The Forrest City times., 1893-05-26
THE DUEL WAS NOT FOUGHT
TWO Men Who Thirsted for Each Other.
 Gore Met Death Together

We were in camp on the banks of the Brazos river of Texas for the night. At supper time dispute arose be- tween two men, and before anyone had looked upon it as serious matter they were facing each other with knives in their hands. The disputants were bor- der men. The lie had been given, and that meant fight It was simply how they should tght-how to give the smaller man an equal chance.
 Look here, said Big Carter. who had charge of the ou lift, 'thar's an old adobe. and we'll hang blanket at the door. We'll turn you both loose in thar, and when l fire my revolver the fun kin begin"
 Nobody said no. He would have been looked upon as chicken-hearted The disputants readily agreed. Had one of them declined he would have been branded coward. The frontier has it's laws and customs. Both men stripped to the waist. and each was armed with a keen bowie-knife. There were no threats, no boasting. Each pulled off his shoes. and Jim, the half breed, was the first man to pass in after the blanket had been hung up. That blanket made it midnight darkness in- side. Frank. as we called him. followed within ten seconds.
 Now, boys, said Big Carter as he stood at the door, take opposite sides. Now, git ready. Now, hunt fur each otherw
 
 At the last word he fired his revolver in the air, and the whole crowd stood in half circle before the door. Five minutes passed, and there was no sound. Some one whispered that they were circling around the wall in the darkness. Another five minutes, but no clash of steel, no vengeful cry, no shriek of pain and fury as one of the murderous knives drank blood.
 Come. boys. don't be afraid of each other.' cried Big Carter, in his impa- tience, and almost every individual murmured his applause.
 Five minutes more and still no sound. The sears which those men had exhibited in the firelight were proofs of their courage. The hut was not a
  other in the first five minutes. Boys, they are afraid of each oth- err shouted big Carter when the watch showed they had been inside twenty minutes. I reckon we'd jest better have them out and "'Shr interrupted a man who had crept close to the door All listen. Whats that?'
 .Rattlesnakes, by jingo" replied Carter.
 And dozen of 'em. shouted two or three others in chorus. I've got a pole and removed the blanket. Then we tied torch to the men were lying on the floor. their knives clutched in their hands. Be- tween them. around them. crawl ing over them. were dozen or more monster rattlesnakes. Both had been bitten over and over again be- fore their knives had crossed. Jim had entered first and probably felt the deadly fangs first. It was d duel to the death and he had not cried out. Frank had followed. to be struck in the same way. but he. too. had maintained silence They were past all help when we pulled them out. Each had been bitten three or four times. Even the hands which held the bright-bladed had been struck as the men sank down in their tracks. A cry, rush out doors. would have saved both. but were the fangs of the serpents less deadly than the knives?
 '' Both game men, and you bet they was. said Big Carter as he filled up the shallow graves, and that was all. Next day they seemed to have been entirely forgotten by everybody - Chicago Times.