Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-05-06


that seemed to freeze the blood of his
hearers; and as the two %rufiaps started
up and looked around, they beheld him
standing in the doorway, with one of their
rifles brought to a deadly aim.
He had seen them put aside their rifles,
for the purpose Of deliberate butchery;
and with a stealthy pace he had glided
around and seized them, and now he had
the Williams at his mercy.
"See here, stranger, don't FIRE! We
cave-we owns up beat at our own game
and eff you'll jest let us off, you ken
take what tin we has about us.n
Fools !" returned the traveller: do
you take me for a common thief and rob
Der like yourselves? Which of you fred
at me yesterday :? Speak quick | or BY
the living God, [ will shoot you both
where you stand!
1t is impossible to convey to the reader
the peculiar sound of the voice of the
speaker. 1t cannot be described as either
loud, fierce or harsh, but rather as some
thing cold and freezing, expressive of an
infiexible will, an unalterable determine
ton. His EYE, too-that naturally small
quiet, almost calm blue eye-now seemed
to blaze with a latent fire while his thin
lips compressed, and his whole face glow
ed with the wild, fiery ~ferceness Of the
tiger at bay.
"That was Joe, here" replied one of
the startled ruffians; " but he didn't mean
to shoot at yeu,"
"No," chimed in Joe, 81 was jest fir
ing at a bird. as you rid along"
"Liar!" Kissed the other-"and that
lie shall be your last"
Scarcely were the words spoken, when
crack went the rife, and Joe fell back
upon the. dead man, shot through the
brain. Throwing down the piece, the
stranger caught up the other, and quietly
saying, you will please follow your
companion ne had already brought it to
an aim, and his finger was just pressing
the trigger, when, with a "For Gods
sake spare me! [ have a wife and chill
dren p the other threw himself down
upon his knees, and held up his hands i'm
ploringly.
And would you have spared me!?" de-
manded the traveller. "No, justice claims
her due-your hour has come-you must
die Your wife and children, if you have
any, will be better off without you. Too
many such sneaking. cowardly Williams
cumber the soil Of Texas! Had you the
courage of a man. / would give you a
chance for your life but a paltry coward
above all things, | despise /"
I'm no coward " cried the other,
leaping to his feet land the man lies
as says | isl So fire away, and be
to you'll"
Who are you ?" inquired our hero,
touched with some little feeling of admi-
ration for the william, for courage always
inspired him with a certain degree of
respect.
"Im Bill Harvey of Arkansas"
Enough p was the answer I know
you now, though yon do not remember
me. You shall have a chance for your
life-but you can only live through my
death. What arms have you about you ~
1--WE got nothing now, 'cept this here
knife, or else I'd not stood here doing
nothing, while you was taking sight
But eff you knows me, as you say, I'd like
to know what you know about me and
eff it's all the same to you, I'd like to
know who you ar"
your foe !" returned the other, in the
same cold, indescribable tone. do you
ask what | know Of you? i know you
are a liar, a gambler, a thief, a robber,
and a murderer, with the courage of a
bull dog, which is your only redeeming
trait. Nay, sir, no words / have no
time to waste-I have been delayed too
leng already. This is your chance for
life [ will discharge this rife in the
air, (suiting the action to the word and
with this knife. drawing the singular
weapon we have before described, | will
meet you in single combat-now- here
and may God have mercy on your mis-
cradle soul !"
"S'pose, then, we fight outside, whar
we ken see better ?'' said the other.
"Do you want a chance to run 2"
sheered the stranger.
IF you knows bill Harvey, you knows
he never runs whar thar's a fair fight
| did knuckle down a minnit ago, and
that was the meanest thing / aver done in
my life but was TUX kinder by surprise
like, and eff | ever does it agin, tc
white man or niger, may | never see tbs
inside Of heaven p
Quick then, take your position y sale
the other and he turned and walked
back a few PAGES, in front of the old ruin
Harvey came out, with his knife firmly
clenched in his hand, and a look Of feret
determination upon his rough, bronzeC
features. He was a large, powerful
built fellow, with black eyes, black hair
and bushy whiskers and as he stood fac
ing his small slender. almost effeminata
antagonist, a spectator wonld have argued
that the latter would have no chance t,
cope with him by mere physical force
The two took their positions about te
PAGES apart, and each fixed his eyes wit
stern, willy caution upon the other, Iik
} two beasts Of the forest preparing for a
encounter.
Are you ready Z" asked the traveller