The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-03-05
!. minutes Buck stood without uttering word

minutes Buck stood without uttering word
then he began:
| II doan know how ter preach funeral
Lord" he said, "but knows what hit liz tel
feel de Dulliu' Ob dc heartstrings. Ez smil,
can change ter trcmhin' oh dc lip 50 doe
sorrow sci heaviest on de heart what WIZ ones
iilleL with joy My marster had heart "a
big eZ de Imagination ob II chile. and az ds
heart ~ de birthplace ob dc soul, my marstel
cz on de right hand oh God, close up to d,
throne. May we all meet death Wild "a litilt
| fear, and may de angels he ~ glad to see u:
all ez know da hez been tel make de heab
emily 'quanlunce oh Mars Louis Gull
Amen
Dent fed to Texas, but was brought back
and, by some trchnicalty acquitted. He let
Tennessee Immediately after the trial and
wen,-no one kew or cared where.
Several weeks ago Il tall man slood on Su
pcrior street IN Cleveland HIS hair was al
most as white rs the snow at his feet. His
face wore " sad expression and his eyes wan
dtrcd as though tired Of every oljrct An old
colored man came walking along. Seeing the
whtehaired man, he stopped and gazing in.
tently for n moment, approached tho stranger
and said
us yer name MIR Dent'"
Yes, that's my name"
did da ulster call yer Mr. Bad Dent"
yes: do you know me?"
Il does. My name is Buck GULL. ulster
long ter Mars LOUIS Gull. Don't yer rcco!-
lect mey'
"Why, yes, Buck how is your health ?"
extending his hand.
NO sar, yer doesn't touch my han in de
grasp of friendship. wa, At the picnic, yer
recOllcct, when yer stabbed Mars Louis. lie
died IN my arms. Fore he died he made me
promise dat I'd kill yer IN II fair fight, case
de law did not hang yer. Now l poses to
fight yer wild barlow knives"
Did Louis make you promise thisy"
Yes, sab"
Then you must keep your promise. What,
ever Louis Gull said must be done. shall be
done. | have never refused to fight any living
man. Where shall the encounter take placer
in de little orchard near de ole farmhouse"
"Wheny'
"Jus az soon ez we kin 60 dar."
The two men boarded The next tram and
went to Nashville. Engaging private con.
veyance they went up INTO East Tennessee,
and stopped at n roadside inn near the old
GULL farmhouse. 1t was agreed that there
should he one witness to the encounter, and
after engaging man, Dent wrote an explana
tury letter and gave 1t to the innkeeper. 1t
WAS DUuuay MicTNooIl. uC tnIcc Wcut tLID
IN old Orchard-orchard only IN memory,
for nothing only the decaying trunks of trees
Buck led the way. He stopped
Ut the sunken grave.
Dis is Mars LOus's grabe," he said. "Stan'
On dc udder side. Doan step ober hit"
Dent without utteringa word took position
as directed. The witness stood few yards
away, and was to count three when all was
ready. The two men, old men, drew their
knives
Zone, two, three"
They grappled in deadly embrace. A des-
perate struggle for old men. Dent wreslcd his
tight arm from the grasp of the black. and
with sweeping stroke almost severed the
black mans head from his body. Buck still
leld Dent around The waist, and rs he fell
Jack ward plunged his knife into the murder.
RS heart.
When the coroner came the two men lay
lead across the grave, locked in u tight EN-.
BRACE. A strange sight; the pale face of death
md the ashen hue of earthly dissolution.