Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-05-20
The TEXAN DUEL.

'fuC QOWu LDat kuite, Of lue COu
sequence be on your own head
Put it down, 1 say and the hand
ofthe speaker slowly and delib
erately raised a revolver.
It was a very anxious moment
for the lockers on. One of the
com batants was q brawny ruftan,
upon whose face was stamped ali
the evil passions of the human race.
Black haired, black bearded, black
eyed, and strong enough to have
felled an OK with a single blow OF
his fist. The other was pale. slen-
der, intellectual looking young man,
boy almost, with light curls and
complexion, and blue eyes.
The scene was in the little to6n
of Washington, on the Brazor
River, in Texas, and the time mid
night.
DO yer know who yer talking
to, boy p was the course aad un-
educated answer of Luke Benton
than whom no gambler in that
vacinity was more detested and
feared.
| A man to whom Gard not with
out reason) was imputed every
crime-even that of murder; who
| was an unIailing shot with the pis-
| tol and rifle, and unmatched in skill
with that strictly border weapon-
the bowie knife. A short residence
in that locality had given him a
reputation as a duelist, for the long
grass Of the Iampas covered the
forms Of two who had fallen by
his hand. Where he came from No
one knew, and he was particularly
reticent about his former life. Still
, it was whispered behind his back
for no one was foolhardy enough
to say it to his face-that he was
one of the very few who escaped
from the terrible Justice of s'Natchez
under the hilll' when the outraged
citizens awoke in their wrath, and
took speedy vengence in their OWE
hands. Be that as it might, he had
already earned name sufficiently
bad to need no additions even where
tbs great majority of crimes were
| looked upon nlightly-making Texas
in its infancy the paradise of scoun
drels.
On the other, his boy. Antagonist
even less was known. 1t was bul
two days since his arrival, and he
| had come on horseback and alone
Of his business he had nothing to
/ say. but his suave manner, and quiet
gentlemanly department had al
ready made him friends among the
better portion of the sparse popula
ton. --=.-,---
Very much to their surprise
therefore, was it that they had seen
him enter into a contest at cards
with the great professional~gsme
sterz Benton, confident that b svouid
either be cheated or bullied out 'of
his money, in case he was zsnccess-
full, which was almost beyond the
range of possibility m re-.
But for two hours the am, had
been progressing. the gamble get
tr g more angry at every deal, and
the youth keeping perfectly cool,
and breathing taunting words, as ii
his object was still further to pro
woke him. III it was his purpose
to do SO, he was more than success
full, for Benton had suddenly sprung
to his feet and draw n his heavy
knife. with an path upon his lips
and murder flashing from his eyes.
Pat down that knife" again re-
peated the young man, Mark White
man, as he had given all to under
stand~was his name.w''Pu it down.
No one but a coward and cheat
would atteml to use such fatal ar
guments in simple game ofchance.
| GER cheat-coward - thundered
Benton, with all bis wrath aroused.