The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-03
A FIGHT TO THE DEATH.
A Sample of the Stories Told in Texas Be-
fore the Advent of Tom. Ochiltree.

D
turned TO his 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 "Grandfather
/ Dick" has preserved an untarnished reputa-
| ton for veracity:
"In 1S43, while Texas was yet an indie
pendent republic, | was engaged as manager
! for herder named Francis Seph. | was en-
camped with a party of rancheros upon the
! Rio Grande, near Laredo. Just across the
| river was Mexican town, also called Laredo.
! The river at this point is nearly mile WIDE
| but during the dry season is fordable. The
fall OF 43 was uncommonly dry, and every
day our camp was visited by min
ers and herders from the Chihuahua
mountains. They were rough, bearded fell
lows, VINO would rather fight than eat and
! thought no more of blazing away with plS-
toi than 1 do Of drinking glass of beer.
One night we heard the familiar plash of the
mustangs feet in the water, and soon no
fewer than thirty greasers were lounging
about our big fire In its ruddy light their
fierce, swarthy faces looked darker and wild
er than ever. Alvie Dederck, an escaped
Prussian convict, one of my gang, after
drinking pretty freely, began to tell how
| Dick Tuloul, a Canadian miner, was very I'M
| lucky, never striking it rich, but always beg
ging aid of his comrades.
It's a 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
"'What do you mean% demanded Deder-
lex, jumping up with his eyes sparkling like
a tigers and his hand on his knife.
"'You know best what | mean-thief"
"a moment before you could have heard
our noise way across the river, but now all
was silent as death. We were as still as
! thOuoh rnpJ To In no uyhi heat
of the Prussian's sudden rage his face turned
fairly pale as he strobe deliberately around
the fire to the spot whore Tuloul stood erect
to receive him.
mo one offered to interfere, for it was not
considered in good taste at Laredo to NEEDLE
| in the personal controversies OF gentlemen.
| The men near Tuloul moved back little to
| make room for the muss. Quick as lightning
| the ex-convict threw his brawny arms about
the miner and bit good-sized steak out of
his ear. He then backed deliberately to his
| former position. chewing the delicious NOR
sci. One hoarse terrible curse came from
| Tulouls 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-wnd in the grass the
| Kanuck in turn stepped toward the Prussan
The two wresIled for a moment in close en-
| brace, and when they separated Dedericks
nose was missing and Tuloul's bearded mouth
and chin were red. Both men drew their
weapons when old Nine-irgered Jim, who
had the voice of Texas bull rushed between
| them and cried:
Hold on, boys Ell you are so fond of
fresh meal, have enough. Well chain you to-
gether an 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. an then the other m ust live for
| five days an nights on the dish you both seem
so fond Of
"Maddened and writhing with pain, tine
two men consented and the whole party hur
red to the canon, which was about five
| miles from camp. 1t was q mere crevice 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 a moment. The com
| batants were firmly chained together, with
no weapons but their knives Up through
the penetrable darkness came to us the
faint clash of steel as we leaned over the edge
and strained our eyes vainly for glimpse of
| the belligerents.
1--WE can see nothin' tonight, boys
said nine-fingered Jim, in a tone of disap
| pointment, let's go back an all promise not
! to come here in 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 again at the brink of
ing down, saw the shadowy, motionless forms
OF the two men lying on the rocks at the bot
| tom.
"'Alive, Dick? called
'No answer. They are both dead whis-
! pered the men. To make sure, however a
| burly herdsman was lowered, and we saw
him examine first one body then another.
At last he raised limp form III his strong
arms and gave the signal to be raised.
"Never shall forget the awful, sickehing
| feeling that crept over me az we dragged the
| two men up The herdsman's broad shout
der concealed the face of his burden, but
when both were lifted over the brink of the
precipce we recognized the sunken, mu-
tilated features of the Prussian. lie was I'M
! conscious, and, We thought for long time,
dead. But frequent doses OF Laredo whisky,
| which we forced between his lips, revived
him. With his head resting against Big
Ceremonies knee he told his story while
the men crowded close around to get within
sound of the feeble voice.
"'Soou after we got down he said, the
| circus began. Bound together as we were,
we could not see each other and did little
damage for long time. Then | felt faint
and lost my senses When | came to the
sunshine was beating upon my face and
Tuloul WINS lying at my side. He was cold
and still. His jaw had fallen and his eyes
like glass balls, stared at the little belt of
sky. l tried to rise, but could get 20 further
than sitting position. Upon taking an
inventory of myself 1 missed large slices
from my thighs and breast. | saw them on
a rock at the Kanuck's feet. Reaching for
my knife chopped Off his left hand, thereby
freeing myself from him. Then | passed
two days of horror and starvation. Gnawng
| hunger finally overcame all else and | ate
here the voice sank so low that only those
of us who were very close to the speaker
caught the words-my own flesh. May God
forgive me-
a Maine Prohibition Party.