East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-09-02

why so! asked the latter, quietly.
"Because your life will be in dan
GER
"Will they murder me J"
"They will at least insult and chal-
lenge vou, and you will have to run
or fight" t
"Suppose fight, then ?"
"And be killed 2"
81 must take my chance, of course,
/ shall be entitled to the choice of
weapons, at least"
"What then? a? what can you do ?
You are not heavy enough for the
bowie, and your antagonist will be a
dead shot"
"By your leave, he may DO shot
dead himselfw
cha! can you shoot ?"
"With one of my hair triggers, /
can snuff a candle at ten PAGES"
"You amaze and delight mo
Where did you learn TO handle pis-
tol with SO much skill n
" For the last two months j have
been practicing daily, in the woods,
Just out of town, preparing for just
such a crisis in my fate, which L have
all along foreseen."
"By heavensw exclaimed the other
grasping the young mans hand with
increased admiration, i am just be-
ginning to know you, and L am proud
of your acquaintance To tell you
the honest truth, i never suspposed
there was any more fight in you than
in girl of sixteen; and for a young
man TO be challenged in this region
and refuse to fight is to be forever
disgraced; not even the genius of a
Shakespeare, with the wisdom of a Sol
ONION, could give you any more influ-
ence over these people; therefore l
believed you would be compelled to
leave the State"
"Mr. Bradley" rejoined the young
man, with compressed lips, and pc
culiar CLEAN OF his dark blue eye, /
hope and pray it may never be my
fortune to meet an antagonist on the
so-called field of honor but should
such be the case, mark me-l may
fall, but he will die, Let us change
the subject"
The crisis came. Accidentally the
secret was discovered, and in less than
twenty-iour hours Arthur Granger re-
ceived three challenges to mortal com
but from three different parties. He
called upon Mr.. Bradley, his employer,
to act as his friend and second, and
assured him he was ready to fight
them all.
my dear friend" said the Journal
list, grasping his hand, "this is serious
business. These men are all practical
duelists, and considered dead Shots
They intend to kill YOU, that is GER
cain aud, 10 Ice candid, sce but lit
tie hope Of your escaping all three.
am not sure that you should accept
more than one challenge at present.
"Oh, yes-all % returned the young
hero, positively. "pleasc arrange the
first affair for sunrise tomorrow morn
ing-tho second for half an hour later,
and the third for half an hour later
still. If ] escape the first, j shall be
in time for the second and if the
second, the third will not be kept
waiting. If i fall before i give each
IA chance, of course l shall have to be
excused"
Bradley threw his arms around the
neck of the young lawyer and fairly
hugged him, SO great was his admira-
ton of his GOODNESS and courage.
"lf you live through this ordeal,
he said, you can aspire to any office
in the gift of the people of this fight
ing State"
The meetings were arranged accord
ing TO tho wish of Granger, and at the
appointed hour he was on the ground
with his friends and so were his an
tagonists with theirs; and so, iii fact,
was half the excited town Of Little
Rock, who had come out to witness
the fight, see fair play, and, if need
be- take hand on both sides--a part
as friends, and part as foes.
The preliminaries being arranged,
the principals of the first duel were
placed ten PAGES apart.
"Be firm, steady, and fire at the
word y said Bradley, rs he shook the
hand Of Granger, and withdrew.
There were u few moments OF
breathless suspense, and then the ia.
tai signal was given, In an instant
the arms of the combatants were rails.
ed like two levers of iron, and the
next there was a blended report
Young Granger stood finn, with the
blood trickling down his face from &
slight furrow in his forehead, ploughed
by the ball of his antagonist, who al.
ready lay stretched out on the earth
shot through the brain.
"Ilit, but not hurt |" said the young
lawyer, coolly running his finger along
the wound, as his excited friends rush
cd up to him.
Such skill and courage were enough
for even fighting Arkansas. a hun.
dred stalwart men gathered around
our delicate little hero. and swore his
life should not be put in jeopardy
again, to please himself or anybody
else; and placing him upon then
shoulders, they bore him OIL back into
town in triumph, his two waiting an
tagonists no wise regretting the whin
of the spectators that had saved then
from standing before such iata
marksman.
From that day forth, the star o.
Arthur Granger was in the ascendant
He subsequently married a lady o.
fortune, and rose to the highest hon.
ors the State could give him,
Great mental abilities could only be
appreciated in Arkansas when united
with great physical courage, and thcr
the road to distinction lay open TO the
fortunate possessor of both.
Though the names above given are
all fictitious, there are many person:
1;,-;,.. 80, tbo N,rft ,,bo have hoo ~