St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-05-05

voluntarily rested upon the face of
vaughn, whose very look seemed in
tentiy reading the strangers heart
while big drops of perspiration stood
upon his brow and plainly proved the
volcano raging within, and with n
calm and pleasant voice which i'll ac.
corded with the feeling within. he od.
dressed the st-~-o~., ~ W.
May | ask your name ?" he said.
Yes" was the reply but it don't
follow that shall tell you"
May l ASK" reioined Vaughan,
taking no notice of the visitors reply,
"if you amt from Kentucky ?"
Perhaps and perhaps not" he an.
swered quickly. "Why ?'
Because" replied Vaughan, al
imagined you had forded the Ohio
time and again ! Now haven't you ?"
he pursued
Maybe l have,' was the strangers
response
"And I'd swear from your eye you've
shot larger game than deer or bears
in your time. l wouldn't be surprised
either if you had brought down your
man even"
Still the visitor made no reply, but
his eyes told more plainly than words
what his lips would utter. In a mo-
mcnt Naughn's countenance assumed
the most demoniac expression as he
started to his feet and confronted the
stranger with
And did you never shoot friend
down when his back was turned ? A
ragged bullet, Pm thinking would
make his body prey for worms |!
Robert Hilton, your hour has come |
Long, yes, many years have trod the
forest a wanderer, living, breathing,
gioating on the thoughts of this bles-
sed hour. / had not even dared to
hope that should meet you manfully,
and in fair struggle tear your heart
from your body. Lay aside your rifle,
and hand to hand let us renew the
struggle of other days !"
During his speech the outlaw spoke
not word, and showed no sign of
emotion save deadly palcness which
overspread his features He raised a
pistol with the quickness of thought :;
yet ere the trigger could be pulled,
the strong arm of Herbert Vaughn
had launched it into the corner of the
room. And in another moment the
strong men were locked in each 9TH
cr's embrace. Both were herculean in
strength and gigantic in proportions,
which inclined the victory to neither
side. But the tremendous nerve
and incxhaustible strength of Vaughn
at length conquered, and Hilton fell
to the ground beneath the body of his
antagonist
There was Il triumph in the eye of
Vaughn, which argued no sympathy,
no hope for the wretched man, and
Gordon inyoluntarily turned his head
to avoid the fatal blow. A slight
struggle from the prisoner as his an
tagonist sought the knife at his girdle,
and then with slashing sound through
the cloth of his garments sped the in
strument of death directly to the heart
of his victim.
Gordon and his friend exchanged
no word that night both retired to
rest with the conviction that justice
had been mcted out.
Next morning the stiffened corpse
of man pierced to the heart, lay on
the floor of Gordon's cabin. The log
floor was perforated an inch or more
10y the blade Of the knife, and clotted
blood ran in a crimson stream across
the hearthstone. But Herbert Vaughn
had vanished, and ON the door was
traced in rude characters,
my revenge is complete. In
stranger land henceforth am a wan
derer. Farewell I"