Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-04-21
Selected sNisteIIanu.
THE TEXAN DUEL.

"Put down that knife, or the conse-
ouence be upon your own head. Put 1t
down 1 say" and the hand Of the speaker
slowly and deliberately raised revolver.
1t was q very anxious moment for the
lookers-on. One of the combatants was
brawny rufian upon nwhose face was stamp
ed all the evil passions of the human race.
Black haired, black bearded black eyed
and strong enough was he to have felled an
OK with single blow of his fist. The 9TH
er was pale, slender, intellectual looking
Young man, boy almost, with light curls
and complexion and blue eyes.
The sceoeSwas in the little town OF Wash
lngton, on the Brazos river in Texas and
tho time midnight.
DO you know who yer talking to, boy?"
was the course and 1neducated answer OF
Luke Benton, than whom no gambler in
the vicinity WIS more detested and feared.
A man to whom (and not without reason)
was imputed every crime-even that OF
murder; who was an unfalling shot with
the pistol and rife and unmatched in skill
with that strictly border weapon-the bowie
knife. A short residence in that locality
had given him q reputation as duelist, for
the long grass of the Tempas 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
saw it to his face that he was one Of the
very few who escaped from the terrible JUS
tice of matches unGer the hill when the
outraged citizens awOke in their wrath and
4. i, in tbafr ho 10
BE that as it might, he had already earned
q name sufficiently bad TO need no addi-
tions even where the great majority of
crimes were looked upon lightly-making
Texas in its infancy the paradise of scoun-
drels.
On the other, his boy antagonist even
less was known. 1t was but two days since
his arrival and he had come on horseback
and alone. OF his business he had moth
Jas, ~ aa,, Lut lilo sus.,U l4auHpo-, and uui-
ct, gentlemanly department had already
made him friends among the better por-
ton of the sparse population.
Very much to their surprise, therefore,
was it that they had seen him enter into q
contest at cards with the professional
gamester Benton, confident that he would
either be cheated or bullied out OF his mon
ey, in case he was successful, which was al
most beyond the range of possibility.
But for two hours the game had been
progressing, the gambler getting more an
cry at every deal, and the youth keeping
perfectly cool and breathing taunting
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.
"Put down that knife" again repeated
the young man, Mark Whiteman, as he had
given all to understand was his name. 'Put
it down. No one but acoward and cheat
would attempt to use such fatal arguments
in simple game of chance"
"Er cheat--coward !" thundered Benton
with all his wrath aroused. BY heaven, I'll
make yer eat yer words"
"For fear you do not fully understand,
will repeat them"
eyer dare not /" was hissod from the
more than tightly compressed lips.
Coward cheat dare say anything to
one like you"
"Coward er gin y and his knife flashed
still more wildly round.
In vain the others interfered. They car
ed little for the professional and brutal
gamester, but they did for young White
man, and could not but be surprised at the
almost sublimity of his coolness and BRAY
cry, even though he was counting his own
death.
Something in the manner Of the young
man too, appeared to deeply impress his
antagonist, who had never before restrain
cd his hand from swift vengeance. The
delicate frame trembled not; the sweet,
almost girlish expression upon those mo-
bile lips remained unaltered; the cheeks
were unblanched, and the mild, blue eyes
never sweryed from their steady gaze upon
the fiery black ones. II appeared az If
the serpent and the bird had changed
plac es and the fierce charmer become the
charmed.
"Pshaw p at length continued Luke
Bolton, ~ am fool to take any notice of
or boy who could crush between my
thumb and fingers. Take yer money, ef
yer such er sneak; go back ermong the
women and never dare ter show yor face
ermong men ergain."
'I care nothing for the money" was
still the calm response '1ts nothing TO
me-" ...-...
'What do yer want, them"
'"To prove that you are coward ut
heart
'.No man ever lived that could prove
such or thing"
'''Simply because you murdered them,
Luke Bouton."
"MurderedH But no, III not fight or
BOY"
Because you dare not But YOU shall
iavo no excuse, and Mark whiteman spat
ull in the face Of the blood-stained gam
'ler
In ON instant oil was confusion Benton
prang forward with his knife upraised,