The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-07
son was still further disturbed by the
interruDtiOn

" beg your pardon, Sir. Colonel
SEWER, | am informed on good au-
thorlty that you said publicly at Jones'
0oro week ago, sir, that General
jackson had thrown away the valuable
lives Of more Tennesseeans in lslodg-
ing HANDFUL Of dirty Greeks from
horseshoe Bend than f. had cost to
drive the Cherokees from the State,
though they were the bravest and most
intelligent Indians in North America,
and though it took thirty battles to do
it,"
My dear General Jackson said
SEWER with increasing suavity,
though am perhaps misreprescuted
by your Informant, | am not at all dis
posed to dispute your assertion that he
Is reliable, nor is this u suitable oc-
casion for questioning his accuracy as
a tale bearer"
Colonel TiPton,' said General Jack
son, turning to my graudfather 81
will ask you to ride to one side and
witness that what occurs. between
Colonel Sewer and myself is perfectly
fair. Colonel Sewer have two pistols
In my hosters. | assume that YOU are
similarly provided. If it suits your
convenience, sir, | will ride twenty or
thirty yards down the road, and when
have fairly turned you will be at
liberty to fire."
My dear General Jackson" said
Sewer, in the same even tone, but
with very heightened color, 81 must
say that this is sudden, and, oven from
you, somewhat surprising, but you are
entirely warranted in taking it for
granted that what suits your con-
venience in the matter suits mine,
| Colonel Tiptor, although our families
have not always been as friendly AS
] W lSh Ia IL 4
favor to tell my friends, il it should be
necessary for you to take such action
on my part, thai everything which
occurs mere today was arranged in
good order and to my atisfacJion as
well as TO that of General Jackson"
He had barely ceased speaking when
General jackson ode very deliberately
to the 10 u, 10 saning his pistols in
nlS holsters as he rode. The meeting
had occurred where the road skirted a
strip of open woodland, and into this
my grandfather rode for some ten
PAGES. When he turned his horse
General jackson was already in posi-
tlon, and was waiting to be sure that
ne "as taking no possible advantage
When he saw that Sewer had drawn
his pistol and was lcveling it, he fired
suddenly without stopping to take aim.
Sewers pistol WAS discharged almost
In the Same instant, and his badly
trained horse SHE'D at the report, his
cooked hat fell OFF, as it seemed then
from the effect Of the horses spring to
one side, but as it appeared later, with
some help from General Juckson's
bullet. AS Sewer -eined in his horse
and brought his second pistol TO the
level OF his eyes jackson fired again.
AS he did SO Sewer lowered his arm
suddenly, and my grandfather thought
at first he was hit. He soon saw he
was mistaken. however.
Colonel Tipton,' he said, General
jackson has sp sled my hat and inter
rupted my enjoyment OF a beautiful
morning. He has empticd both his
pistols at me, as he was entitled to do
under his own arrangement OF this
Affair. Under that arrangement am
| entitled to use tho ono shot have left
at my leisure call you to witness
that my revenge is fair and in perfect
order under the agreement"
During this harangue, delivered in
voice intended to make it perfectly
audible to General Jackson, my grand
father shifted uneasily in his saddle,
and felt, as he confessed to me, the
strongest inclination to draw his own
pistol in the effort to prevent murder
But the "rulcs Of the road" were
stronger than his impulse, and he
could only reply:
If it suits Colonel Sevicr to use his
remaining shot in such way, it is
his privilege. | beg to inform him,
however, that | have two pistols in my
holster, both loaded, and one OF them
will be at his service as soon as he has
discharged his at General Jackson.'
Sewer laughed, aud without wait
ing to reply, discharged his pistol in
the air. "Thank you for your kind
ness, Colonel Tipton," he said, as he
replaced it in the holster, "but | will
not trouble you. | have had quite
enough shooting for one morning"
Dismounting, he picked up his hat,
brushed 1T, rearranged it into correct
triangular shape, and, bowing first to
General jackson and then to nv
grandfather replaced it carefully on
his powdered wig-an old-fashiOncd
elegance which Col. Sewer had not
thought it either ncce ssary or con-
venient to assume in the days when he
was Nolichucky Jack, and more
familiar with the feel OF buckskin than
of good blue broadcloth.
Having settled his hat to his salts
faction, SO that its corners bore their
customary relation to the cue into
which the ends Of his wig were gather
ed, Colonel Sewer rcarranged his uni
| lOFln COW, SullGcu his ufcSS SWORD
tile more to the left, and rcmountcd
with the dignity OF Il revolutionary
hero exhibiting his superiority to
your ger gene ration calculating every
thing with all the powers Of his re.
markable intellect to punish General
Jackson to his utmost possible extent.
He undoubtedly succeeded. jackson
was fond OF being magnanimOus him
self, and nothing coul0 have CALLED
him moro than being victimiz,d by
this spectacular display OF his OPP
ponents superiority
lie would infinitely have preferred
being shot at, as both Sewer and my
grandfather knew. And although
Sewer assumed an expression OF grave
and dignified poitencss as Jackson
rode forward, it was impossible no. to
believe that he was laughing behind
his mask. The corners OF Jackson's
mouth were drawn lower still, and the
| onntral W ri n u la n bis foro n uI ,till