Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-09-22

ed room, r. Nsited the abatement Of the rain
to resume his r6sf. Scarcely was he seated
when with onths mingled with the Barking Of
dogs, gigantic fellow dismosntsd az the door,
and throwing his bride rein 20 negro who
accompanied him on another horse, entered the
shauty. booted, spurred, gua a.in.hand aud follow.
ed by pnck Or hunting hounds The few oc
! cupnnts Of the estambiIshtSent Immediately
gave place 10 the intruder with timid Difference
which he received with curt superciliousness
as tho sapefiot man while the obsequieus
host, who seemed afraid Of his guest, fawnipgly
inquired what "the major" would have for bis
refreshnebts at the, same time placing bottle
and clean tumbler, upon the counter. =; Pour
ing out,a full glass Hpd dislodgipg huge auid
Of tobacco from hi6 densely bearded cheeks.
the new eomer proceeded leisursy to swallow
the potion, thean#hile scanping the several oc
eupants OF the roout with d stare which be-
spoke boor a bnlly and a despot. When bis
eye reached young Ts il rested With oon.t
temp,uous leer- upon bis fashionable dress and
equipments, and studied him ffom bat 70 boots in
o manner anything unpleasant to the subject ol
his atten tons, The ewwords which be deiga.
| ed to utter 10 the covering men rouud we're
blunt coHlmon-places, blasted out with profane
edjuncts and the etppbasis OF ono who. defed
contradiction. Hsyiogl lhuished bis glass aud
rep'enished his itiouth with another enormous
wad Of 6ne cut, he commenced walking the
aaor to and from the, corner where our Zero
was sitting, Presently he discharged mouth
full Of saliva so as totdke tic toe Of Us enam-
eledr leather boots. Tie latter. Unwilling to
provoke 80 upeqhal an antagonist, withdrew
lis boot and sat quietly as though regarding
the occurrence as an accident of an unoultivat T.
cd clown, a repetition Of the same act, how
ever, shortly after, ,evercame his prudence, and
springing 70 his feet with his blood boiling, he
faced the giant With" Did you intend TO do
that 2 or course. did, was the sneering re-
ply. What do you mean to do about il That,
answered T., accompanying the word with q
quick, nervous blow of his fist planted just be-
low the lower jaw, which laid the recipient on
the floor.
y,
drew n large knife and rushed toward T., when
a simultaneous movement OF all the company
between the comba tants could scarcely prevent
result which must have left T. gashed and
mutilated corpse. Asionished at bis own
sudacity and inprudcnce, the lattor stood bold
but unarmed and helpless before the inturate
WHO lowered above and gloured like tiger OF
him, viii e endeavorrg to push aside those
who stood in the way of his revenge. Fair play
Major. cried they all the stranger is unarmed
and is no match for you. He has insulted you
and must fight but let il be on an even footing
Well, fix it somehow and that shortly. said the
brute but his hearts blood will have before
quitting the premises. 1t was accordingly re.
solved that the matter should be settled by the
dark room. as tits called which is managed thus
| The parties are placed diagoually opposite
each other 10 the corners of an entirely dark
apartment. furn shed with knife and pistol
each, and then left alone to operate as they
choose. To a nervous man no situation ca.
be more trying. nDd poor It's predicament
was pitiablc in the extreme for, besides bis
naturally nervous temperament, he had the addi.
tional encouragement of being stranger in a
strange land, among rufiaply herd, whose
sympathy with him seemed to be limited TO
the security for him of fair play 10 the pending
encounter. But be lacked not courage. and des.
psrate as was hi' situation. he resolved to brave
everything rather than descend to parley with q
man who sppeared incapable Of any reasoning
save that inspired and administered by violence
He was 10. for it. accepted the situation, and
prepared TO meet 1t ss best he could. The
plsce appointed for the fearfai adjustment OF
the quarrel was the loft Of the shanty. an emp "
room some Is by 25 feet. whose roof met the
plates Of the bSildiog on two aides about tbroe
feet from the Hoor. Openings in each end h
tended for windows we're boarded up tightly
Access to the loft was by ladder aud . trap.
door from the room below P Preparations hav-
Ing been fnished,. the parties ascended. accom-
panied by the host and one or two others 70
see that all was right according to the CO de by
which such proceedings were regulated. The
antagonists were pnsitioned each in his corner,
duly equipped with knife and pistol; then all
the Others descending, the trap door was closed
and the loft left TO its two occupants. to silence
and the-event. The reader can iimagene the
situation better than can portray il. spd will
readily agree that many man, whose codrage
would carry him ,undismayed and even cheer.
fully to storm masked battery in open day
might be pardoned for ,remors of unknown hor
ror amid the silence and the conscious presence
of an unseen foe. whose stealthy approach might
be fist announced by fatal thrust, or bulle,
through the brain. 90 S'li
For, time that seetted terribly long to poor
T. not sound was heard in the chamber Of
ordeal. Every nerve ID his body grew tense
with, excitement, and an updefned fear cansed
every hair ou his head 70 commence assuming
perpendicularity. Too sngrossed with the
strange terror Of bis situation TO act, bis busy
lhonghts were engaged in imDguing what bis
opponent would probably do to obtain, the ad
yaptsge or him until lie became almost fraatic
At length q slight creak Of the aoor bosrde
flashed eOhviciop upQp him that bis enemy ws,
=