The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-06-25
THE TEXAN DUEL


THE TEXAN DUEL.
"Put down that knife, or the con-
sequence be on your own head. Pu
it down, l say p and the hand Of The
speaker slowly and deliberately rails.
ed revolver.
1t was a very anxious moment fol
the lookers-on. One Of the combat
ants was a brawny ruhian, upol
whose face was stampe all the evi
passions Of the human race. Blacl
haired, black bearded, black eyed
and strong enough to have felled al
OK with a single blow of his fist
The other was a pale, slender, intel
lectual looking young man, boy al.
most, with tight curls and complex
ion, aud blue eyes.
The scene was in the little town o
Washington, on the Brazos River, il
Texas, and the time midnight.
"Do you know who yer talking to
boy ?" was the c1arse and unedueatet
answer of Luke Benton, than whom
no gambler in that vicinity was NOR
detested and feared.
A man to whom (and not with ~
reason1 was imputed every crime
even that Of murder; who was an un
failing shot with the pistol aud rife
and unmatched in skill with tina
strictly border weapon-the bow.
ie-knife. A short residence in tina
locality had given him a reputation
as a duelist, for the long grass of the
Tampas covered tie forms Of two who
had fallen by his hand. Where hc
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 faee-that he
was one of the very few who had es-
capped from the terrible justice Of
"Natchez under the Hill" when the
outraged citizens awoke III theiI
wrath, and took speedy vengeance in
their oTn hands. Be that as it might
he had already earned a name sufii-
ciently bad to need no additions even
where the great majority of crimes
were looked upon lightly-making
Texas in its infancy the paradise OF
scoundrels.
OF the other, the boy antagonist,
even less was known. 1t was but
two days siLee his arrival, and he had
come on horseback and alone. Of
his business he had nothing to say,
but his grave manner, and quiet,
gentlemanly department had already
made him friends among the better
portion of tho sparse PsPuIativn.
Very much to their surprise, there
fore, was it that they had seen him
enter into a contest at cards with the
great professional gamcster Benton,
confident that he would either be
cheated or bullied out of his money,
IN case hewas successful, which was
almost beyond therange ofpossibility.
But for two hours the game had
been progressing, the gambler getting
more angry at every deal, and the
youth keeping perfectly cool, and
breathing taunting words, as if his OBJ
iect was still further to provoke him.
IF it was his purpose tOdo SO, he was
more than successful, for Benton had
suddenly sprung to his feet and drawn
his heavy knife, with an oath upon
bis lips and murder flashing from
his eyes.
"Put down-that knife" again re-
peated the young man, Mark White
man, as he had given him to under
stand was his name. "Put it down
No one but a coward and a cheat
would attempt to use such fatal argu-
nents in simple game of chance"
"Eh! cheat-coward !" thundered
Benton, with all his wrath aroused
by heaven, I'll make yer cat yer
"For fear you do not fully under
stand, l will repeat them"
"Yer da:e notr' was hissed from
The more than tightly compressed
lips.
Coward er gin?" and his knife
flashed more wildly around.
In vain the others interfered.-
They cared little for the professional
and brutal gamester, but they did for
young Whiteman, and could not but
be surprised at the almost sublimity
Of his GOODNESS and bravery, even
though he was courting his own
death.
Something in the manner of the
young man, too, appeared TO deeply
impress his antagonist, who had new
er before restrained his hand from
swift vengeance. The delicate frame
trembled not; the sweet, almost girl
ish expression upon those mobile lips
remained unaltered; the cheeks were
and the mild, blue eyes
never swerved from their steady gaze
upon the fiery black ones. 1t ap-
peared as if the serpent and the bird
had changed places, and the fierce
,harmer become the charmed.
"Pshaw!" at length exclaimed
Luke BeutOn, 81 am & fool to take
my notice of er boy who l could
crush between my thumb and fingers.
Fake yer money, efyer such a sneak;
20 back ermong the women and new
n dare ter show yet face ermong men
lgain."
Il care nothing for the money"
vas the still calm response. ats
nothing to me"
"What do ye want, then?"
''To prove that you are coward at
ieart."
"No man ever lived that could
,rove such thing"
simply because you murdered
hem, Luke Benton"
"Murdered? But no, I'll not fight
IT boy"
because you dare not. But you
hall have no excuse, and Mark
Yhiteman, spat full il the face Of the
gambler.
IL an instant all was confusion.
Benton sprang toward with his knife
lpraised, and would have cut down
lis insulter with a blow. But others
nterfered- They realized that blood
must be shed, but they insisted upon
air play" Even in the horrible
,ode Of Texas duelling they deman
led that the rules Of hOnor() should