The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-14

cni0L falm0ne. A tAlI. peaked nat. Win y Danu
about IL. something like the brigand OF the
stage. covered his long. straight. and stringy
hair. Sometimes he wore an old SLOUGH hat.
He was rarely without the blanket He was
never without the leggings.
Tho Californian wore the traditional red shirt
In that day. with hardly an exception. He often
carried two pistols In the great leather belt
and always one. with bowie knife. He gen.
orally wore dark trousers tucked inside OF
great. ione-leesed leather boots. II he was
on the shoot" or come from tho shoulder"
little investigation would In many cases dis
close an extra pistol or two tucked down deep
In those boots. And evcn whiskey bottles have
been known to nestle there. He rarely woro Q
COAT II he was cold no put on his other shirt
The coat interfered with his fighting. and he
despsed it. And how he would howl at the
long. lean. and silent Oregonian as he marched
about In his moocaslns and egglngs with his
blanket tight about him aud his hands quite
hidden.
"HellOl webfoot; where's your hands Come.
show us your hands. Are you heeled? You
can't fight that way!''
Try me and seel''
The blanket few back. two hands shOt for
ward. and the two gurrulous and mcddesome
Californians lot tho webfoot 20; for he was
heeled.
We had but little wood here: and that was OF
the worst Duality-willow and green and frozen.
Tho little river gurgled paintively for the first
day or two Us 1t struggled on and ground
through It's Icy banks. But soon Its lips were
sealed. and the snow came down and covered
tho silent and dead waters rs with shroud.
Tho day after the little tilt between the par
ties a. above described the two Californians
walked up and down before the quiet and I'M
sNNn Mas o~.
own. for we were all hudlIcd In together there.
and talked very loud and behaved In very In
sulting manner. The canon was all on tiptoe
The men began to forget their misery In the
all-absorbing topic OF tho coming fight eau
tious old men held aloot and tried to keen
peace. They kept most OF the mon out on tho
windy plain. freezing thore with the half
starved and freezing mules. horses, and ponies
that paved pitifully and heiplessy in the snow.
which was now almost to their breasts. This
It was hoped would give the men something
better to do. and keep them from battle.
But tho dreadful situation. the cold. the hun
ger. the possibility OF oil perishing there to-
gether. seemed only 70 madden the men. That
Right duel was arranged to take place ut
daylight on the plain above. The Californian
and the Oregonian were to fight with rifles. at
ton PAGES. Both were centre. deadly shots.
Both had their friends and hackers. The
whole canon seemed about to be drawn into the
fight. Some Of the men were now worry hun
CRY. All wore cold cross. desperate. A gem
oral battle was imminent.
Let US look Mt these silent. lean and despised
Oregonians In their blankets. COmely they
were not. nor graceful. They were not we'll
read. nor had the eyes OF the world been upon
them ~ on tho Californinns. But be II remem-
bored that away back. before California was mt
all known. these Oregonians had met under
tho pines. and most emplaticaly. as we'll as
ungrammaticaly proclaimed that they we're =
part OF the United States. and not OF England.
They had decreed war against aggressive
tribes. had raised an army. maintained It In
the field. coined their own money and pro-
vidsd oil on thor own account Their coin
was pure gold not a particle OF alloy. The
beaver on the ono side OF their crude coin
showed the quiet industry OF Oregon's pastoral
people, The shcaf OF wheat on the other side
showed that plenty rewarded the husba ndmnn.
Against this record tho Californian had little
to exhibit He had washed down hills and led
rivers over the mountains. He had contributed
much to the metallic currency OF the world.
but he had done little else. And take the re-
sponsibilty Of saying that. a. compared with
the despised Ore2onian. Notwithstanding his
Vigiantes and great show Of valor and CHI
old and deadly auarrels did not have the ears
OF the world at the time. and. being now hap
PLY forgotten. they can concern no one. have
only thrown In this last paragraph or two to
show how dangerous and how deadly was this
quarrel we now had on hand. The horses,
mules. and ponies were freezing In the snow
where they Stood Two Of tho guards did not
come In 1t midnight They were found nes-
Ting against dead mule on tho hill frozen
stiff. But still the fight must 60 on.
Tho moon hung high and calm and cold right
overhead. Tho stars stood out and sparkled
In the frostlike fire. The keen cold wind swept
the plain above and threatened to I'LL the cafon
with drifting snow. Wolves. that had eaten
only tho dead horses up to this time. now
began to attack the weak and dying. One OF
the thousands that lowered about had even
that night laid hold Of q man. There wore
enough wolves gathering about us. bowling
fighting. devouring our dead horses and even
each other. to attack and cat us where we
stood. But still the fight must 60 on. Tho
deadly hatred must find some expression.
Fortunate II II should end with this duel Just
before US.
Fleecy clouds began to drive over tho moon
at midnight and drift away toward Idaho. The
stars went out rs though the fierce wind had
blown out tho myriad lights of heaven. Then
INC SNOW De&Ah TO iall thick and fast. us the
men sat about their feeble fires and talked OF
the coming duel. These groups grew as white
as huddled focks OF sheep. Now and then
man would got up and shake himself, and the
snow would slide of In little nvalanches thicker
than your palm The fires began to perish
under this incessant. unceasing dropping OF
snow. The wind ceased. and the snow then
simply possessed the world. The fres oil died
out. 1t was weird. deathike darkness. The
men could not see each others faces. When
they spoke 1t was rs though some one called
from deep down In u well. They groped about
feeling for zach other as they tried to creep
under their blankets In the snow Now and
then n blanketed Oregonian would find his out
stretched hand twisted in the snowy beard OF q
red-shirted Californian. But there was no
swearing at each other now.
Snow above and snow beow The wolves
b italx L,