Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-01-23
q meant just what | said nothing

/ Il meant just what l said-nothlng
more nor less.'
"And Will 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 exclaimlng "My Goa
Casey, what would you do? You are
letting your animosity carry you entirely
too far. We don't want any shooting
here" Casey struggled desperately to
! free his 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 oaths
Spanish. This failing in its object, he, as =,
last resource, accused him of being
coward and scoundrel which instantly
had the desired effect.
Biair's fingers twitched nervously at
the handle of his revolver, and at length
he said in voice husky with rage, "Col.
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 true
state of your mind. | have hoped and
believed that by SO dong could avert a
meeting between us. But when | heard
the terms coward and 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-
lutions to resis: my true feelings have
L., 6 In,. l. nu,D al
me coward would not have fell it half SC
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 Haller fought side by
side on the iar-fanled 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 10 forfeit our
| lives that yours nigh. be spared. You
forget the day we were lying in the bunch
of chapparral, surrounded by hordes of
yelling sav,iges, 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 Il
coward But in reply dopot call you a
coward. No. Colonel Casey you are
not u 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 or IA meeting Of you Immediately.
Gruwell, you have, always been my.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, "iu order to make
you quarrel win me called you u 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"
1t is all have to offer, and do 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 be IT, assented Blair with groan.
In vain GIuwell and protested. reas-
oned, entreated, threatened and implored.
Both stood AS firm in their intention to
| tpill each others blood as the strong peaks
hat stood around them. We then en-
deayored to have the meeting postponed
until tho 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, it was agreed
that they should fight
Inv pIcliutlh"liSo Ncic sum 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 a pistol, they were
TO wheel aud fire away ut each other, uu-
til one or both had fallen. at this iunc
ture Casey took strange fancy into his
head. Nothing would do him but he must
uSeythe disputed pistol in the duel. alt
should kill the man. he said who had re-
fused to giveit up to him the yighttul
owner On examination it was ascertain,
ed that the bullets OF the other pistols
would tit this one, so it was loaded and
! placed in his hands
! They tOOk their rlares aud ,rara wait