The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-05-18
A DUEL With A CACTUS.
BY THE COLONEL.

BY THE COLONEL.
From the Constitution.
Halt! What's that?" said our leader
in sharp whisper.
1t was clear moonlight night in the
extreme southwest of Mexico.
l was visiting friend who conducted
large ranch and hacienda there.
A local revolt had just been queled in
the neighborhood, and a spirit of law
1essness pervaded the atmosphere. Only
the night before my friend had been fir
ed upon and one of his storehouses
robbed by band of Indians some tif-
teen or twenty strong. Early in the
morning four of us, under the leader
ship of our host, had set upon the track
of the robbers.
We were well mounted and, resting
only few hours at noon, had fol-
lowed hard after them until nearly mid
night. If we met them in fair field,
we could drive them into quarters like
cows to pen, but we had no mind to
run into trap in the dark with five
against fifteen, hence caution.
Halt! What's thatr' our leader had
whispered. We had come to the edge of
dense woods and then across an open
space, upon the brow of low sand
hill, clearly outlined in the moonlight,
against the sky, we had discovered
dozen or more half naked fellows, with
fh"i~ arm extended in every direction,
l some sort of wierd, fantas-
@ Id not see their legs, for the
t le trees beyod the hill rose waist
n, .aldng a black background, but
the arms moved slowly to and fro and
We Id easily imagine their legs keep
ing company.
'Those are the thievesr our host NUT
tered 81 know them, even at night
you fellows just come to the edge of the
wood, where they can see you without
knowing how many there are of you,
and I'll have them down here in no
time.''
He rode out alone to the foot of the
hill.
1t required no little cour ,ge, and we
watched him with Up ,oportionate admi-
ration.
The figures did not cease their dance
or notice him. Sudde lly, wit his rifle
at his shoulder, he called to them: II
have you there! If one of you move I'll
shoot him deadr'
The wind was blowing through the
trees SO that we could not have heard
their response, but fortunately, at that
moment, it ceased, and in the deep 81
lence which settled down upon the for
est in such momentary lull we waited
for the result.
Every Indian suddenly ceased his
dancing and stood like statue outlined
against the sky.
Come down here nowr' shout our
host Come quickly, too, for the fir,
man who makes any trouble drops
dead
We could hear a sound, as of hur-
ried consultation of some sort, going on
upon the hill for a moment, but the
wind sprang up again Def IRE we could
distinguish a single voice, and to our
utter establishment the fellows actually
began their solemn dance again.
"Come down, or I'll shootr' roared
our host, but they kept on dancing, and
he did shoot.
Then there was commotion enough.
A wild cry followed by peculiar dust
rose from the brow of the hill.
''Fire" yelled our host, and we re-
sponded with well-aimed vol ey while
he whipped out his heavy revolver and
gave them another peppering.
There was perfect bedlam of screams
from the hill, and the dust hid every
thing from view. They were either
coming down upon us in an unexpected
horde or running fOrItheir lives.
For us it was either fly or follow. We
waited, irresolutely, for the word of our
leader, when the dust settled and there
stood the Indians, silently going on with
their fantastic dance as though we were
a hundred mi es away
With fierce ejaculation our host put
spurs to his horse and dashed up the
hill. We followed, without command,
to find him upon the summit sitting up
on the ground beneath a line OF gaunt
and ghost-like prclly pears-the I'M