotent to fight, and as powerless to
fly.
There was no hesitation in the conduct
of Jack Warhawk. Brandishing his big
knife with his right hand, he seized the
locks of Myers in his left, roaring at the
top of his lungs:
Down, coward; down on your mar
row bones, Or by the blue blazes I'll cut
your throatp
Incredible as it may seem, still holding
his deadly revolver, loaded with six
rounds, covered to the floor like beaten
hound, and begged most piteousIy for his
life--a prayer which the mocking half
breed granted on condition that he would
treat the crowd for whole week.
From that time the unfortunate Myers
was subject to every species of insult and
outrage. The loafers would pull his nose
for mere amusement, the half.breeds
would spit in his face to make him treat,
and Gen. Cole, when intoxicated. would
strike him with his cane, to cure him of
his cowardice, as he said. The poor
grocery keeper brooked all these gross in
dlgnities with the patience of martyr;
and would sometimes meekly demonstrate
with them thus:
Gentlemen, it is ungenerous to abuse
me thus, for | confess have no courage;
| cannot fight
Thus continued for a whole year, when
change occurred that caused the insul-
ters to rue their ignoble persecution. He
had beautiful wife, whom he loved with
the tenderest passion. One day, when
the husband was absent, the hideous half
breed, Jack Warhawk, instigated to the
damning deed by the persuasion of Gen.
Cole, went to the grocery keepers private
residence and maltreated his lady in the
most shameful manner.
Myers returned home 10 find his below
ed one in tears. He heard the narrowing
tale without external manifestation of
anger or emotion. His face, it is true,
became somewhat pale--his lip quiyered
an instant, and then settled into an ex-
preston rigid as mouth of iron, and his
wild black eye it may be, shot few
more beams of penetrating fire; but he did
not mutter curses. He muttered not a
whisper Of menace, he did not condole or
even sympathise with his afflicted wife.
He only armed hilnseifwith bowie, knife,
fourteen inches in the blade, from hilt to
point, and started for the village.
He came within sight of his enemy,
then promenading the public square and
boasting Of his villainous achievement
AT this vision, Myers lip carled into q
horrid smile. and his dark eye melted in
stream of tears. He approached till
he stood nearly touching the half.breed,
and then said in forrid whisper:
Wretch, be quick, draw, for by St.
Paul, one of us must die =
And he waited till the other should be
ready for the strife on equal terms. He
did not have to wait long, for Jack, I'M
derstandipg that cold, glittering, snake
smile, and those hot gushing tears, as the
certain token of murderous madness, i'm
mediately unsheathed at the same mo-
nlent with his adversary, and then began
the dreadful combat, which was soon de-
cided. Myers parried three furious blows
of the hateful halfbreed, and then, grasp
ing his foes clothing with his left hand,
with his other plunged the knife up to the
hilt in his heart. The Cherokee fell and
expired without groan.
And now the inward npd terrible pas
sions of Myers found vent in appalling
explosions. His curses were frightful tc
hear-he spurned bis fallen enemy with
his foot, and''wished aloud he had a hun
dred lives so that he might enjoy the plea
sure himself Of killing him hundred
times over. His wrath then changed fOi
his other insuiters. He few at the loafel
tazzfS T : * 4 -