The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-12-22

| tcflnR Will furious cOuHtenducc anu u
threat as to his purpose, judges, lawyers.
jury and spectators made general rush
for the door. One old drunken man alone
did not ruu as Hill wished, and he sprang
on the imbecile wretch, and commenced
beating him numerically.
Howard then caught hold Of his future
father-in-law, (alas he was never TO bc,)
and attempted to pull him away.
With eyes red and glaring like mad
dog, Hill instantly turned upon his friend,
and with single blow of his fist feled
him to the floor; then following up the vi
olent act, he leaped on the youth, and be-
gan q most furious battery. In vain How
ard endeavored to escape crying out in
bescching honor-'For Gods sake, cease
Hill, don't you know me? your friend
Nose? Remember Maryp Hills anger
only increased, till finally, he threw his
hands on his belt and clutched pistol
And then Howards blood also boiled, and
he resolved to fight for his life. He was
oS as powerful frame as the other--the on
ly person in all Arkansas to be compared
with the desperate in physical strength
Howard grasped the barre. Of the pis-
tol as Hill cooked it, and the weapon ex-
ploded in their hands without doing any
injury. Once moro they clenched, and
the most dreadful struggle ensued ever wit
messed in the West. The advantag O shift
ted from one side to the other for FIVE min
utes, till both were bathed in streams of
their own blood
Even the by ISLANDERS, looking on
through the windows of the log court
house, were struck with wonder and awe.
At length, while writhmg and twisting
like to raging serpents, the handle of
Hills huge bowie knife, unthought of pre-
viously, protruded from beneath his hun
Isting-shirt.
Both saw it at the same time, and both
attempted to grasp it. Howard succeeded.
Quick as lightning he drew the keen blade
from its scabbard, and sheathed it up TO
the hilt in the bosom of his friend and
Mary's father.
The dream is fulfilled exclaimed Hill,
with smile of strange sweetness, that re-
mained on his features, even after he was
corps. Ho then sank down without
groan.
Howard gazcd upon him there as he lay
with that singular smile on his face, and
his glazed eyes open. And then awaken
ing with start, and as if from some hor-
rible vision of the night the poor unhappy
youth fell headlong on the body of his
friend, crying in tones that melted many
hardened spectator into tears, Great
God! What have l done? He kissed
the clammy lips of the dead; wet his
cheek with a rain of unavailing sorrow;
essayed to staunch the bloody wound with
his handkerchief; and then apparently
satisfied that all was over, sprang to his
feet with shout, moro properly scream,
Farewell Mary, your father is gone, and
am going with him. and turning the point
Of his CORY knife towards hi, own breast,
would have plunged it into his own heart,
had it not been prevented by by-standers
who hal now crowded into the room.
The same evening Nose Howard disap-
pearcd, and was heard Of no more for near
ly two years, when lorsc trader brought
back word that he had seen him in San
Antonio, Texas.
When the shocking news reached Hills
family, the besutiful Mary burst into
wild laugh. She is now in the asylum
for the insane, at New Orleans.
Had we been intending tale Of romance,
We would have paused with the proceed
ing page; but the literal truth compcls us
to record another fact, equally character
istic, both as to the chief actors and the
backwoods theatre of the raln tragedy.
II will be remembered that the fallen
desperate had enjoined his son to slay
tho slayer of his father on the day he
should arrive at the age Of sixteen. With
out any such charge, vengeance would have
been considered by that boy as sacred
duty; for on the frontiers, the widows of
the slain teach vengeance to their children,
and occasionally execute it themselves.
Accordingly Bill Hill practiced with his
fathers gun every day for two successive
years, and this, even before he had any
rumors as to tho place of Howard's refuge.
He had then learned that he was in Texas,
and two months before he was sixteen, set
out 10 hunt him up.
AT the end of four months Bill Hill came
back and hanging up the double barrels
in their old buck horn rack, answered his
mothers enquiring look, Mother Nose is
dead; l let him have both loads. Though
l cried brfore done it, and afterwards
too; he looked so miserable, pale, and
body as a skeleton.
Poor Mosc,' said the mother, weeping;
'but it could not be helped. The son of
as brave a man ms Nixon Curry must never
be coward, and besides it was your faith
er's ORDER
A DISTINGUISHED CoNGREss.-A con-