Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-06-12
TERMS .s2.oo PER YEAR
WHOLE NO. 1887.

thi uSe Will tHc ucauty dCCuItCy VI q
Spanish guerrilla Being the cLal
ienged party the choice of weapons
was left 10 him and he chose, as
may readily be supposed, his favorile
one, limiting the fight to broadswords
on horseback at close quarters; the
place of meeting to be on the banks
Of the Fevre River somwhere near
the site OF the present Woollen Mills
The affair soon became public and
was bruited over the whole mines.
The bei''gercats were both men of
reputed wealth and standing and one
at least known professional in the
Code D,telto, therefore 1t created at
once wide spread sensation and a
decided interest was Immediately
manifest on all sides.
There being no penal or other law
in force at this time to prevent these
bloody encounters, no place OF pri.
vate meeting was selected and no se-
crecy enjoined. All was done openly
and above board. Here and there
squads OF men might be seen openly
discussing the cause of Ii quarrel,
the Fight and wrong of the issue, the
knowledge each was supposed 10
have in the handling of weapons, the
chances of either's success in winping
or killing his antagonist were talked
about as a matter of common sport.
and each arranged himself upon the
side as be happened to be friend or
foe. The nearest and only law off.
cial in the mines at this time was
Hugh II. Golfer, late Probate Judge
OF Grant county, and he was only a
Justice of the Peace, holding a CON-
mission from Gov. Lewis Cass, of
Michigan, his court Git it had reach.
ed that dignity being held at White
Oak Springs. His business was to
call jury to settle mining claims,
make collections, hold iRquests on
mysteriously dead men, and attend
to such other matters as might afford
liberal compensation for the small
amount of legal stock kept on hand
Police and other preservers of the
public peace being a Ggment of a
more recent civilization, were then
unknown and unneeded. Cabin
doors we're never locked and petit
larcency was a crime that could not
be committed as every man was at
liberty TO walk in and help himself to
whatever could be found or his ne.
cessities might require But to re
turn to my legend. There was no
law IN these days that white men
were bound to respect but the law of
right and justice and woe betide the
man who violated its provisions or
undertook to intercept its execution.
Consequently the preparations for
the meeting to adjust the difficulties
IN this case were uninterrupted.
From the bottom of an old sea
chest. Detan.abar draws forth the
jeweied relic of his young valor
which he has religioasly kept and
guarded all these days, and as he
draws The cleaning blade from the
sheath and remembers the blood
which he has scrupalou-ly wiped
from its shining surface IN former
times, his black eye kndles.
the warm red blood goes bound.
ing through his veins. and once
more be is anxious for the fray.
On this memorable occasion, Free
Williams who does not know Free?
living archaeological monument Of
tho mines standing in Elienboro J
espouses the canse of The French
becomes the friend and adviser of
Detantabar; and in this connection
has given his name to posterty il
not to immortality-iSic itur aStra.
He immediately puts his principal
in training but after few passes
Tin which Free uses an imaginary
sword nshape of walking stick
and becomes hors de combat,) Free
satisfies himself of Detan's ability to
cope with his adversary in the COM
ing struggle and rests upon his lau-
rels.
On cold, bleak, windy morning
in the month of April, in the year
1880, "two hnrsemen might have
been seen" riding ieisurely along
towards the village of Galena. The
mud was worry deep and as yet the
plank road leading out to tho Four
Mile House hal not been built and
for that matter, the Four Mile House.
In the absence of the latter, and the
lack of definite information Is to the
number and distance of "cool
springs" the riders would frequent-
ly halt by tho way side sad refresh
themselves from q willow.covered
flask that zach 10 addition to oth,r
means of defense, carried in a deep
side pocket. The one, of medium
stature and heavy set sparkling
black oycs, aquiiine nose and rudy
complexion, ia none other than the
hero OF the coming fight-Monsieur
DeTantabaraiz, of Paris, Sur le
Platte. He rides his horse like one
accustomed to the saddle. sitting
erect and adjusting himself grace.
fully and easily to tho movements
of his animal as che moves forward
al a gentle pace. The freet ON with
which he converses with his com
panion upon the light topics of the
day, betrays no trepidation of heart
or thought as to the consequences
CT the tragic work in which he is
engaged aud which, if carried out,
10 few hours more, will wrap him
self or fellow mortal In the cold
embrace OF death.
The other mounted on a similar
colored animal which be bestrides
with the freedom of q moss trooper
of the last century when securing
the borders for the Kings red coats,
is no other than our old esteemed
friend Free Williams, of Ellenhoro.
l will not attempt his personal des-
cription, as it is already familiar to
many Of my readers. aud failing in
this, might cast doubt upon other
important bearings of my story and
thus bring discredit upon the whole.
No sword was attached to bis thigh
though the strict laws of duelling
demand that the second should be
armed in like manner to his pTinci-
pal. But Free was never q cavalry
man in Napoleon's army-he had
only been scout in the Black Hawi
War and that hannanad fWn raaxf