The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-04-16
StlttttN IlisteIIann.
TILE TEXAN DUEL.

"Put down that knife, or the conse-
auence be upon your own head. Put IL
down. 1 saw" and the hand Of the speaker
slowly and deliberately raised u revolver.
1t was a very anxious moment for the
lookers-on. One Of the combatants was a
brawny rufian upon whose 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 a single blow Of his fist. The 9TH
er was a pale, slender, intellectual looking
young man, boy almost, with light curls
and complexion and blue eyes.
The scene WAS in the little town Of Wash
inpton, on the Bnzos river in Texas, and
tbr time midnight.
do YOU know who yer talking 20, boy?"
was the course and uneducated answer Of
Luke Benton, Than whom no gambler in
the vicinity was more detested and feared.
A man to whom (andnot without reasonl
was imputed every crme-eyen that Of
murder; who was an unfalling shot with
the pistol and rife aud unmatched in skill
with that strictly border weapon-the bowie
knife. A short residence in that locality
had given him q reputation as o duelist, for
the long grass of the Tempas covered the
forms of two who had fallen by his hand.
Where he came from 10 one knew, and he
was particularly reticent about his former
life. Still Il was whispered behind his
back, for no one was foolhardy enough 20
say il 10 his hce-that he was one Of the
very few who escaped from the terrible JUS
tice Of matches unCer the hill, " when the
outraged citizens awoke in their wrath and
took speedy vengeance in their " hands.
BE that as II might, he had already earned
n name sufficiently bad 10 need no addi-
lions 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. It was bat two days since
his arrival, and he had come on horseback
and alone. OF his business he had moth
ing to say, but his suave manner, and quiz
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 haunting
words, as if his object was still further to
provoke him. If il was his purpose to do
so, he was more than successful, for Benton
had suddenly sprung 10 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
il down. No one but a coward and a cheat
would attempt TO use such fatal arguments
in a simple game of chance"
"Er cheat-coward r Numbered Bentor
with all his wrath aroused. By heaven, II
make yer eat yer words"
'For fear you do not fully understand,
will repeat them.
eyer dare not r. was Missed from tn,
more than tightly compressed lips.
Coward cheat l dare say anything h
one like you"
Coward er gin r and his knife flashed
still more wildly round.
In vain the others interfered. They car
cd little for the professional and bruta
gamester but they did for young White
man, and could not but be surprised at tn,
almost sublimity of his GOODNESS and BRAY
cry, ven though he was counting his owl
death.
Something in the manner of the younJ
man too, appeared TO deeply impress hi
antagonist, who had never before restrain
ed his hand from swift vengeance. Tn,
delicate frame trembled not; the sweet
almost girlish expression upon those mo
bile lips remained unaltered; the cheeks
were unblanched,. and the mild, blue eyei
never swerved from their steady gaze upoI
the fiery black ones. IL appeared as il
the serpent and the bird had changed
places, and the fierce charmer become the
charmed.
"Pshaw r at length continued Luke
Bolton, 81 am q fool to take any notice Of
ef boy who / could crush between my
thumb and fingers. Take yer money, 81
yer such or sneak; go back ermong the
women and never dare ter show Yer face
ermong men ergain."
81 care nothing for the money" was
still the calm response. .Its nothing to
me-
''What do yer want, thenT
$40 prove that you are q coward at
heart
''No man ever lived that could prove
such -er thing" r.
Simply because you murdered them,
Luke Bouton."
'MurderedS But, no, I'll not fight err
boy sn
because you dare not, But you shall
have no excuse, /" and Mark Whiteman spat
full In the face Of the blood-stamed gam
biar. TEaENA asaN 40 uf 1000
In an instant all was confusion. Benton
sprang forward with his knife appraised,