Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-02
How A Duel Ended.

We had come down off the noun
tains near Fremont's peak-the six
IF us who had been prospecting for
three months-and we had scarcely
struck the trail when we ran upon a
mountain outfit. There were three
white men, two half breeds, Mexican
and a negro, and the party had six
pack mules with them. They had
just gone into camp for the night, and
after hearty greetings all around we
pitched our tents alongside and cook
ed our suppers at the same campfire.
The strangers were bound up to Lit
tie Squaw mountain, on hunt for
gold. The leader was Jim Williams.
There would have been no trouble
between the two outfits but for the
cards which were introduced after sup
per. And as it was, only a portion of
the men cared to play, as the day had
been a tiresome one to all. Our chief,
Frank Johnson of Nevada, sat down
with Williams, and both were in great
good nature as / wrapped myself up
in blanket and fell asleep. | had slept
for two hours when aroused by the
sounds of a quarrel. [ was the last
man of the thirteen to roll out, and I
found every one of the twelve with a
gun in his hand. 1t seemed that the
two leaders had begun playing for
money, and luck being with our man
he had won heavily Then there
came a dispute as to some point, the
lie was passed. and the men of both
outfits were ready to open fire on each
other. Tt was the other crowd which
backed down, Williams realized that
he could not depend upon the Mexican
and the negro, and was therefore over
matched. After a moment he flung
down his gun and said to Johnson:
'"The crowd has nothing to do with
this row, and | reckon we are men
enough to settle it between ourselves"
''In any way you choose" replied
Johnson.
''WeN, then, I'll tell you my plan in
the morning. One of us has got to go
under for what has passed, but to-
morrow will be long day. Let's call
1t off for tonight"
The two leaders shook hands, and
/ for one believed that would be the
end of the quarrel. | said as much
to one of our men as we lay down
again, but he whisperingly replied:
you don't know the men. There
is an old grudge between them. They
will fight tomorrow for sure, and they
will fight until one of them is dead"
"a duel with rifles. pistols, or
kpives?' | asked
Il can't say. Both are square men,
and it will be a square fight jim
Williams is one of the gamest men in
the West and as he has found his
match there'll be a fight worth talking
about for the next twenty years"
The men of both camps slept peace
fully during the remainder of the
right, and as we prepared and ate
breakfast nobody had a word to say
about the trouble of the night before.
The two leaders gave each other good
morning and chatted about the
weather, and I would have wagered
my all that the hard words had been
forgotten and forgiven. / was looking
for the order to pack up and move on
as soon as breakfast was over when
Williams took a seat beside Johnson
and quietly Observed
'You are in no great hurry, l take
it, and day or two will make no diff
ference to our men"
eve can stop here a week as we'll
as not was the reply.
Gust ahead of us, to the north is
Jacksons basin.
"Ayel I've passed through it"
said Johnson. It's a natural sink,
which was once the bed of a lake, but
is now grown up with a perfect tangle,
What's your plan?"
Zone of us is to leave here at 8
o'clock. 1t will take him an hour to
reach the far side" At 10 o'clock the
other will leave. We will hunt for
each other in the basin The one who
lives to get out will return here and
notify the camps. Do you under
stand?"
Perfectly. We are to hunt for each
other in the basin, and shoot ON sight.
One of us will be left there. The one
who goes first turns on his trail and
returns. We can stick to the trail or
take to the woods We nay be hunt
ing each other for half day or half a
week"
That's the idea, and now We'll toss
up to see who goes first. Is it heads
or tails?''
Heads said the leader.
The coin which Williams tossed in
to the air fell tail up, and he rose UP
and said:
"Jt's for me to go first. Boys, you
all understand this matter. Only one
of us is to come back, and there's to
be no hard feelings about it. If I'm
left behind you'll push on with Bill
here for your leader. What I've got
in my packs you are welcome to di-
vide between you. I've got fifteen
minutes to get ready in
| had heard every word of the above
as had every other man in camp, but il
was hard for me to realize that the
men were in sober earnest. 1t was tt
be man hunt to the death, and they