The Lincoln County herald., 1871-08-03

work. IF his ball missed his adversary's !
heart even the fractioo Of an inch, he
would never make any pretcntioe -
skill again.
The sharp report Of the strangers
pistol was followed by q convulsivo jerk
Of tho Majors arm, causing the discharge
of his weapon far wide Of its mark, while
he, staggering . few PAGES backward, fell
heavily to the ground.
"Conduct mo to him." said the old man
to his friend.
The latter took his principals arm, and
conducted him to the Major, whose sec
ond, kneeling by his side, had torn open
bis garments, exposing to view the fatal
wound in his breast made by the stran-
gers bullet.
"Is your friend seriously hurts" in
quired the latter, coolly.
"You can see for yourself, sir" an
swcrcd the second.
There you are in error" replied tho
other, ~ am totally blind"
The wounded man, who had by this
time revived little, and his second,
looked at the stranger in astonishment.
There was no visible defect in his organs
Of vision but there was fxity Of look
that blending of the eyes on vacancy"
which so unmistakably evinces the
absence Of sight.
"Who are you? and what was your
motive in seeking this encounter ?" the
Major family murmured.
"First are you in condition to renew
| - or oou;rod tho etronUop
"Thcre is no need-I am dying"
"When have told you who am,
the stranger resumed, "you will scarce
require my motive for what have ,ne,
No wonder you have forgotten James
Merton" he continued, "for he is greatly
changed, no doubt"
The dying man started, and groaned
bitterly.
"But l have never forgotten you,
Richard Buford, nor the injuries you
have done me. A cherished daughter
the pride Of my eyos, and the joy of her
mothers heart, you enticed from her
home, deceived by sham marriage, and
then abandoned her to die Of broken
heart. My son, and only remaining
child, 10 q rash attempt to avengc his
sisters wrong, fell victim to your ac
cursed skill. You oven robbed him o.
the ordinary chances Of combat, uneqna
as they would have been, by cncasinl
your cowardly body in concealed armor
The loss of both our children unsettled
my wife's reason, and she died 10 mad
house. Could | have found you then
would have given you no chance for you
life but valiant as you have Away
protessed to be, and coward as you are
!, you feared and ovaded me. Yet l knew
We should one day meet; and I regis
torcd q vow, that whom we did woul'
/, offer you q sacra6ce 10 your internal art
: To this end studied to become an adep
in it, and succeeded. And when, q
y length, blindness cast its shadows upol
me, and seemed to render hopeless tn
:, fulfilment Of my vow, instead of aban
J, doning it, betook myself to anew specie
r Of practice. | sought to make hearin
take the place of sight. Again | sue
Q ccedcd learned to take aim with the ca
Instead of the eye. When hear
), ready to day, l knew the exact dlrcc
e ton in which to point my pistol, as we
as II l n0u seen you. Desiues, cou'
r. hear you breathing where you stoo'
j. You lost your chance in delaying you
10 FIRE. You wished to make sure worl
" and overreached yourself"
More than once the Major looked ap
10 pealipgly at the speakers face but
r. those remorseless, sightless eyes thel
m was no sympathy. And as tho Lahore
'e breathing grew fainter and fainter, Il
ID old man resumed his listening attitud
b At last all was still.
. Gle is dead |" he said and its wont'
l. expression of sober melancholy settled {
ID the old mans face, as, taking his col
It panion's arm, be turned and walked lei
is urely away.
30 80 The following curious anecdote is :
" lated in Painc's "Ri2ht of Man." at pa
GS of the London edition of 1871:
w II will introduce an auecdote which
u had from DR.. Franklin:
''s awhile the Doctor resided in Fran
70, as Minister from America, during I
60 war, he had numerous proposals made
70 10 him by projectors Of every kind W
10 wished to 60 to tho land that fowe
e. with milk and honey, America; a
~ among the rest there was one who Offer
~e -i"salf to be king. He introduced