The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-04-11
The Duel for the Daughter.

Many years ago, Nose Miller common.
ly called "Old Nose" resided in the
cOdh.y Of Neuces, in Western Texas,
some half dozen miles from the village Of
Corpus Christi. then the glorious cloud
castle and darling dream of its imagna-
tive builder, Colonel Kinney. And tru.
ly to the eye of The traveller. the smiling
face of the country wears the most vari-
ed charms, like vision of encbantment
Around, from the beautiful we:ets of
the bay. In every direction sweeps an i'm
measurable sea Of prarie sparkling with
golden flowers, such as no garden ever
planted by human hands might equal, as
iull Of island groves as the summer sky is
of stars. The genislity Of the climate
rivals but cannot surpsss, the loveliness
Of the landscape. for in the fiery months
of July and August the air is famed by
the cooling winds of ba!my breezes from
the gulf, and in winter the winds are soft
and mild as the vcrnal zcphyrs Of north
ern latiludes.
But alas the character Of the first in.
hati,ants presented gloomy contrast 10
the peaceful and picturesque scenery Of
their rural home, where all save man ap
peared poetical and divine. The region
being cut off, and in manner isol.ted
from even the wild civilization of Texas
by an Almost impossible desert embracing
hundreds of miles, was sort of ultima
thule, beyond The reach of law or any
other rule Of civil jurisdiction, and hence
it becama the ss sylum Of refugees and ro'
vers from all parts OF the world. Never
theless it would be unjust to represent
the whole, or a majority Of the popula'
ton as a miscellaneous mass of thieves
and murdrrers. Many of them were hon
est traders, hunters and herdsmen, while
a large class had sought the solitude o.
this remote wilderness from the pure love
of adventure and the passion for fetter
less freedom. and some had been actuated
altogether BY thar genuine American in
slinct for wandering, like migratory birdI
restless, burning. Unsuitable desire tt
penetrate space and know all the strange
things in nature. -t'
Among the rich variety OF striking
characters contained within the circle o
the settlement, not one could be mention
ed 50 deeply defined and strongly color
ed as that Of old Miller.
At the period when the esen!s happene,
which am about 10 relate he had al:ead
seen sixty summers Of laborious life, an
yet he seemed healthy, vigorous and &C
tive as il only in the power and passion
ate activity OF youth. His form WAS tai
firm, apd straight as an arrow. with lea
but massive limbs and muscles, tha
looked tough as iron, while his rapi
leet, humping the earth scotniuhy, as
conscious of their strength. rebounfe
bravely. with the springy ease and ela'
ticity Of boyhood. You could percei,
no signs of decay, no single token Of sci
ility, in his motious or figures.
1t is true his visage had been furrowe
eefby numerous lines in crooked curves an
i sharp angles, but such marks appeare
so natural, and his completion had sue
aruddy glow, like the early flush of juv'
nile blood, and his .counteDance SCENE
so bold, reckless. and free from thought
tinge Of care that the observer forgot h
r hoary locks and bebeld nothing but IL
. indications Of vivid manly force and fiel
4 feelings. ~
A philosopher scanning this @aiq'
specimen Of humanity in the backwooc
: would probably have drawn the hasty il
\ ference that the sexegenarian had passt
bis many years in idle rePose and utt
tranquility; than such red merry visat
had seldom been distorted by rage. I
i, that those yellowish gray eyes. twinklir
with fun and brimming with laughte
n had ever flashed the lurid lightnmgs
% horrible hatred and fearful anger.
lc But the facts Of his biography belle
r the fables Of hypothesis. Moses Mill
I. had followed the ever receding 'front.'
:; step by step from the day of his majOri
70 q as his father had done before him II
scheme Of action was extremely simpl
OF and proved very successful. He wou
settle down in some lonely forest or u