The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-12
9aasrsaa gutelligeases,
THE FATAL DUEL.
By OBADIAH A. AURIN0ER.

about Z0 years OF age, possessed OF g
form tall and well proportional, and of
pleasant, handsome features.
His completion 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, show long have you
been on the prarie9"
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 l war obliged ter
leave my native State forever. Boy,
did ever tell you Of that ar scrape?'
"No; but if you have no objection,
I would like to hear it, was the an
swer.
cit are long story, fraught with
love and bloodshed; but as | have
never told it to yer before | think Ill
crafty ye.
cat the time I war 10 years Of age
-Ilived with my father on the banks Of
the Ohio, in the State Of Kentucky,
an as war found Of the hunt l spent
most of my time at hunting and trap
ping in the forest, and along my native
stream. Often I would hunt for sew
eral days without returnin' home,
campin' wherever night found me, an
war always sure to go home with as
many peltries as I could back, besides
lot Of small game.
"One mornin', as / set out on my
return from one of these hunts, ! sud
denly stumbled upon the trail of a
party of redskins. AS an Injin trail
in them parts at that time were sell
dom seen, I concluded ter foller it a
ways an find out, if I could, what the
red gents war about. Accordingly l
struck out and tramped all day with
out gittin' 80 much as a squint at EN-;
but Just at sunset, as | war about Civ
in up the job, I discovered thar camp
FIRE bout half a mile ahead, in thick
grove Of timber.
sWaited tillit war dark; an then
crawled np2within a few yards o the
fire wharf d git a squint at EN- with
out bein seen myself.
s'Thar war six of 'em all told, in
full war-paint. They war settin' in a
circle round the fire. Icould see that
several Of EN- 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
Ihad ever seen.
"The sight Of the poor sutferin'
creatur' 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 heathens
should bite the dust, or shed lose
; my own hal
"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 hap
py huntin grounds. AS soon as all
except the sentinel war buried in slum-
ber, I crept softly up behind the un-
suspection' red, and fxin' my grip on
his throat, pressed my knife inter his
heart. I held him tight till he stop
ped strugglin an then l stepped
around among his sleeping comrades
an put my steel inter every dusky
bosom.
ssIt war bloody deed, boy; but
thar war no 5ther way to save the
gal.
"The female that I rescued war q
gal named Nellie Hayward, the daugh-
ter of an 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 rife O. the old pioneer,
who fought like a catamount afore he
went under.
Gas the poor gal now had no home,
I took her home to my kind OLD moth
er, who endeavored to make her happy
and forget her great sorrow.
IA year went by, and durin' that
time I 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, l
found the gal I loved sittin' under a
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 game O
keerds. His arm were around her
waist, and he war pourin' a string O.
love trash into her ears that would
puzzle an old man like me to repeat.
At last I heard him ask her ter be his
wife, an heard her soft voice answer
yes Then, with deep determina-
tion in my heart, I left the scene and
went on to the cabin.
'I had jest got my pelts taken care
| of, when Dick and Nellie entered.
As soon as Dick seed me he turned
ter GO.
come with me; I've got somethin' ter
tell ye.
"He followed me out inter the moon
light, an after goin' short distance
from the cabin I stopped, and lyin'
my hand on his shoulder, said, in a
voice so deep an strange that he turn
ed pale:
" Dick Burgess, one or t'other Of
us has got ter die tonight! We can't
both live an love the same gal.
You've stole the love O. Nellie Hay
ward and blood alone can wipe out the
crime.
'Rube,' said Dick, when ! had
ceased speaking, we've insulted me,
and I accept yer challenge ter fight:
Name the time an place, and We II
have fair play
"The spot selected for the duel to