Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1873-12-18

most gaudy manner. his long nalr OF
bright golden color waving in curls
around his shoulders, and the sweet
smile of complacent vanity beaming on
his features, gave him an aspect almost
ludicrously feminine.
Colonel Bill Borlin gazed on this ap.
partition with ineffable contempt, and
whispered his comrades-"We will
have it all our own way. as Houston has
kindly sent us a lfiss Nancy :"
If the colonel had paid more atten-
tion to the man, and less to the cloth
ing, he would, perhaps, have been led
to different conclusion; for there was
a strange light in the vivid blue eyes of
the stranger light that went and
came at irregular intervals, like the
play of lightning in a summer cloud,
while the corners of his mouth wore a
wild, resolute, sneering expression, be-
tokening the opposite of pliancy and
fear.
The grand jury being called and
sworn, the Judge commenced his charge,
and at the sound of his voice everybody
started for the tones were shrill as a
trumpet-stern, ringing, imperious,
like the accents of a commander on pa
rade. Having glanced rapidly over the
legal definitions and penalties of crime,
he proceeded to descant on the respon-
sibility of juries to aid in its suppress
sion. His soul appeared to catch elec-
trio fire at the theme-his voice bor-
rowed the rich roll of thunder-his vivid
blue eyes literally blazed with that
| strange light-the wild expression grew
terrible on his writhing lips-and his
| words flew like volleys of burning ar
rows. He painted the horrows of law
less anarchy till the very heart sickened;
he described the beauty of regular gov
| ernment as vision of heaven realized
on earth; and he finally closed with the
bold announcement-"I will perform
my duty. I will put down Lynching
wherever I have the honor of presiding,
or will myself be put in the grave "
"Then, Miss Nancy, take care of your
eyes !" cried hoarse voice, louder and
more menacing than that Of the judge.
Every heart save one shuddered. The
sentence seemed like warning from
eternity-a revelation, as it were, from
the depths of hell.
"Who are you that thus dares to in
terrupt the business of the court:" ex-
claimed Judge Evans, with the grave
majesty of king.
"My true name is Colonel Bill Bor-
lin but most persons call me Death
in the Eye =" was the answer.
"But in law You have another name,"
reiOined Evans, smiling.
"Tell me what it l.; but take good
care of your eyes !" retorted Borlin,
with unspeakable fury.
"It is murderer !" said Evans; and
the smile on his lips, before pale sun
shine, was now wreath of lurid fire.
"You shall pay dearly for that word
within the week !" fairly shouted the
luelist, grinding his teeth like raging
wild beast.
"There is no time like the present"
was the calm reply.
"Nosv ?" interrogated Borlin, as if
loubting the evidence of his ears.
eyes, no,v! if you have the courage
to challenge mo" said Evans.
"I do challenge you," thundered
Borlin.
"And I accept" answered Evans.
Name your seconds"
"We will fight without any"
"The terms ?" asked Borlin, with
signs of ostonisEment.
"On horseback, in the little prairie
west of the village, one half hour from
this, each armed with rs many pistols
and knives as he can procure, or sees
fit to carry" said Evans, apparently
passionless, as if defending motion in
court.
No one but the chief actor in this ex-
traordinary scene uttered syllable, or
offered to interfere, for all saw that
such attempts would be unavailing,
perhaps dangerous to the meddler. One
half hour afterwards the parties met Ill
the little prairie, Which was circular i'll
form, and about three hundred yards
in diameter. BY tacit consent, both
actuated by the same purpose, they as
Sumed their stations i'll the edge OF the
timber on opposite sides. Both wore
strong belts literally stiff with knives
and pistols. Both were mounted on
powerful steeds, but of opposite colors,
that of the Judge being white rs snow
cloud, while the coloneps was black
and glossy rs the wing of raven. The
features of the riders in that race OF
death presented very different types OF
expression. The coionels brow looked
dark as the gloom of tempcst-stern,
lowering, awful =; but the handsome
fucc of the judge WAS gay, smiling,
ioyous-brillian as the sunbeam that
kissed it. The multitude stood around
in the grove, spcechless, almost terri
fed with the scene about to open.
Suddenly the colonel waved n white
handkerchief as the signal that he was
in the act of starting; and swift as
arrows from the bow, terrible as balls
from the cannon's mouth, the two
horsemen, with pistols cooked and flu
gers firm on the trigger, shot towards
each other. When within fifty steps CT
his enemy the colonel halted with sur.
prising dexterity, and crying, i'll loud
tones, "Now take care of your eyes !
leveled, and fired.
At the instant, the Judge urged his
horse to an evolution, as II bounding
over q wall, and the bullet aimed for
his eye struck the silver pommel OF his
saddle, and glanced off without harm.
Continuing bis former velocity, he
passed the colonel within three feet,
discharging his weapon at the others
bosom, but inflicting only slight
wound and then both proceeded to the
opposite sides of the prairie and re-
newed their headlong course. This
time neither halted, but passed, almost