River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-24


81 meant just what said-notbing
more nor less"
Sand VIII have your life for it, hiss.
ed Casey, drawing his revolver
Jim sprang TO his feet, caught his re
volver and forced its muzzl downward,
at the same time exclaiming My Goo
Casey, what would you do I? You are
letting your animosity carry you entirely
too far. We don't want any shooting
here" Casey struggled desperately to
free bis weapon, but all his efforts were
in vain, for he was held in the iron grasp
Of Gruwell. He then changed his tao
tics, and commenced abusing Blair; he
exhausted his catalogue of oaths in Eng
lish, and then drew ON his list Of oqths
Spanish. This failing in its object, he, as,
last resource, accused him of being a
coward and scoundrel, which instantly
had the desired effect
Bair's fingers twitched nervously at
the handle of his revolver, and at length
he said in a voice husky with rage, "Coi.
Casey, have taken more abuse and in
suit from you since | entered this valley
than any other man in California would
have done, and certainly much more than
should have had not known the truo
state of your mind. | have hoped and
believed that by so dong could avert a
meeting between us. But when ! heard
the terms coward aod scoundrel applied
to me, by you, who have been my fellow
campaigner for SO long, and know how
utterly untrue the charge is, all my reso-
buttons to resis: my true feelings have
been broken. If any other man had called
me coward | would not have fell it half SO
much as when it came from you--yOu
who have battled by my side in all the
terrible engagements we passed through
in Mexico. You forget the day that you
and | and young Halter fought side by
side on the far-faned rocky height in
Mexico, and how we same three suffered
together in a Mexican Dungeon, and how
we were sentenced and made to draw for
our lives, and how you drew the black
bean, the penalty of which was death, and
how Halter and offered TO forfeit our
lives that yours nigh. be splred. You
forget the day we were lying in the bunch
of cbapparral, surrounded by hordes of
yelling savages, and how then and there
we swore eternal fidelity and friendship to
each other in the event of our escape.
You forget all these things and call me a
coward But in reply do not call you a
coward. No. Colonel Casey you are
not coward; you are brave man and
in your bosom there beats as kind and
true heart as ever beat in the breast of
man. You have but one great fault, but
that is an objectionable one, for when I'M
der its influence you would kill your best
friend. Colonel Casey, demand an
apology CT meeting of you Immediately.
Gruwell, you have. always been, friend,
and his, too, believe. Ifyou are still
the best way to show it is TO let bin Free"
a pretty way to show my friendship,
indeed" Jim answered. scornfully. At
length Gruwell. on condition that they
would remain quiet for while, and give
him lime to settle the difficulty, loosened
his hold.
"Blair," said Casey, in order to make
you quarrel vita me called you a COW.
ard. Here, before the ones that heard me
utter the word, renounce it. You are
not coward. That is the only apology
shall offer, for think it is the only apol.
ogy owe you"
" Casey, it would be the happiest hour
of my life if could shake your hand in
friendship once more, but your apology is
not sufficient to stop the duel"
" Il is all | have to offer, and 90 not
want to stop the duel" On the contrary,
| burn for it, and | tell you honestly, that
when we meet, as meet we must, you had
better kill me at the first fire, If you value
your life, or intend to take that life if
it lies in my power to do So"
" So bcit,o assented Blair with groan.
Invain GIuwell and | protested. reas-
oned, entreated, threatened and implored.
Both stood as firm in their intention to
tplll each others blood as the strong peaks
hat stood around them. We then en-
delvored TO have the meeting postponed
until the next day, but without success.
They suspected that steps would be taken
to stop it altogether, and they both daclar-
ed that if prevented now they would meet
again in secret, and that the consequences
would be more fearful than now; when
there were two persons to regulate them
and see that the articles of the duello
were properly observed, il was agreed
that they should fight.
The preliminaries were soon arranged.
The combatants were to use the revolver,
distance. four yards. They were to stand
back to back, and at a given signal, which
was to be the firing Of pistol, they were
TO wheel and fire away at each other, un.
til one or both had fallen. AT this june
ture Casey took a strange fancy into his
head. Nothing would do him but he must
use the disputed pistol in the duel. at
should kill the man." he said who had re-
fused to giyeit up to him the rightful
nMnerr On examination IL Mns nscertnin