The Republican journal., 1881-05-19


'and she could love me, | am certain,
were it not for you.'
| raised my hand to strike him down,
and the muzzle of revolver, the butt of
which was in his hand, deferred me.
stepped back a couple Of PAGES.
'I have thought this matter over" he
continued, lowering the revolver, "and
have determined that one of us must die.
| could have shot you down any night
and none could have been the wiser, but
| am frank enough to make you propo-
| sitiOn.'
"But | shall offer no objection to your
marrying Miss" | said, hurriedly.
"She is nothing more than a dear friend
to me. Go ahead and win her, man. |
thought that he was not in his right
mind.
NO." said he slowly, and with deter
mination; "this world is not large enough
for we two men. | will kill YOU before
this night is done or you will do me the
same favor. You are armed and shall
have an equal chance for your life we
| will 60 up the valley a little way. and
there settle our quarrel like men. If
Kill you none shall ever know whether
the leases were right or wrong, and if |
| fall it will be no malice toward you"
| He took my arm and we walked up the
street together. 1t seemed like dream
TO me, and yet there was the man anxious
to murder me, at my side. | began to
grow nettled, and was sufficiently reckless
before we reached the Bismark stage road
to have fought him with bowie knives
had he demanded it. Then, too, | was
angry az the free way in which he had
spoken Of Miss -. Up the valley we
strobe, something like 100 PAGES. The
snow was crisp and hard, the moon was
full and in the clear sky lit up the sur
, rounding country and the sleeping city
below in a fantastic manner. Two or three
| hungry coyotes, which had ventured
down to the outskirts of the camp. seam
pered away and were, except myself and
/ companion, the only evidence of life in
the valley. Presently my strange guide
and enemy halted and said
"IOu stand here and | will step ten
PAGES farther on"
| obeyed his directions.
He paced off ten strides and removing
his hat, faced me, revolver in hand
"IIold on, said |, ''if your mind is fully
made up to shoot me, at least let me
know your name"
THAT makes no difference to you" he
said. "It's rs good one as YOU can
boast. Please be ready when | count to
three"
] am Il clever shot with the pistol, and
can shoot the spots from a card at even
twenty yards. and felt confident that no
matter how good a shot was my antago-
mist, that | could kill him at ten PAGES
| drew my derlinger and cooked it care
fully | was standing with my back to
the moon, and he was little above me,
and the moon shone full on his broad
brow He levellcd his weapon and be
gan to count. AS the fatal words were
slowly pronounced, | raised my revolver
We fired at the same instant, and | felt
the wind of his bullet by my head He
sank to his knees without a struggle and
fell upon his face in the snow. My being
i'll the shadow a little below him and the
moons rays falling on his pistol barrel
had, even at 4 short distance, disturbed
his aim walked forward, turned over
the body, still Warm and looked down in
its face My bullet had sped true. There
was Il small, bluish-looking hole, from
which the blood had not yet sprung, in
the centre of his forehead. If any one
heard the pistol shots, no heed was paid
and not wishing to be arrested and
charged with murder, | walked down the
valley over the hard d-beaten snow and re-
turned to my hotel"
After Il minutes pause Harry Norton
relighted his cigar, emitted Il cloud of
smoke through his nostrils and then con
tinued:
1.-The following afternoon | saw quite
crowd assembled ut the city undertaker's,
elbowed my way into the group and asked
an acquaintance standing near what
caused the cOmmotion.
Some cuss got sick of the camp, went
up the valley last night and committed
suicide. The wolves We're lowering about,
and picked his bones pretty clean before
one Of the men from the Homestead
mine came down to town and found him
"'IIe might have been murdered p
answered in a questioning tone.
"'No; he committed suicide was the
reply. His revolver was found in the
road, and one chamber had been emptied :;
just got homesick and went up there and
'called' himself, and the wolves had a
good meal and he can't be identified.
He was not murdered, for over $500 in
bills were found scattered about.
Il walked away and shed no light on
the mystery. In Deadwood, where peo-
pie came in and departed by hundreds
every day, mysterious disappearances
were rarely reported. ! am in ignorance
as to the name Of the man whom shot
down in that strange duel, and though
remained in the Black Hills some time
afterward [ never paid another visit to
the theatre where my lady acquaintance
was playing. That is all"
Handsome, talented Harry Norton has
fought his last duel and pcnncd his last
leader. He fell into the long sleep last
May, after days illness from pneu-
monia. Such funeral as he was accord
ed was never before witnessed in Lead
vile. The four daily papers in the camp
turned their column rules, and the Pacific
Coast Association and a band Of music
followed the remains to the second ceme-
terry that Leadville has filled in less than
three years. He was buried by the side
OF Charley Vivian, the actor, and a friend
| from Colorado informed me a few DAYS
ago that in the vacant lot adjoining poor
| llarry's grave, just to the left, Texas
Jack was laid to rest last summer
! Fish and Game Laws.