The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-07-25
Duel With an indian.

Those were lively times on the Verdi
gree. The redskins had sent us their
utmatum. There sat their envoy extra
ordinary, half naked, on his NANCY stced,
armed and equipped tor war, and erect
and dimperturbable as Bismarck The noon
dav breeze lust moved his trailing scalp
lock, else he might have passed for a
painted statue Herndon sat on hewn
slab of oak, beating the ''long roll" with
the fragments Of a broken ramrod. and
laughinglv commanded us to fall into line
But we had no tritiing matter before u.s.
Early that morning we had spurred our
ponies through the crystal tide of the
| and after exploring one of the lovcliest
valleys that ever charmed the eye of man.
had each selected prolific tract of land
and determined to settle there for life
The forenoon had been passed in cutting
| timber for our cabins. But the Jealous
Osa@es had resented our summary pro
ceedings, and had despatched us a per-
emptOry summons to retire across the
river, orpay hepenaltyo of noncompliance
with our lives
"Won't YOU just be kind enough to ride
out to that there mound there ?" said Ben
the black-moustached MiSsouritn. to the
vermillion- -daubed savage, who partially
understood English. eve want to talk
this here thing over a little" And he
pointed to Il spot about thirty yards distant
as though he expected his request to be
Immediately oheved. Wheeling his chlrg-
er gracefully, the Indian acceded without
a word.
Our whole civil and military force had
been mustered for the occasion. There
We're six of us. We were all Young and
vigorous every man had seen service and
that of the rougheSt kind. We held an
impromptu council OF war.
"What do YOU thinl, we'd better do,
bows 81 inquired Ben, nonchalantlv.
A silence ensned each waited for the
other to speak first. At last reXcen ven
tured to express an opinion What his
true name was | never learned. From
"TeXan,' the frontier lingo had metamor-
phosed his title into "Texican." and bv
that anomalous sohriquet we knew, re-
spected and called him
''lm IN for fight boys" " said he ''this
here land can't be beat nowhere; lis A a..
number One. And they amt got any bet
ter right to it than we have; and, besides
that, they amt give rs a decent invitation
To leave 1t wouldn't do for rs 10 travel
OIL on terms like these" And with a
grating oath he Swore he'd die in his boots
before he'd get out of the way of Il set of
greasy OsareS. He shot 'rm ANYHOW.
every chance he got. Three seasons pre-
cedin@ the Camanrhes had scalprd his
father on the sold Texas line. and blain-
ed his sister with a war club. We eN-
pected him TO talk in Just this STYLE
''You just settle the matter for Your
selves. BOYS, whatever it's to be-" inter
posed the Missouriam, yawning, as though
nothing more than an every day dilemma
a mere deal in ''poker'' To he de
cidcd
''lt's all very we'll 10 talk about lighting
il out, remarked Cotton "and it's likely
that we've got rs much sand in our crawS
as any of 'em, httt what can six of us do
against three or four hundred | don't
like the way they talk, myself; but the
game is all in their own hands, and they
know it. | had all the fighting wanted
in the war. shooting you Texas fellows,
and don't want any more of it, if | can
help it. We might throw our logs together
and hold our own till morning; but it
would turn out an ugly scrape before we
Il
drop of water, and we'd soon run ont of
provisions, and they'd dance over our
bones in forty-eight hours. If the rest of
You want to fight, why, fight it is; but |
think we'd better 90 a little slow"
He was Young, blue-eyed, flaXen-hair-
ed, Minneso'ian, and the border rul1ians
gave him the credit for being cas- cool as
a wedge. and sharper than steel"
'I'll tell YOU what Pm in for" said ''In-
diana eve generally went by the
names of our native States.) We're all
vets in this military business, and we want
to usea little strategy with the vaeahonds
They've insulted us, and for one, | don't
feel like falling back without burning pow
der But it's Just as Minnesota says. We
cant fight 'em all to any purpose. But we
may beat 'em after all Now move that
Wen pick our man, and they'll pick theirs
and let the two shoot it out If their man
wins, we'll evacuate; if ours wins, Wen
stay"
This novel proposition suited every one,
lIerndon amended it by suggesting that
we should cast lots for the championship,
and that the fight should take place with
rifles at twenty PAGES This was declared
to be "gettlng the thing into shape" and
we cordially agreed to it. Ben arose, and
motioned importantly to the envoy. That
nude parsonage gravely rode up, received
our reply with stolid decorum, and was
out Of sight in minute,
"We'd better load up again in the mean
time, boys" remarked Indiana, '.for if it
don't suit 'em they'll be after us in short
order"
The idea was voted ''not bad" and we
not only charged our rifles and revolvers.
but flung our logs together in such man
ner as to form a very efficient defence if
required. Herndon then built fire, pro
cured water and commenced cooking din
ner. In abont twenty minutes the envoy
returned. Onr proposition had met with
great favor he briefly informed us; but
would not be accepted unless the distance
was shortened to ten PAGES. He also eX
pected that the fight would continue until
one OF the principals was killed, and that
knives or tOmahawks be allowed to be
used after the discharge of the rifles
That's pretty close quarters, boys
commented Ben. II pot u SLUG once on