Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-05-31
Tht Story Iellrr.
THE FATAL DUEL.
BY OBADIAH 4. AURINGER.


nence in one of the Western prairies
were seated two men in the garb of
hunters. One was a young man of
about 20 years of age, possessed of
form tall and we'll proportioned, and of
pleasant, handsome features.
His companion was an old hunter, of
short stature, whose weather-beaten
visage showed the scars of more than
one fierce struggle with the savage
bear, and the little less savage red
man.
"Rube," said the young man, break
ing the silence, chow long have you
been the on the prairie ?"
The old hunter pondered moment
as if to recall to memory the number
of years that had passed since he had
begun his career upon the plains, and
then replied:
"Wall, it are just 81 years ago this
fall that I fought the duel with Dick
Burgess, for which I war obliged ter
leave my native State forever. Boy,
did 1 ever tell you of that ar scrape ?"
"No; but if you have no objection,
I would like to hear it," was the an
swer.
ut are a long story, fraught with
love and bloodshed hut as I have
never told it to yer before l think I'll
crafty ye.
SAT the time I war 19 years of age I
lived with my father on the banks of
the Ohio, in the State of Kentucky,
an as l war fond of the hunt I spent
most of my time at hunting and trap
ping in the forest, and along my native
stream. Often l would hunt for sever:
al days without returnin' home, camp
in wherever night found me, an war
always sure to 60 home with as many
peltries as 1 could back, besides lot
of small game.
"One mornin', as I set out on my
return from one Of these hunts, sud-
denly stumbled upon the trail of
party of redskins. AS an Injin trail in
them parts at that time were seldom
seen, I concluded ter foller it ways
an find out, if 1 could, what the red
gents war about. Accordingly 1
struck out and tramped all day with
out gittin' so much as squint at 'em
but Jest at sunset, as I war about CIV
in up the job, 1 discovered thar camp
fire bout half mile ahead, in thick
grove of timber.
II waited till it war dark, an then
crawled up within a few yards O. the
fire, whar I'd git squint at 'em with
out bein' seen myself
"Thar war six of 'em all told, in
full war-paint. They war settin' in a
circle round the fire. I could see that
several of 'em wore fresh scalps in
their belts. Jest behind 'em, settin'
on the ground, with her head bowed
upon her bosom, an her white hands
tied behind her with stout thongs of
deerskin, war the pootiest female that
I had ever seen.
"The sight ofthe poor suferin Great
ur', an the bloody scalps, that no
doubt had been torn from the heads
o. her murdered parents, made my
blood bile, an I took my oath on the
spot that every one O. them red heath
ems should bite the dust, or I shed lose
my own ha'r.
"Leavin' one Injin ter guard the
camp, the rest soon stretched 'emsel-
yes around the fire to snooze, little
thinkin' that they'd awake in the
happy huntin' grounds. AS soon as
all except the sentinel war buried in
slumber, I crept softly up behind the
unsuspectin' red, and fxin' my grip
on his throat, pressed my knife inter
his heart. I held him tight till he
stopped strugglin', an then stepped
around among his sleeping comrads
an put my steel inter every dusky
| bosom.
ut war a bloody deed, boy; but
thar war no other way to save the
gal.
"The female that I rescued war a
gal named Nellie Hayward, the daugh-
ter of all old hunter an scout who
lived in the southern part Of Ohio.
One night his cabin war attacked by
gang of wanderin' Shawnees, who
tomahawked an sculped the rest
O. the family, after loosin' three O.
thar number by the rifle O. the old
pioneer, who fought like a catamount
afore he went under.
"As the poor gal now had no home,
I took her home to my kind old
mother, who endeavored to make her
happy and forget her great sorrow.
"a year went by, and durin' that
time war the happiest fellow alive. I
loved Nellie Hayward, and as war
simple enough ter believe she loved
me, I war in no hurry to tell her
on it; but before long found that my
delay war fatal one, for one night as
I war returnin' from long hunt, with
my back loaded with pelts an game, I
found the gal I loved sittin' under
tree little distance from the house,
and beside her war chap named Dick
Burgess-as big rascal as ever cheat
ed an honest hunter in a game O.
keerds. His arm were around her
waist, and he war pourin string O.
| love trash into her ears that would
puzzle an old man like me to repeat.
At last heard him ask her ter be his