The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-11-26
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general iiicredali.y. The story, how
aver, was subsequently, confirmed, and
if certain 81 one sof The most memorable
on record: >s1ccipaotly told, Il was as
follows: A certain man had the misfor--
tune. while in the interior, to offend q
gang of noted desperadoes, five OF whom
pursued him with murderous purpose
down to San Francisco. They found
their prey sitting quietly, on Sunday
morning, in little shop, having his
boots blaoked. Without wasting time,
they announced their intention of killing
him, whipped out their pistols and i'm
mediately began firing. Now, consider
ing the surprise and the relative num-
oers, the chances were at least twenty to
one that the assassins would accomplish
their purpose. All had revoivers, and
all were accustomed to their use. Yet,
astonishing to relate, the hunted man
contrlved to shoot down all five of his
enemies. he was sorely wounded, to be
sure, and lying on the ground when he
fired his lost shot. Indeed, seeing that
tue last of his assailants who showed
fight was still stirring, he dragged him
self up to the wounded wretch, shot him
through the heart, and with the uncouth
exclamation. "I've cooked him u fell
back 1nsensible. The whole scene forci-
bly illustrated the fact that in encoun-
ters OF this sort the chances are infinite,
and that superior steadiness of nerve
may get the better of almost any nu-
merlcal odds. When the Three Guards
men OF Dumas win their victories over
whole battalions of foes, the reader
smiles with incredulity and yet there
1s hardly anything in the pages of the
most forid Of romances to exceed the
exploit of this hardy frontiersman, who,
we believe, still survives to tell his ad-
venture.
By the waters of stream called Var
ner's River, in Southeast Missouri,
tragedy was enacted on Friday last, diff
ferent from this, but almost as remarka-
BILE. The hero, Anderson Sheppard, is a
we'll known old hunter of tho neighbor-
hood, who, from the accounts, might
sit for portrait of Leather Stocking.
He Is si1ty-five years of age, but power
ful and elastic still, and a man of noted
courage and resource. Between Shep-
hard and some trappers who frequented
the river, an old feud existed. On Fri
day three OF these persons, occupying n
boat, approached the old hunters skiff,
and apparently without warming, one of
the party raised his rifle and fred. Shep-
hard's right arm fell, broken, by his aide.
With most men this would have decided
the contest, and among men of sixty five
perhaps not one in O million would have
continued it. But Sheppard grasped
his rifle, rested it on the side of his boat,
and in the twinkling Of an eye, shot his
assailant dead. The two others then
opened fire briskly upon him, he having
discharged his only barrel. With his
teeth and left hand he manged, notwith-
standing, to load his weapon and reply.
The battle lasted for some time, but it
ended by the old mans killing both his
enemies and reaching the shore, after re-
ceiving Seoen bullets in his limbs and
body. He is now lying, according to
the telegraph, in critical condition,
but it is believed that he may recover.
The pluck and endurance of man who,
at sixty five, with his best arm broken,
thus successfully struggled with three
able-bodied foes, is perhaps unparalleled.
Cooper makes Natty Bumpo do great
things, but certainly mono more aurpris-
ing than this feat of Anderson Sheppard; (;
and we have heard of no Indian warrior
who, either in fact or fiction, has dis
played more heroic fortitude and resolu-
ton.
JOSH BILLINGS ON THE EFFEM1NATE
MAN.-The effeminate man is weak
poultice He is cross between O root
beer and ginger-pop with the cork left
ont froSh->y0tar Darmni1 found in a