Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-09-06

Estate Bank"
This was intended by the mover merely
fas jest, to throw ridicule on the compli
Gated machinery of Roberts bill, and ac.
cordingly it excited general smile But
very different was the effect on Mr.. Speak
er Wilson, President of the Real Estate
Bank. He saw 6t to interpret the amend
ment as the deadliest insult
glanced towards the honorable Chair
man, expecting to see him enjoying the
Joke; but the moment beheld his counte-
nance, | was absolutely Mortified at its sa-
wage expression. His face was of ashy
lips, as if in devilish mockery of malice,
sat that grim, snake-like, writhing smile,
which merely moved the curled mouth
spreading no further, nor affecting any
other feature = that significant smile of
murder so peucliar to almost the whole
class of desperadoes, when about to do
some deed of death. There was, however,
brief space for speculation as to physiog-
nomic signs for hardly had the offensive
words left Anthonys lips, when Wilson
sprang to his feet and imperiously ordered
the other to sit down.
Anthony, manifesting no token of either
surprise or alarm, replied mildly, that he
was entitled to the floor
''Sit DOWN. Wilson repeated, and this
time in a shout like thunder
81 am entitled to the floor, and will not
resign it, said Anthony, apparently with
out anger, buIgiving back look of calm,
immovable resolution.
Speaker Wilson then left the chair, drew
his bowie knife, descended the steps of the
platform, and slowly and deliberately ad-
vanced through the hall some forty feet
in the direction of his foe--all the while
that CHASTITY horrid smile, coiling up his
pallid lips, and his ears moving backwards
and forwards, with those strange, short
sharp vibrations which had won for him
long before the nickname of cold Horse
Ears"
As anthony was generally considered a
coward, when the spectators beheld the far
famed and all-dreaded duelist advancing
upon him with uplifted blade, glancing a,
loft in the air, as ready for the fatal blow,
all supposed that the reputed craven would
flee in terror from his place. No one be-
lieved that he was armed, or that he would
fight under any circumstances, or with
any odds of position or weapons. But in
this opinion everybody was mistaken, and
no one, perhaps, more so than his infuri-
ate adversary. While that ferocious man
was coming towards him, he stood calm and
motionless as pillar of marble. His col
or did not change one shade. All his
limbs were rigid as iron. His only evi-
dence of unusual emotion was copious
ef1ux of tears AT the sight of this we
all shuddered, for then we knew the weep,
er would conquer or perish. In the backss
woods experience has demonstrated two
unmistakable tokens of thorough despera-
tiOn-frozen smiles and hot gushing tears;
and tears may always be regarded as far
the most dangerous Such conclusion
was verified fully in the present instance
for as soon as the Speakerapproached with
in ten feet of his weeping enemythe latter
suddenly unsheathed bowie knife from
his bosom, and stepped boldly forward to
the profered battle. And then commence
ed a struggle for life and death-the most
obstinate, bloody, and frightfully protrac-
ted ever witnessed it the Southwest.
Wilson's knife was long, keen, and SO
highly polished that you might see your
self in the reflection of the smooth, bright
surface, as in the most perfect looking
glass-the image being an extremely small
miniature, so symmetrical was the round
ing of the fine glittering steel. On each
side of the flashing blade was picture
fac sinaile of the other, wrought in exqui-
site gold enamel, of two Indians in their
wild, native costume, engaged in morta
combat with bowie knives.
The weapon of Anthony was of the lar
gest size of the class called in that country
Arkansas tooth-picks," the most murder
Gus implement of destruction before which
human eye ever quailed. On one side
of its broad cleaning blade was the pictur,
of fight betwixt a hunter and blacl
bear. The bear seemed to be squeezing
; the man to death in its iron hug, while h
was fercely digging at the shaggy mons
t ter's heart with the point OF his knife.
Such devices are common on the arms o
the most notorious desperadoes ON the from
} tiers, and are the objects of as intense
, pride to their owners as were the iasignit
of the most exalted chivalrylto the knight
r of the heroic ages. For all men are po
cts and the idea seeks forever more +
render itself incarnate in the materia
= form-to speak in knowing signs to tn
D senses. Destructiveness will have its i'm
/ ages as well as Devotion
. Wilson made the first pass-a determi
, ned thrust aimed at the pit of his antago
nist's stomach, which the other dexterous
S ly parried. For time both parties tough
? with admirable GOODNESS, and such consuul
e mate skill, that only slight wounds wer
;. inflicted, and those on the head and face
y whence blood began to trickle freely. An
still-ominous and awful vision--while th
+ contest ragged, the opposite and characters
a tic signs of desperation remained fixed
n sculptured by the hand of horrible ver
L geance in either countenance. The col
n smile, now converted into fendish gri
a of immeasurable malice, still fingered 0
2 Wilson's livid lips and the tears still floV
IL q.