The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-11-11
blight, a damper on the hitherto invin-

blight, damper on the hitherto irwin
cible Myers.
Well, gentlemen," | continued
"you will drink with me, will you not
I'm not the chief yet. I'm not going t,
try and force you to drink against you
wishes. But we must be quick, for W.
have business to attend to-"
They crowded about the bar, but il
silence, broken only by the clink of the
glasses. Myers, whose surprise and in
ward wavering had been but moment
ary, and who perceived that even his
own men regarded him curiously, now
suddenly found his defense in the sneak
ing cunning spirit of cOwardice, and
said:
"Come up here, jump my claim, and
then want me to fight for it, do you!
You can't play that on me-"
"You are a coward, and dare not
fight fairl" were my words.
This | knew would bring the climax.
His hands and those of his gang went
for their pistols. But the spirit of man.
/ hood was now uppermost in the rest of
the crowd. Munse and a half dozen
others jumped to my side. No-no-
mol" was the excited cry. "That won't
do, Jack Myers. You fight this man
fair!"
"Is your grave dug?" said he, falling
back upon his only real courage-the
spirit of intimidation and bravado
well, We'll adjourn to the barley
field"
must disclaim here any endeavor to
establish reputation for bravery. |
am brave only in streaks, and they are
few and far between. 1t required gen
orally strong pressure to bring out what
little was in me. / have passed days in
mental distress before | could summon
up sufficient courage to 90 through any
trying ordeal. | have sneaked away
from trivialities lions in my path
until my despicable estimation of my
self caused me to loathe myself, and yet
at certain times and in certain moods
of mind every trace of pusillanimity dis
appeared, and l could look any posi-
bility in the face without fear.
Myers was in a trap. This was to be
his first fair stand-up fight. Hitherto
there had been considerable method in
his desperation. His wonderful quick
ness ''on the draw and the shoot had
been his secret of success. If he struck
a man, it was to jump backward almost
with the motion; at the same instant
his right hand was drawing and cooking
his revolver. He relied on a skillful
sleIght of hand, and used every effort to
induce his victims to the commission of
some act which should give him justili-
cation for putting it in operation.
We arrived at the barley field. On a
low hill directly in the rear of the
ground chosen for the encounter was
the camp graveyard, a small square in
closure. Out of the tall, rank grass
rose a few white head-boards, and in
the light of the full moon they stood out
in even more prominent ghastly relief
than in the daytime. The choice of
head-bOard of all was that of VIII Lef-
fingwell, Myers's last victim.
The preliminarieS were very simple.
We stood twelve PAGES apart and were
to fire as the master of ceremonies
counted three. | had asked NIunse
to stand as my second at the store mere
ly to test his temper and that of the
crowd. On the ground we dispensed
with such fashionable formality.
1t was but moment given me for re-
Election, as we stood thus facing each
other, but in that moment the silence
and splendor of the night, the great
rugged castellated peaks-apparently
but a mile distant, in reality twenty
looking sternly down upon US, the mo-
babbling of the Tuolumne as
it struggled and fretted over and
through a broken dam near by, the
chirping Of the crickets in the grass, the
huddle of men silently regarding us, the
white grave-stones keeping their faith
full watch and ward over the dead, the
runian confronting me--with his slouch-
ed hat, gray shirt, and dirty-white can
vas pants, on his face an expression of
and veXation-all this in that
moment was photographed on my brain
never to be erased.
We never fired. was not to be the
g avenger of blood" The fates with
their superior wisdom had decreed a
more fitting punishment for Jack Myers.
As the word "Onen was spoken, some
thing between a rustic and a groan was
heard among the graves; the next, a
tall form, clad in black, slowly arose
1t clung to the pickets and surveyed the
party below. The moon shone full up
on the face, which seemed as white as
the surrounding grave-stones. The situ-
alton was such that the eyes of every
one present necessarily fell upon the ap-
partition which suddenly found a voice
and shrieked:
Jack Myers, hain't ye done KILN
yet?"
Myers uttered yell of fright, drop
ped his pistol, which was discharged by
he fall, and broke for the hills. A
other by-standers retreated |
n various directions. Then came |
shout of laughter from the cooler of the
party, as the voice again cried out:
"Don't run, boys; don't run. I'm no
yhost yet! Don't you know me? I'm
Clamp old Dick Clamp-just back
rom Shanghai; back to see the boys"
Dick Clamp had been a resident of
Swett's Bar since 1852. He had also |
1een drunk since 1852. Concerning old !
Dick, men never thought of remarking,
'he's drinking himself to DEATH"
Whisky seemed his natural sustenance.
lie had the horrors" occasionally, but
hey agreed with him. He talked of
birds, beasts, and creeping things
around him, but went on shaking his
'ocker as usual, and seemed entertained
~ them. DHe would see a string of
monkeys half-mile in length following
lim, and regarded them as curiously as
f they had not been the unnatural crea-
ureS of a whisky-steeped brain. Grows
md ravens fluttered into his cabin, perch
NC on his bed and table, and he swOre
It them. Men also followed him about,
haking their fists at him, threatening
lin with drawn weapons, gibbering,
in his ear at night, talking
without his cabin in low tones, plotting
o kill him. "They worried me some
It first" said Dick; "I'm used to 'em
low. Snakes, that's all; got up one
light and followed a crowd on 'em way
rom here to Marsh's Flat. They were
roing to burn down the Bar. When |
rot 70 tho Flat they ScOOtpd over tho |