, 1859-10-07
A DUEL ON HORSEBACK
by CHARLES rUMMEREIELD.

COh Dill bOflonu was tne yoHeTuttSStUtO VI IliO
Texan Lynches. He well deserved the title he
such incredible skin In the use Of oil sorts Of muir
derous weapons, that il might be pronounced viz
tually suicide to even think Of encountering him,
so rapid was his motion, 90 unerring his mortal
aim.
aDeath in the eye" truly told the mark at which
he always fired-a mark he had never once missed
while such was his astonishing quickness, his
antagonist usually fell without pulling the trigger
An enemy stood no better chance by resorting to
the sword or bowieknie, against one in whose
hands the fash Of steel was like lightning swift,
as mighty to slay-one who appeared to surpass
oil other men rs much in strength as in activity
giant in stature, gladiator in practice, iiend
in courage
His biography in itself was more thrilling than
a novel, wilder than the widest romance; and the
very first Of dreadful daring revealed, in all their
force and funess, the two essential elements Of his
character-the ferocious ardor Of his appetite for
revenge, and the iron pertinacity Of his indOmtabe
will.
At the age Of twenty, be pursued the assassin Of
his brother an the way from Carolina to Canada,
and shot him dead at the dinner-table Of tavern
in Quebec; yet such had been the cunning Of his
previous arrangements for the event. that aided BY
numerous relays Of swift horses, he Effected his
escape saiely 10 the s0utn.
The achievement cost him ten thousand dollars.
From this time forward his life was one long war.
Almost every month in the year saw him engaged
in some fatal duel-fatal to others only; never
hurtfnl to him-while each week witnessed the oc-
currence Of casual affairs often as bloody as his
more regular combats. He was the Napoleon OF
the knife and pistol But the truth Of impartial
history cotpels me to record that this man so fear
full in his deeds whose right arm was reelcd with
gore to the elbow, was not commonly the aggres-
eor in his countless quarrels Often the friends OF
those he had vanquished in fair fight assaied him
from motives Of revenge. The fame Of his prowess
provoked the vain jealousy Of Others He acquired
the perilous reputation Of matchless hero-the
ardent, the Desperate the ambitious would win, i
possible, his laurel. Every young Hercules longed
TO kill the lion 80 as to clothe himself in his skin,
and thus was BOrland forced to maintain an inter
minable war. It Is so in all professions There
can be no peace in high places-storm, hail and
thunder must break around the mountains brow.
The duellist was one Of the earliest settlers in
eastern Texas, where he became the chief Of the
lynching party. In his own county OF Harrison.
he possessed boundless influence; indeed he would
not suffer o foe to reside within It's limits Hence
he might have openly deted the law, had such been
his pleasure but his shrewd and iarseeng sagacity
adopted wiser and safer course. After perpe-
trating any homicide, he invariably submitted his
own case to the grand jury, sure Of triumphant
acquittal by his friends on trial; and thus, should
public sentiment ever turn against him in future,
he would be enabled to plead eiectual verdicts in
bar Of all past offences
At length the time arrived which the colonel had
so long anticipated. A wealthy and intelligent
class Of citizens began to change the current fOpn
ion in Harrison so that in the county election the
friends Of order, by slight majority, gained their
candidate for sheriff. This was terrible blow to
the lynchers, as Il deprived them Of their secure
vantage-ground in packing iuries; and to increase
their danger at this unproptious crisis new judge
was appointed They were still numerous, thorough.
" armed, and desperadoes to 0 man, and determined
Of the first co,rt to muster al their strength, 90 as
TO control and overawe their proceedings
At nine O'Clock in the morning OF the second
Monday Of September, 1912, the new judge took
his seat on the bench. He was stranger from the
west, whose name alone had transpired, and whose
appearance at first inspired the desperadOes with
hope and the friends Of order with doubt and pain
full apprehension.
Charles Evans was young man Of twenty-five
-tall-slender, extremely handsome, and dressed
with the most inical taste-his fingers flashing with
rings, and his person adorned in the most gaudy
manner. His long hair Of Q bright golden color,
waving in curls around his shoulders, and sweet
smile Of complaccnt vanity beaming on his fea-
tures, gave him On aspect almost ludicrousy iemi-
nine.
Col. Bill Borland gazed on this apparition with
inceab,e contempt, and then whispered to his com.
raJcs~-
awe will have Il all our own way, as Houston
has kindly sent us Miss Nancy"
If thc Colonel had Maid more attention to the
man And less 10 the clothing. Ne would, perhaps,
have been led 10 different Conclusion; for there
Was strange light in the vivid blue ewes OF the
stranper-r liVht that went and came at irregular
intervals, like ihe play Of lightning in q summer
cloud, while the corners Of his mouth wore wild,
resolute sneefng expression, betokeninv the oppo-
site Of pliancyy and fear.