Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-09-05
A DUEL.
BY opIE p. READ.

announced as canQlQateS IOr Sheriff of
aalhocl,woods county of North Carolina.
Each man was known as good fellow,
and and both were recognized as men Of
ability. Jasper could jump farther
t sn, auv man in the county, but as an
sFset Mort could beat him running.
Mort could split more rails in a day
than any man in the community, but
Vas decidedly inferior to Jasper when
\ came to covering corn with a hoe.
Mort was an acknowledged champion
IS a fodder-puller, but Jasper could
heat him cradling grain. Upon the
whole they were so nearly matched that
tbe race, it could be seen, would be q
close one, and even men of nerve were
unable to decide as to which one they
should bet on, knowing that q few votes
either way would decide the matter.
One day during shower of rain the
two candidates happened to meet under
an old shed near the roadside. aHow
sir you gettin' along with yo' canvass,
Mort?' Jasper asked, when he had
lied his horse and run in out of the
rain.
Illustrate. Think I've knocked down
two votes to-day"
"Ireckon you'll need all you can
knock down every day 'twixt now and
The election, and 1 ruther think that it
will stand you in hand to git as long q
pole as you can find"
'Oh, I've got putty long one al
ready, and, by the way, 1 don't think
you'd better use no ordinary stick
reckon you'll halter fling rocks nightly
Et the high ones, even if you have q
ole forty foot long"
We'll" said Jasper it is hard to tell
which one will come out at the big
Peud of the hon, but there's one fact
Ibsnt this canvass that ought not to be
verlooked, and that is this: There
lever was better humored canvass in
bis county,"
you are right, Jasper" Mort an
Nered, "and I wanter say right now,
bat it will be mighty long time be-
ore [ make it otherwise. We air
hOwing the community that men of
Forth can run agin each other without
aEin' out"
THAT'S so, Mort, but do you know it
sswer workin' agin us 2"
Why, no, and I don't see how it
lido It's this way: You know
bat there amt no community in the
Erld where bravery is more admired
ban it is right here; and the truth of
be matter is, the folks have tuck it
FtO their heads thut nuther one of us
ill fight. I heard it whispered around
Caney Fork this mornin' that there
danger of another man comm out
la beatin' us bsth. They say that a
ban that won't fight amt fitted to be
lsriif. Now when you come to think
tit, nobody don't know whuther we
I'LL fight or not. I never had chance
show whuther I am game or not, and
never heard of you havin' q fight
never had no occasion to fight"
I'd Mort. Il would fight, though, if a
Aer was to shove me.@
Yes, but the folks don't know it.
hate nightly for some dark boss to
me in and beat us, just on account of
eiolks thinkin' that we won't fight.
Y, Mort, I have been thinkin' Of
leme"
Out with it, then"
Well, my scheme is this: There is
IN to be a log-rollin' over at Feather
ness next Saturday, and there will
some of the best men in the county
seEe thought it would be good
Eee lor us to meet there and pretend to
tina quarrel. and then one of us
alenge the other. We will have our
'ols loaded with nothin' but powder
will stand off about ten steps and let
I'VE at each other. Well fire two or
zee times as fast as We can, and by
~ time the people will be satisfied
We will fight and will stop us.
.sn' you see, it would be impossible
anybody TO step in and beat US out
he Office"
ated."
!, know that, and thought we might
N up this way: If / am elected I
n give you the chief deputyship and
NJ, Aol run for reelection. but will
T., I. lor you, and if you are elected,
Y you do the same by me-"
., i00nl think that is o bad plan, JAS
!, lisa is fustrate plan, Mort. Sup
s.ewe do it,
AL right, l am agreeable.
s lumber of men, having tugxed at
S; logs for several hours, had gone
d. sae woods to rest, and were sitting
s saa Spreading tree, when some one
land, sn1naer comes Jasper swllers. If
"a, apl III don't look out Jas will git
ssr ~ ~ nm. Helloa Cooking in an
De- Sli a. hanged if yander don't
.s,d;. TWO candidates reached the
sr ss1ns tree about the same time,
En NO. !, each other pleasantly, and then
. o0~n, Joined in the CONVERSE
lIl, "o- air you runnin', Jasper
II Svsl-Llke skeered rabbit, as the
'0"ed when the snake tuck after
ii IjTtt-Have to run faster than that
| is ramp on yo' heels.
smo,'-"all, now, when you git to
Ast o. on my heels you'll find your
A!'n mighty peart, can tell