Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-10-22

courage turn PALE merely at the appearance of Hills
gigantic form, broadly beed and brstling with pistols
He wayaid and shot at number of times yet still
escaped without scar But this could be wonder
for brave mems hands shook when they saw him,
and shaking hands generally make very poor shots.
/ During the September term, 1923, of the Circuit
Court Pope County in which Hill resided he got out
of bed one morning uncommonly gloomy and while at
the breakfast-tabe, suddenly burst into tears.
What is the matter, my dear?' asked Lucy-that
beautiful Lucy who had formerly left her wealthy home
in Carolina for the robber and the robbers cave.
Il have had dreadful DREAM answered the husband,
shudderng at the recollection, George Strong
in my Sleep and he kissed me with his pale lips that
burned like fire, and smelled of sulphur. l am sure
shall die before sunset
Then do not go to court today" said the wife in
accents of earnest entreaty
But will replied the husband firmly. when a
mans time come he cannot hide from death BESIDES
it will be the act of coward to do so if one possesses
the power Then addressing his son, fine, intelligent
boy of thirteen, he continued Bill you see my gun
pointing his finger he spoke to the great double bar
rel hanging on buck horns the door practice
with that every morning. and the day you are sixteen
shoot the loads of both barrels into the man who will
this day kill your father.
"Yondcr comes Nose Howard he will protect you,
Pa remarked Mary, Hills eldest daughter lovely
girl of fifteen, who to be married the next day to
the youth then approaching.
Hill and Howard departed Lucy with tears, and
Mary bushing both calling out they lett the gate
Take good care Of him. Nose and be sure and bring
him back tonight
Never fear, answered the youth, with laugh
! Hill will never die till kill him.
:" Then he will live forever" retorted Mary laughing
! also.
AS the friends reached the village Hill began
to drink deeply and manifested than ordinary anx
lety for combat insulting everybody that crossed his
path and all the youths entreates failed to pacfy him
At last the desperate swore that he would clear the
Courthouse and Immediately entered with furious coun-
tcnance, and Il threat as to his purpose Judge law
yers jury and spectators, made general rush for the
door. One old drunken man did not fast Hill
wished and he sprung on the imbecile wretch and COM
menced beating him numerically.
Howard then caught hold of his future fatherin-aw
(alas who was never to be and attempted to pull him
away
! With eyes red and glaring like mad dog, Hill in
santly turned upon his friend and with single blow
of his fist teled him to the floor. Then, following up
the act he leaped the youth and began most fero
cous battery In vain did Howard endeavor to escape
| crying out i'll tones of beseeching horror
For Gods sake cease! Hill, don't you know me-
your friend Nose? Remember Mary!
Hills anger only increased, till finally he threw his
hand to his belt and clutched pistol And then How
ards blood also boiled and he resolved to fight for his
life He of powerful frame the other-the only
person in all Arkansas to be compared with the desper
ado in physical strength.
Howard grasped the barrel of the pistol as Hill
cooked it, and the weapon exploded in their hands with
out doing any injury Once more they clenched, and
the most dreadful Struggle ensued witnessed in the
West The advantage shifted from side to the other
for the space of five minutes till both were bathed in
streams of their own blood.
Even the bystanders, looking through the windows
OF the long court house. struck with wonder and
awe, At length, while writhing and twisting like two
raging serpents the handle of Hills huge bowie knife
unthOught of previously, protruded from beneath his
hunting shirt Both it at the 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 ht in the bosom of his friend and
his Mary's father.
'The dream is fuflledn exclaimed Hill with u smile
of strange sweetness that remained his features even
after he corpse. He then sank down and expired
| without groan.
Howard gazed on him there as he lay, with that sin
gular smile on his face and his glazed eyes opened
And then awakening with a start, if from some hor
ribe vision of the night, the poor, unhappy youth fe
headlong the body of his friend crying in tones thai
melted many hardened spectator to tears. Great God
what have done? He kissed the clammy lips of the
dead-wet his cheeks with a rain of unavaing sorrow
tried to staunch the bloody wound with his handkcr
chief-and then apparently satisfied that all over
sprung upon his feet with shout Or more properly
scream, Farewell, Mary-your father is gona and
am going with him. and turning the point of the CORY
knife towards his own breast would have plunged it int
his heart had he not been prevented by the bysan
ders, who had now crowded into the room.
The same evening Nose Howard disappeared anc
was heard OF no more for nearly two years. when hors
trader brought back word that he had him in Sar
Antonio, Texas.
When the shocking news reached Hills family, th
beautiful Mary burst into wild laugh. She is now il
the asylum for the insane, at New Orleans.
Had we been inditing a tale Of romance, woul(
have paused with the preceding page, but literal trut
cOmpes usto record another fact equally characteristic
both 10 the chief actors and the backWOOds theatre
the main tragedy
1t will be remembered that the fallen desperate ha
f enjOned it on his to sy the slayer of bis father
the day he should arrive at sixteen Without any suc
charge, vengeance would have been considered by tha
boy a sacred duty for, the frOnticrs the widow
of the slain teach vengeance to their Children and
siOnally execute it themselves.
Accordingly, Bill Hill practced with his fathers sul
every day for two successive years, and this before h
had any rumor to the place of Towards refuge II
then learned that his foe was in Texas and two month
before he sixteen set out to hunt him up.
At the end Of four months, Bill Hill back, ant
hanging up the double barrels in their old buck hor
rack, answered his mothers nquiring look:
Mother, Nose is dead let him have both loads
Though cried before done it, and afterwards too
he looked so miserable, pale and bony as a skeleton"
Poor Nose - said the mother, weeping, " but
could not be hC ped. The son of such brave q
Nixon Curry must never be called coward and beside
it was your fathers order"
: MORE COMETS SEEN WITH THE NAKED ElE.-Th
editor Of Pcnnsy vana paper contributes the following
to the cause OF science 1t Is to be suspected however
that the observer looking through glass at th
time he made the observation
: 9PM-Saw the comet over Widow Smiths chin
ney-round luminous body, with an appendix-ver
well got up, but little bit too much tail to look we'll
drank the comets health in Widows cherry bounce
5 10 p. .M.-Increase in size Of the comet, We've
from the window of Thompsons lager beer saoon.-
Thompson quite philosopher-says that comets invar
ably orete the approach of sckly season, and tia
lager is the most healthy drink extant. Shouldn't wor
y der.