The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-12-25

cause they wish TO die. Having been lon e
sccustom ed to the work Of slaughter, they
contract an insane love for it, for its own
sake alone.
1t is difficult TO comprehend the motives
prompting to these mutual suicides no have
never lived in such meridians--meridians
where duels with double bsrrelied shot guns
are ofyearly occurrence--where men fight
not unfrequsntly in dark rooms at midnight
with dagger or pisiol--where they clasp
hands aud walk off bee,ling precpices, or
leap together in the depths of fosming Tv-
era and holds each others hands under wa
ter till both sink into falhomless CULTS,
which are their graves--in fine, where foes
contrive for themselves more methods of
wildly insane homicide than ever did infatu.
a,ed lovers in the pages Of French 70.
nance.
had become pretty well acquainted with
such scenes in Texss and Arkansas and vet
could not forbear trembling in every j.int
as saw these two youths who ought to
have been, and had very nearly been BROTH
e!s, standing there waiting for the word that
should be the knell OF their funeral and their
summons to the judgment bar Of the AL.
mighty--yes, standing in the broad noon
blaze Of the "all.seeing SUM-" with the gaze
of thousand eyes set upon their unfeeling
faces, with the sky they might never look on
more SO bright above, and the flowers be.
meath so golden, and the little birds all sing
ing such merry roundeluys and they with
great names drawn back ready--ready--
waiting to plunge-into eternity!
"Are yon ready!" asked Bill Cody, Big
Jim's second in voice ringing over the
Looking glass Prairie clear as the tones OF
bell metal. r sai a-e- ~ s b., @'a a
"Resdy," they both answered with thrill
ing distinctness in the same breath
"Then so ahead" was the coarse, savage
word. ..a.. .I .a-a. ..., -.-...... ........
And with the word two fierce thrusts were
aimed at two firm beating hearts--human
hearts, too, like yours and mine, only brs-
vcr, perhaps; and two long, keen knives
pierced two bleeding sides. The first
Wounds, however, were not mortdl-nt least
not Immediately so-for other blows follow
ed, and steel clashed against steel, and the
combatants continued to battle ON till their
bodies were bathed in baptism Of fresh
blood and finally both staggered and fell for
ward at the same moment, first to their
knees, and then on their faces, with their
cheeks almost touching! a
Then.a wild, un earthly, wailing scream
issued from the carriage on the mound. An
other, also, had fallen, and with sharper
pain in the heart than ever emanated from
the point of bowie knife. The beautiful
Emma had tainted ..u -...r
The seconds cut asunder the cords from
the left hands Of the two antagonists. Hor.
ace Jordan was dead, but Big Jim, although
fright'ulIy manged, soon revived, and at last
recovered. The six brave, bad brothers,
have since committed half hundred mur-
ders, and robberies beyond reckoning. |
see, from the late annual message Of the
Cherokee executive, that the miscreants
have at last been annihilu,ed by the swift.
sure vengeance of lynching justice. -.'s.
"Bu, has the story any moral!" interro-
gates the critic. .a' a8--Eaj na.t"}
Aye-it has great and useful moral, il
correctly expounded. 1t proves that the
fear of death-that phantom horror which
haunts the doors and darkens the fresides OF
civilized life--is, after all, not an uncon.
! querable instinct, but fictitious adjunct OF
education. 1t proves that boundlcss bravery
exists latent in all human souls, and needs
only the given condition Of circumstances to-
call it forth, Itproves that the highest gifts
ever bestowed on man o. angel may be per-
verted to the vilest uses, as the fire ON the
hearth may, be misn ppropriated to kindle the
destroying corhagration. ....-. ... .......
n.hx.tr