Evening star., 1895-10-12
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* GlA@EHGE ~ eBWwTELIE'
GlAREHGE ~ BWwTIEILHE1

erd of a week. That would have been
correct-as history. AS prophecy-it would
have been absurdy Inaccurate. Events
took decidedly new course after that.
In the first place, fell in love with Millie
Davis, the daughter of a sturdy New Eng
lander who was going to open ranch in
some impossible and unheerd of locality
out near the setting sun. Millie Davis was
! the most
But l was her lover! You know all that
would say. What is the of taking
the time and space to say it?
In the second place, Tige Black fell in
love with her too! l would gladly be fair
with Mr.. Black. 1t would please me to
give his name in this narrative, and l don't
believe his mother ever called him Tiger
or that his father ever shortened and inten-
! sified so sanguinary an appellation. But
Tigc is the only name by which I ever
heard him called; Tige he must so, to the
very end of the story.
l must state that l was young, good-lool-
1ns-a wel-educated physician, and that
ruElor correctly asserted that had 4 good
deal of property. Black was old. He had
never been handsome. and hard work and
hard weather had dealt most unhandsomely
with him. He had no education, save the
practical sort a driver on the great plains
used to pick Up in those old times. And no
man who loved liquor as Well as he ever
accumulated or kept property. He was the
most picturesquely profane person l ever
listened to. Miss Millie Davis in addition
to almost nunberess other excellent traits
possessed sound sense. So I was very
happy man-and Tige Black a very angry
one.
The NAH deliberately picked a quarrel
with me. He called me a vile name. l
slapped his irsolent mouth for him
He talked gravely, quietly. and not at
all profanely. when that had happened.
asked that 1 meet him in mortal combat
that l fight with him to the death. 1
spoke to the commander of the wagon
train about it. He was greatly troubled,
q na1v nor
haps, jn't little afraid Of TiSe Black and
his influence. He said he'd see the thing
was put off for day or two, at any rate.
But knew. from the way that he talked,
that he fearet. l would have to fight. Pub
lie opinion, in those days, had peculiar
power on the frontier; personal prowess
ranked higher among the hardy fighters
who were crowding the borders of civiliza-
ton slowly and bloodily further anu fur
ther west than did aught else; man, to
be as good as another, must be ready to
even in the boundless domain that was
icing conquered slowly and painfully
they had no room for cowards! And
Black was six feet tall FIVE feet and six
inches: he weighed two hundred pounds-I
one hundred and twenty; he was an eX-
pert in the use of any weapon pioneer
ever took into his hands, was a man to
have died of starvation, in the woods or on
the prairie, with a good gun, plenty of am
munition. and the thickets and grasses
noisily astir with game. L said, in my des-
peratlOn, thdt u welcome IL DTuSl "ltti tHe
savages-if l might thus be free from Tige
Black. l spoke only for myself. Bat we
got the fullest fruiton of my reckless wish!
Have you ever been in desperate danger?
DO YOU know now it grows and intensi-
fies? Do you know how terrible events
come fast and faster upon one another
in dreadful anticipation of a fearful end!
In the middle of the afternoon, there Were
hostile Indians in sight-not more than
dozen al the outside count.
An hour later, had our wagons in
circle on the highest ground We had
been given time to Seect-and We're wait
ing for the attack. The foe numbered at
least hundred.
At dark, we We're getting frightened
rest from an attack that had lasted an
hour Mr. Davis. Miles father. was dead.
We had two men wounded. one of them
fatally. We wondered whether the red ras
Gals would draw Off and leave us alone,
or whether We would be compelled to re-
pulse them again.
At 10 o'clock, we had driven the savages
off once more. We had ten dead men in
side our lines. We were beginning to talk
of the last desperate service of cruel kind
ness we must perform for the women and
children-ff the time came when We could
no longer stand against the foe; we were
beginning to count out and lay aside the
cartridges that must be saved for that sa-
cred duty, and not used for anything else
under any circumstances.
AT midnight, in lull in the fight. we
held hurried consultation. I'VE can hold
out until noon-I, 1 hope" said the COM