Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-16
The Texan Duel.

quence be upon your head. Put 1t
down, / say" and the hand of the
speaker slowly. and deliberately raised a
revolver.
1t was very anxious moment for the
lookers-on. One of the combatants was
brawpy ruffian upon whose face was
stamped all the evil passions of the hu-
man race. Black haired. black bea ded,
black eyed and strong enough was he to
have felled an Ok with single blow of
his fist. The other was pale, slender. in
telleclual looking Young man, boy almost,
with light curls and complexion and blue
eyes.
The scene was in the little town of
Washington. on the Brazos river in Tex
as, and the time midnight.
ado you know who yer talking to,
boy 2" was the coarse and uneducated an
swer of Luke Benton, than whom no
gambler in the vicinity was more detest-
ed and feared.
A man to whom land not without
reason) was imputed every crime-even
that of muEder; who was an unfailing
shot with the pistol and rifle and un
matched in skill with that strictly border
weapon-the bowie knife. A short res
idence in that locality had given him a
reputation as a duelist, for the long grass
Of tho Tampas 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 enc was foolhardy enough to say
it to his face--that he was one of the
very few who escaped from the terrible
Justice of matches under the hill"
when the outraged citizens awoke in
their wrath and took speedy vengeance
in their own hands. Be that as it might,
he had already earned a name sufficient
" bad TO need no additions even where
the great majority of crimes were looked
upon lightIy-making Texas in its infan
CIV the paradise Of scoundrels.
Of the other, his boy antagonist even
less was known. 1t was but two days
since his arrival, and he bad come on
horseback and alone. OF his business
he had nothing TO say, but his suave
manner. and quiet, gentemanly deport
ment had already made him friends
among the better portion of the sparse
population.
Very much to their surprise, there
fore, was it that they had seen him enter
into a contest at cards with the profes.
sional gamester Benton, confident that he
would either be cheated or bulled out of
his money, in case he was successful,
which was almost beyond the range of
possibility.
But for two hours the game had been
progressing, the gambler getting more
angry Mt every deal, and the youth keep
in. perfectly cool and breathing haunting
words, as if his object was still further to
provoke him. If it was his purpose TO
do so, he was more than successful, for
Benton had suddenly sprung to his feet
and drawn his heavy knife, with oaths
upon his lips and murder flashing from
his eyes.
I" Put down that knife" again repeat
ed the young man, Mark Whiteman, as
he had given all 10 understand was his
name. Put it down. No one but a
coward and cheat would attempt to use
such fatal arguments in simple game of
chance"
" Err cheat-coward p Numbered Ben
ton with all his wrath aroused. By
heaven, I'll make yer eat yer words"
For fear you do not fully understand,
will repeat them"
" Yer dare notr was Kissed from
the more than tightly compressed lips.
"Coward cheat! / dare say anything
to one like you"
Coward err gin!'' and his knife flash
Ell still more wildly round.
In vain the others interfered. They
cared little for the professional and brutal
gamester, but they did for young White
man, and could not but be surprised at
TIE almost sublimity of his GOODNESS and
bravery, even though he was counting his
own death.
Something in the manner of The
young mau too, appeared to deeply i'm.
press his bis antagonist, who had never
before restrained bis hand from swift
vengeance. The delicate frame trem
bled not; the sweet, almost girlish ex-
preston upon those mobile lips remain
ed unaltered; the cheeks were unblanch-
ed, and the mild. blue eyes never
swerved from their steady gaze upon the
fiery black ones. 1t appeared as if the
serpent and the bird had changed places,
and the fierce charmer become the charm.
ed
"Pshaw!" at length continued Luke
Benton, /" l am fool to take any notice
of err boy who l could crush between
| .,,n thnn,h and finnars fHakn M,