Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-12-18

uauShtcr, lovely girl OF htteen, who was
to be married the next day to the youth
then approaching.
Hill and Howard departed; Lucy with
tears, and Mary blushing, both calling out
as they left the gate, "Iake good care of
him, Nose, and be sure and bring him
back tonight"
Never fear,' answered the youth, with
a laugh, "Hill will never die till / kill
him"
"Thcn he will live forever" rctortcd
Mary, laughing also
AS soon as the friends reached the
village, Hill began to drink deeply and
manifested more than ordinary anxiety
for combat, insulting ever ybody that
crossed his path, and all the youths en-
treaties failed to pacify him. At last the
desperate sworc that he would clear the
courthouse, and immediately entered, with
furious countenance, and threat as to his
purpose Judge, lawyers, jury and spec
tators, made general rush for the door.
One old drunken man did not run as fast
as Hill wished, and he sprang on the i'm
bccile wretch and commenced beating him
numerically
Howard then caught hold of his future
father-n-law, (alas who was never to be-
and attempted opull him away.
With eyes rcd and glaring like mad
dog, Hill instantly turned upon his friend
and with q single blow of his fist felled
him to the floor, Then, following up the
act, he leapcd on the youth, and began a
most fcrocious battery. In vain did How
ard cndcavor to escape, crying out in tones
of bcscoching horror
For Gods sake cease Hill, don't
you know mc--your friend Dlose? Re
member Mary!
Ilill's anger only increased, till fanally
he throw his hand to his belt and clutchcd
a pistol. And then Towards blood also
boiled, and he resolved to fight for his life.
He was Oh as powerful frame as the other,
the only person in all Arkansas to be COM
pared with the desperate in physical
strength.
Howard graspcd the barrel of the pistol
as Hill cooked it, and the weapon exploded
in their hands without doing any injury
Once more they cntched, and the most
dreadful struggle cnsucd ever witnessed
in the West The advantage shifted from
one side to the other for the space Of five
minutes, till both were bathed in streams
of their own blood
Even the bystandcrs, looking on through
the windows of the long court house
were struck with wonder and awe. At
length, while writhing and twisting like
two raging scrpcnts, the handle of Hills
huge bowie knife, unthought of previous
ly, protrudcd from beneath his hunting
shirt. Both saw it at the same time, and
both attempted to grasp it. Howard sue
ccedcd, Quick as lighting he drew the
keen blade from its scabbard and sheathcd
it up to the hilt in the bosom of his friend
and his Mary's father.
The dream is fulfilled - exclaimed
Hill with n smile of strange sweetness,
that remained on his features even after
he was corpse. lie then sank down and
expired without a groan.
Howard gazcd on him there as ne lay.
with that singular smile on his face, and
his glazed eyes opened And then awak-
cnlnS with start as if from some horri-
bic vision of the night, the poor, unhappy
youth fell headlong on the body of his
trend, crying in tones that melted many n
hardened spectator to tears. "Great God (!
what have L done 7" He kissed the clam
my lips of the dead-wct his checks with
a rain of unavailing sorrow, tried to'staunch
the bloody wound with his handkerchief
and then, apparently satisfied that all was
over, sprung upon his feet with a shout,
or more properly scream, " Earewell,
Mary-your father is gone, and au 90
ing with him." and turning the point of
the CORY knife towards his own breast.
would have plunged it into his own heart,
had he not been prevented by the bastand-
crs, who had now crowded into the room.
Inc same evening Moso Howard dis
appeared, and was heard of no more for
nearly two years, when horse trader
brought back word that he had seen him
in San Antonio, Texas.
When the shocking news reached Hills
family, the beautiful Mary burst into
wild laugh. She is now in the asylum for
the insane, at New Orleans.
Had we been inditinga tale of romance,
we would have paused with the preceding
page, but literal truth compels us to re-
cord another fact equally characteristic,
both as to the chief actors and the back
woods theatre of the main tragedy.
1t will be remembered that the fallen
Desperate had enjoincd on his son to slay
the slayer of his father on the day he
should arrive at sixteen. Without any
such charge, vengeance would have been
considered by that boy as a sacred duty;
for, on the frontiers, the widows of the
slain teach vengeance to their children.
and nconcionollu ovao,to - IL, I,o,,,.zI