The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-02-08

tue DARKNESS OF death as a trdVellD,
, companion. Rather a grim outlook
But 50 Oyerton and jackson figure
1t out. They made Jackson Ion,
] black coat, much too full and wide fo
his meager frame. When on. his sin
proportions were well over in til
right side Of the coat. while the LEI
side had room to spare. This gar
ment buttoned to the chin, leaving III
white Of collar or cravat to tease bul
let with. 1t had but one row of but
tons. and these, polished like small
looking glasses, We're set we'll over OF
the deceitful left breast Of the coat
These buttons were meant to draw
DlckinsOn's eye, and any one who ever
used a pistol VIII know what buller
trap these cleaning buttons would
prove.
The two parties by the same road
travelled all day to a spot in Kentucky
Dickinson and crowd of friends, fOl
| the coxcomb made a gala day of the
atfalr, took pains to precede jackson
and the stern Overton This last had
method. All day with the skill of a
tiend, Dickinson indulged in displays
OF pistol practice. Wherever some
farmers house brought them to a halt
/ for glass Of milk or water from the
/ spring, Dickinson would do some hair
line work with his pistols and leave
the gaping ruralist to point jackson
( and OvertOn to the miracle later on.
This meant to break Jackson's nerve.
1t might provoke a gloomy thought
or two We're one to toll all day along
road which every mile produced
some new tackhead proofs of the skill
OF the gentleman who was to fire at
hlm next morning. If it affected
/ Jackson he never showed it.
They were to fight at ten PAGES. 1t
was earl Y morning in the genial un-
touched forest Ovelton and Dickin-
sons seconds measured the ground and
drove TWO pegs. Dickinson laughed
and chaCted with his friends and told
them which of Jackson's bright but
tons he would hit. Dickinson sup
posed it was squarely above Jackson's
indOmitable heart He felt certain of
killing Jackson at a flash. He was
mistaken Jackson had still to whip
Pakonham at New Orleans and battle
with Henry Clay for two presidencies
oyert1n won the word The men
STOOD up, Jackson grim, Dickinson
confident. The call was to be:
Fire two-three- -stopw
The men were to raise their pistols
and fire anywhere between the first
order and last. Overton began:
''Firer'
Bang
With the quickness Of light Dickin-
son had raised his weapon and explod-
Ell It. His bullet had struck the but
ton he had selected, fiattened, and in a
ragged, tearing way broke two of
Jackson's ribs. Jackson stood like q
tree. Not a muscle Of his face twitch-
ed or moved. Only the pam lighted
hell lamps in his gray ewes.
My God, missed him. exclaimed
Dickinson, and the horror Of the
thing made him fall back pace from
his peg.
Stand back to your place, sirr' or
dereG OvertOn, in such tone of stern
unruth, as he recovered Dickinson
with his own prompt pistol, that Dick
lnsou. without further word obeyed.
He stood back to his position with
his right side toward jackson, his
head turned slightly away. Overton
proceeded with bis count, which was
to be deaths cue that forest day.
''One-two-'
"Chckw
Jackson's pistol caught at half cock,
Overton paused. jackson recocked it
with his thumb in an instant and with
out lowering his weapon or losing his
sight.
Three"
Bang
Dickinson fell to the ground shot
through the stomach He died the
same day.
Il should have stood until | killed
him." gritted jackson through his
teeth in talking of his wound Il
should have killed him if he had shot
me through the heart" And Ireckon
! he would
When Jackson stepped up to fight
that day the onlookers noted him put
something in his mouth. They sup
posed it was a consoling piece of to-
bacco. 1t wasn't. 1t was bullet. as
he afterward told Sam Houston.
Just before you step out to fire. y
said jackson to Houston as the latter
was abOut to shoot matters to an ad-
| jnstment with Gen. White of the
army, put a bullet into your mouth
and bite into it good and hard with
your back teeth, It'll steady your
nerves like rock
Houston's duel bad its funny side.
The Texas hberator couldn't always
be relied on to fight People would
come around and challenge him and
only provoke cataract of abuse from
Houston. He cared nothing for the
code nor yet for threats of posting
him as coward. He wouldn't fight
unless he felt like it. Now and then
when people least expected it, the er
ratio Houston would take some mar
| up who was Fostering him with a car
tel and shoot a hole into him Ther
d great calm would come over the man
HouSton's fight with White came OF
IN this way: Houston was in con
gress and sent the usual garden seeds
t. the usual constituents. Some MAJ
in Nashville didn't get his seeds
Houston took a rather narrow view o
their disappearance. and asserted
that they had been stolen by the Nash
vile postmaster with intent to mak
: his felonious garden blossom like th
rose. The man OF stamp and mai
bags challenged Houston. This an
gered the latter greatly. The ide
that q low flung post master woul,
: presume TO call out him, full hedge,
! congressman, was gall and bitterness
l to Houston. Gen. White. who Dor
2 the defiance for the postmaster, fel