The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-11-17
LIVING ON HIS OWN FLESH.
Five Days i'm a Texas Canon with the
Dead Body of His BivaI.

Five Days i'm Texas Canon with the
Dead Body of His Bival.
| New York World: For AZ years past
Richard Rossitor, commonly known as
Grandfather Dick" has lived in the
Southwest. Yesterday he returned to his
old home on Staten Island. He was soon
surrounded by group of relatives and
| friends, to whom he told many startling
stories, of which the following is among
the mildest. 1t should be said that amid
many temptations to exaggerate "Grand-
father Dick" has preserved an untarnish-
ed reputation for veracity:
SIN 1S43, while Texas was yet an indie
pendent republic, was engaged as mana
ger for herder named Francis Seph. /
was encamped with a party of rancheros
upon the Rio Grande, near Laredo. just
across the river was Mexican town, also
called Laredo. The river aJ this point is
nearly mile wipe, but during the dry
season is fordable. The fall of '43 was
uncommonly dry, and every day our camp
was visited by miners and herders from
the chihuahua mountains. They were
rough, bearded fellows, who would rather
fight than eat, and thought no more of
blazing away with a pistol than do of
drinking glass of beer. One night we
heard the familiar plash Of the mustangs
hoofs in the water, and soon no fewer
than 80 greasers were lounging about our
big fire. In its ruddy light their fierce,
swarthy faces looked darker and wilder
than ever. Alvic Dederick,
AN ESCAPED PRUssIAN CONVICT,
one of my gang, after drinking pretty free
iy, began telling how Dick Tuloul, a
Canadian miner, was very unlucky, never
strikingit rich, but always begging aid of
his comrades.
s''Its lie" replied the Canadian, who
was lounging in the long, trampled prairie
grass on the other side of the fire; "and
even if it were not, I'd rather beg of the
boys than steal their dust.'
.'' ssWhat do you mean 20 demanded Ded-
erick, jumping up, with his eyes spark
ling like tigers and his hand ON his
knife.
ssYou know best what l mean
thiefr'
GA moment before you could have
heard our noise way across the river, but
now all was silent as death. We were as
still as though turned to stone. In the
white heat of the Prussian's sudden rage
his face turned fairly pale as he strobe de-
liberately around the fire to the spot where
Tuloul stood erect to receive him.
ssNe one offered to interfere, for it was
not considered in good taste at Laredo to
meddle in the personal controversies of
gentlemen. The men near Tuloul moved
back little to make room for the muss.
Quick as Tightening the ex-convict threw
his brawny arms about the miner and
BIT A GOOD sIZEED STAKE OUT OF HIS EAR.
He then backed deliberately to his former
position, chewing the delicious morsel.
One hoarse, terrible curse came from Tu-I
loul lips as the blood poured down his
hairy neck and over his soiled flannel
shirt.
''Then, in the midst of a silence broken
only by the cracking of the fire and the
signing of the night wind in the grass, the
Kanuck in turn stepped toward the Prus-
sian. The two wrestled for moment in
close embrace, and when they separated
Dederick's 8 nose was missing and Tuloul's
bearded mouth and chin were red. Both
men drew their weapons, when old Nine
fingered Jim, who had the voice of a Tex
as bull, rushed between them and cried
"Hold on, boys! Eff you are SO fond of
fresh meat, have enough. Wen chain you
together and lower you to the bottom of
San Esteban canon. Thar's light enough
down thar ter fight by. Fight till one of
you passes in his chips and then the other
must live for five days and nights on the
dish you both seem SO fond off,
s'Maddened and writhing with pain, the
two men consented, and the whole party
hurried to the canon, which was about
five miles from camp. 1t was a mere Gre
vice in the earth, San Esteban, but SO deep
and dark that it seemed like
THE VERY GATE OF DEATH.
To tie score of lariats together and
lower Tuloul and Dederick into the chasm
was the work of but moment, with no
weapons but their knives. Up through
the impenetrable darkness came to us the
faint clash of steel as we leaned over the
edge and strained our eyes vainly for a
glimpse of the belligerents.
eve cannot see nothin' to night, boys,
said nine-fngered Jim, in a tone of dis
slet's go back an all promise
not to come here il five days All hands
promised, but | think that during those
days of suspense more than one man in the
camp was tempted to break his word.
Sunset on the fifth day found us on the
brink of the cannon. I leaned over the
edge and, looking down, saw the shadowy
motionless forms of two men lying on the
rocks at the bottom.
ssAlive, Dick ~ I called.
sNo answer. sThey are both dead,
whispered the men. TO make sure, how
ever, burly herdsman was lowered, and
we saw him examine first one body, and
then another. At last he raised limp
form in his strong arms and gave the
SIGNAL to he raised