West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-02-22

iouSlngs- The manager told them IN
mouse was full; but that he never turne
travellers away, and if they chose To r.
mann, he would do the best he could fo
them. Dickinson then asked where wa
the next house of entertainment. III
was directed to a house two miles lowe
down the river, kept by William Har
rison. The house is standing. Tn
room IN which Dickinson slept tina
night. and slept the night following. i
Ine one now used by the occupants as ,
dluing-roOm.
jackson ate heartily at supper tina
night, conversing i'm a lively, pleasan
manner, and smoked his evening nine a.
usual. Jacob Smith remembers bein,
exceedingly pleased with his guest. and
on learning the cause of his visit. hearth,
wished him saf- deliverance.
Before breakfast on the next mornipc
the whole party mounted aud rode dowT
the road that wound close along IN,
picturesque banks of the stream.
About the same hour the overseer and
ms gang of negroes went out to the field,
10 begin their daily toll he, longing to
venture within sight of what he knew
was about to take place.
lhe horsemen rode about mile along
! the river; then turned down toward the
! river to point on the bank where they
had expected TO find a ferryman. No
ierryman appearing, Jackson spurreJ
| ms horse into the stream and dashed
across, followed by all his party. They
rode into the poplar forest. two hundred
| yards or less TO spot near the center of
a level platform or river bottom. then
| covered with forest, now smiling with
cultivated fields. The horsemen halted
and dismounted Just before reaching
the appointed place. jackson, Overton
and surgeon who had come with them
from home walked on together, and the
rest led their horses short distance i'm an
opposite direction.
How do you feel about it now, Gen
eral?' asked one of the party as jackson
turned to go.
Oh, all right" replied Jackson.
gayly; shall wing him, never fear"
Dickinson's second won the choice of
position, and Jackson's the office of Civ
ing the word The astute Overton con
Sidered this giving OF the word matter
OF great importance, and he had already
determined how he would give il, if the
lot fell TO him. The eight PAGES were
measured of, and the men placed. Both
were perfectly collected. All the
politenesses of such occasions were very
strictly and elegantly performed. Jack
son was dressed in a loose irock-coat.
buttoned carelessly over his chest, and
concealing in some degree the extreme
slenderness of his figure. Dickinson
was the younger and handsomer man of
the two. Bat Jackson's tall, erect figure.
and the still intensity of his demeanor,
1T is said, gave him most superior and
20 rflrta 10 fafla il I, A
tall poplars on this bright May morn
ing, silently awaiting the moment of
doom.
" Are YOU ready7" said Overton?
" am ready" replied Dickinson.
" l am ready" said jackson.
The words were no sooner pronounced
than Overton, with sudden shout
cried, using bis old country pronuncia.
ton.
"FereW
Dickinson raised his pistol quickly
and fred. Overton, who was looking
with anxiety and dread at jackson. saw
puff of dust fly from the breast of his
coat, and saw him raise his left arm and
place 1T tightly across his chest. He is
surely hit, thought OvertOn, and i'm
bad place too; but no he does not fall
Erect and grim as fate he stood, his
teeth clenched, raising his pistol Over
ton glanced at Dickinson. Amazed at
the unwonted failure of his aim, and ap-
parently at the awful figure and face be-
fore him Dickinson had unconsciOusly
recoiled pace or two.
"Great GOdW he faltered, 'have
missed him?"
Back TO the mark, STRIP shrieked
Overton, with his hand upon his
pistol
Dickinson recovered his composure.
stepped forward TO the peg, and stood
with his eyes averted from hisantago3ist.
All this was the work of a moment,
though il requires many woods to
tell it.
General Jackson took deliberate aim.
and pulled the trigger. The pistol
neither snapped nor went of. He looked
at the trigger, and discovered that il had
stopped at half-cock He drew il back
to it, place, and took aim a second time.
He fired. DickinsOn's face Dianched ::
he reeled his friends rushed toward
him, caught him i'm their arms. and
gently seated him on the ground lean
| ing against a bush His trowsers red.
dened. They stripped off his clothes
The blood was gushing from his side in
torrent. Aud alas here is the ball,
not near the wound, but above the
| opposite hip, Just under the skin. The
ball had passed through the body below
/ the ribs. Such wound could not but
/ be fatal.
Overton went forward and learned the
| condition of the wounded man. Reioin.
ing his principal, he said, lie won't
want any thing more Of you, General u
and conducted him from the ground
They had gone a hundred yards Over
ton walking on one side Of Jackson. the
surgeon on the other, and neither
speaking q word when the surgeon Oh,
served that one Of Jackson's shoes wa.
full Of blood
Ny God General Jackson. ar,
you hitT he exclaimed, pointing TO the
blood
ooh : I believe" replied Jackson
@ that he has pnked me little. let,
look at it. But say nothing about il
there pointing 90 the house.
He opened his coat. Dickinson ain
had been perfect. He had sent the bal
precisely where he supposed Jackson,
heart was beating. But the thinness oI
his body and the looseness of his Goa
combining to deceive Dickinson. the bal