Daily Republican., 1885-07-02
" 4 duel. with Knives. D.

He could seize me and cut my throat while /
I struggled helplessly," returned. ct
would not be fair fight"
Zach has thought of that, and proposes
to fight like this. Each man shall choose
log from the raft, and set it aHoat behind
the raft. Then you shall both jump into
the river and swim to the logs, each seat
yourself upon one, and 80 fight"
laughed.
But if we fought with knives the logs
might be hundred feet apart, and we
could not do each other much harm"
1.-THE logs to be fastened together byl
thirty feet of chain"
It was plan to murder me but I would
die game.
Agreed" said !, hoarsely. "WhenI
shall the duel take place ?"
Now" said Nicholsons friend. cts
as good time as any"
bowed my head in silent consent.
"Whos your second ?" said the other.
"Name him, and we will fix things up|
ready"
| choked . little, and sense of my utter
desolation amid this crew of savage men
afoat upon mighty river swept over me
then the spirit of my youth and independ-
ence arose again.
II have no friend, and will fix things for
myself. Get your chain, and come to the
rear of the raft. We will pick out the
logs and fasten them together, and
then you can call Nicholson" and l turned
away.
" But you'll have some one to act for
iyou-to see fair play-to-"
I "No!" I cried, sharply-"no one
If nay knife cannot win me fair play, I'll
not look for it among this gang. Get your
chain"
The man looked at me an instant as if
dazed, then, with a muttered curse, he left
me, to rejoin me moment later, near the
stern of the raft with short chain and two
iron staples in his hands.
"Select your iog," said I.
he picked out one large and not very
round, with the bark gone, but With many
knots roughening its surface. selected a
somewhat smaller one, with earse bark.
A few blows of an axe released both logs
> from the withes which bound hem to the
others about them, and, uniting our
!, strength, we dragged them acres the raft
and launched them at the sern. Then
with the staples we fastened tn, iron chain
:, end and end to the logs, binding each aem
the middle.
When pushed free from the raft, they
' foated some twenty-five five feet apart
following its own motion IN the current ant
=, eddies, occasionally swinging 20 close as al
o. most to touch, and again separating until
restrained by the chain
They'll do, said my conpation. an
lgo for Nicholson"
-. Perhaps ought to have prayed. I ha,
time while waiting and knew how; bu
my heart was not filed with prayer, no
, yet fear, but hatred. felt that had beef
hunted down, and fierce desire TO kill in
famed me.
=, Had | prayed, it would have been 70
!, success in the coming combat, not for sim
:, pie safety.
Il A sound at my side caused me to turn
The man had returned, and my antagonis
Twas with him. A thrill of joy ran through
:, Inc as l noted the pallor of Nicholson
:. face.
"He is afraid. shall kill him!"
whispered to myself.
Now strip to your shirts and breeches
take your knives in your teeth, and, whel
[ give the word, jump in and swim for tn
= logs Either man to either log," said tn
4 third party to this strange encounter
4 Silently we obeyed, dis-obing ourselves
- and standing, moment later, side by sid
- upon the edge of the raft.
Are you ready? Co."
Two plunges that were but as one tw,
ldark heads above the muddy foam of tn
river, and an instant later two men astrid
lof two floating logs faced each other eacl
with murder in his eyes!
had secured the smaller log, perhap
e by chance, perhaps because my antagonis
had sought the other one, but felt it to b,
an advantage. l could move my supper
4 more rapidly and easily than he could his
:. could attack or retreat with less exertion.
Each held his knife in hand and settled
- himself on his log then Nicholson begal
= with his unarned hand to paddle slowly to
!, ward me.
Perhaps this motion of our logs affected
!, Tour relative position to the perhap.
=, some eddying current seized us, but what
lover tho cause, just as my enemy was al
most within reach, and both were preparing
with tense nerves for the coming contest, q
:, sudden plunge of the logs forced us both to
look to our individual safety, and l noticed
% my establishment, that instead of follow
ing in the wake of the great raft we had
a drifted to one side, and were now abreast Of
. it, moving with much greater speed than
q the raft itself, and evidently bound upon oil
!, independent journey to the gulf.
The sight startled me, and cried out
III q W. Lo,,