Smyrna times., 1876-03-08

mo "elehse III the sneaklng, cunning spirit
OF cowardice, and said:
Come up here, jump my claim, anG
then want me to fight for it, do you? You
can't play that on me-"
You are coward and dare not fieht
, y were my words.
1hls L knew would bring the climax
lis hands and those of his gang went tc
their pistols. But the spirit of manhood
was now uppermQst in the rest of the
crowd. Munse and half dozen Others
Sprang to my side. "No-no-now was
tRe excited cry. "That won't do, Jack
myers. You fight this man fair.n
Is your grave dug?' said he. fallino
back on his only real courage-bravado,
"Well, we'll adjourn to the barley field.m
L must disclaim here any endeayor to
establish q reputation for bravery. 7 am
brave only in streaks, and they are few and
lar between. 1t required generally strong
pressure to bring out what little was in me.
have passed days in mental distress before
l could summon up sufficient courage to 90
through any trying ordeal. have sneaked
away from triVialities--little lions in nv
path-until my despicable estimation of
myself caused me to loathe myself, and vet
at certain times and in certain moods of
mlnd every trace of pusillanimity disan.
peared, and l could look anv noss;biI;tv
IN the face without fear.
Myers was in a trap This was to be his
hrst fair stand-up fight. Hitherto there
mad been considerable method in his desna-
ration. His wonderful quickness "on the
draw and the shoot" had been his secret
OF success. If he struck a man. # was 70
Jump backward almost with the no+;o,,
and the same instant his right hand Voc
drawing and cooking his revolver. He re.
iled on skillful sleight of hand, and used
every effort to induce his victims 70 +bo
commission OF some act which should give
nm Justification for putting it in operation
we arrived at the barley field. On a low
NIL directly in the rear of the ground
CHOSEN for the encounter was the camn
graveyard, small square enclosure. Ont
OF the tall, rank grass rose a few white
head'boards, and in the light of tho fill
moon they stood out in even more nroro;.
nent CHASTITY relief than in the day-tima
The choice of this spotwas accidental Rut
the tallest head-board of all was that of
VIII Lefiingwell, Myers's last victim.
The preliminareis were very simple. We
STOOD twelve PAGES apart, and were to fire
as the master of ceremonies counted tbroo
mad asked Munse to stand as nv second |
at the store merely to test his temner and
'hat OF the crowd. On the ground we dis
pensed with such fashionable formalitv.
1t was but moment given me for rsflec.
uon, as we stood thus facing each otbor
Out IN That moment the silence and splen.
dor OF the night, the great rugged castelIo.
tea peakes-apparently but mile distant.
IN reality twenty-looking sternly down
upon u.s. the monotonous babbline of the
luoiume as it struggled and fretted ovor
ana through broken dam near bv. the
chirplng OF the crickets in the grass. the
huddle OF men silently regarding us. the
"hite gravestones keeping their faithful
watch and ward over the dead : the rnfio,,
confronting me-with his sloucbed hat
gray SHIRT and dirty white canvas pants. on
his face an expression of ANNOYANCE and
7exatlon-all this in that moment was nbo
'ographed on my brain never to be erased
We never fired. l was not To ba +bo
avenger of blood" The fates with their
superior wisdom had decreed more fitting
for Jack Myers. As the word
'One was spoken something between q
ustlc and groan was heard among tho
graves; tall form, clad in black. slowly ,
rose. 1t clung to the pickets and SURVEYED
he party below. The moon sbone full 5
lpon the face, which seemed as white &c y
ne surrounding gravestones. The situo.
ION was such that the eyes of every one v
resent necessarily fell upon the aparition
Which suddenly found voice and v
hrieked: L
Jack Myers, haint ye done killin' yetr' =
Myers uttered yell of fright, dropped a
is pistol, which was dicharged by the fall.
nd broke for the hills. A halfdozen other Q
~
ystanders retreated in various directions
hen came shout of laughter from the =
ooler OF the party, as the voice again cried e
ut: y
" Don't run, boys; don't run. Pm no .
hostyet Don't you know me? I'm Clamn 9 9
old Dick Clamp-just back from Shape- :.
al; back to see the boys"
Dick Clamp had been resident of %
weet's Bar since 1852; he had also been
runk since 1852. Concerning old Dick. 9,
len never thought of remarking, "He's -
rlnklng himself to DEATH" Whisky -
his natural sustenance. He had Al,
le " horrors occasionally, but they agreed y, ~
ith him. He talked of birds, beasts and - -
eeping things around him, but went on -
laking his rocker as usual, and seemed ,"l ~
ltertained by them. He would see a w
ring OF monkeys half mile in length fol. 90 o.,
wing HIM, and regarded them as curiouslv :"
MalaAN