The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-10-10
the place was thropged with spccta-

l would c0WnlQe you every Week,
until I whipped the courage Of a man
and g, gentleman into your Yankee
hide ?"
"I am no coward rctorted Thom-
as, in hollow tone SO unearthly
fierce and wild that it caused every
hearer to start. At the instant his
lips we're livid, and clinched between
his teeth until the blood ran. His
eyes were as red a mad dog 8, and the
muscles of his face quiyered ; but his
body and limbs seemed to have the
rigidity Of marble.
He will fight now, rung in an ca
ger whisper through the excited crowd,
as they saw the terrible tokens OF the
fend aroused-thc fend which turks,
at different depths, in all human ma
lures.
eff you are not a coward, why will
you not fight ?" asked the duelist
somewhat struck, in spite of his thor
ough desperation, hardened in the hot
gore of dozen murders.
II will fight you if you wish it,
was the loud, ringing answer.
"Then do you accept my chal-
lenge?"' W., ,,u,.,n+ b.
so good as to act as my second g IN
quired the lawyer, addressing the
spectators.
For minute or two no one spoke, so
great was the dread Of the arch-duelist
Mike johnson.
"Will no one in such mass Of gen
erous men be my second ?" repeated
the lawyer, in louder tone.
"I WILL" said shrill, trumpet-like
voice on the outskirts of the crowd,
and tall, commanding form, with
bravery written on his brow, and the
eagles eye beneath it, made his way
to the centre Of the scene Of conten-
tion, and stood close fronting John
son, with smiling glance, before
which the latter, for the instant quail
ed. -. ,..-,
The question, "Who is he?' "Who
is he ?'5 circulated among the lockers
on. But no one could answer no
one had ever seen him before, and yet
every one could have sworn to his cou-
rage, so bold, yet tranquil, was his
bearing.
"Who are you p inquired the
duelist, recovering his presence OF
mind.
"a stranger from Texas.
"But who will vouch for his rcspec-
liability p i,
IT can give you vouchers sufficient,
replied the stranger, frowning till his
brow looked frightful and then
STOPPING forward, he whispered some
thing in Johnson's ear, audible to him
alone.
IT am satisfied" said the duelist,
aloud, and trembling perceptibly.
"Colonel Morton, will you serve as my
friend p
The individual last addressed gave
his consent.
"Now let us adjourn to some pri-
vate room to arrange the prelimina-
ries," remarked the stranger; and the
principals and seconds left the crowd,
then increasing every minute, and ex-
cited nearly to madness by the thick
crowding events of the hour.
The meeting took place the follow
ing night, in q dark room, with the
door locked, and the two seconds on
the outside. The principals were
placed in opposite corners OF the
apartment, which was 20 feet square,
and each was armed with a large
bowie knife-no more. It was mid
night, night without moon or stars.
Black pitchy clouds involved the sky,
and a slight mist rendered the shad-
ows of the earth more intense. Hence
the room where the duel was about to
be fought was wrapped in rayless
darkness. The combatants could not
even sec the blades Of their own
knives.
At first they both stopped and
steadily united and took off their
shoes, so as to make the least posi-
BILE noise in walking over the floor:
The same thought had struck both Of
them at the same time to manoeuvre
for the vantage ground.
Thomas moved in a circle, softly as
a cat, around the apartment, till he
got within few feet of the corner
where his enemy had been placed, and
then paused to listen. For four or
five seconds he could hear nothing in
the grave-like silence but the quick
beats Of his own busy heart. Pres
emily, however, there crept into his
ear d scarcely audible sound, as Of
suppressed breathing, in the corner
Of the room which he had left; and
then he knew that his foe was trying
the same stratagem. The ruse was
repeated thrice, with like result.
At length, Thomas concluded to stand
perfectly still and await johnson $
approach. Motionless now himself,
and all ear, soon he could distinguish
a soft rustling noise, like the drop
ping of fakes Of wool, circling around
the floor and gradually advancing to-
ward him.
At last, when the sound appeared
within about three feet of the law
yer's position, he suddenly made a
bounding plunge with his knife, aimed
in the dark where he supposed the
bosom of his foe to be. His blade
struck against that Of the other, and
few sparks of fire rolled at the fierce
collision and then fell expiring on the
floor.
And then, for an instant, the sec
onds without the door heard harp
ringing of steel, a groan, fall, and all
| again was silent as the tomb The duel
at midnight had ended, but how y, !?
They were appalled, at the horrible
question.
Waiting some minutes, and hearing
nothing more, Colonel Morton and the
stranger prepared a light, unlocked
the door and entered. The spectacle
was most affecting. There lay the
bloody corpse Of the duelist johnson,
mangied dreadfully, and above it
stood the erect and imposing form OF
the lawyer, Thomas, unhurt, not a
cut on his skin nor a rentin his cloth
ing, but weeping as if his heart were
broken. -,