The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-03-11

turn to our quarters without the fun
we had been reckoning upon. He was
right he said in his first assertion
that the cowardly popinjay would
never again show his face among
| them
But scarcely had he expressed his
discomfort than we heard footsteps
approaching; and in another moment
we were joined by the Mexican officer
and about dozen others in citizens
dress.
approaching our group and salut
ing us, the major removed a large ca
pote, which showed that he. also, was
arryed in plain clothes, and begging
to be excused for keeping us in wait
| ing, proposed, if agreeable to me.
that We should Immediately proceed
to the matter tn hand.
Il must confess that this cool mat
ter -of-fact manner of the man sur
prised me no lutte, and l began to feel
an involuntary respect for him; and
more than ever repented that the
terms of our meeting had not been
more i'll accordance with the customary
usages on such occasions l had no
doubt Ned and myself had mistaken
our man, and entrapped Tartar
Major Garcia. l was convinced, was a
brave fellow, and for the first time
had met a Mexican worthy of my
steel.
Saying, that was ready, therefore
we entered the gloomy building, each
stripped to shirt and pantaloons, and
armed only with the heavy, dagger
pointed knives already agreed upon.
Each took, what might prove a last
look, up to the bright stars above u.s.,
and out of the dlmly lighted plain, to
ward the city reposing il quiet among
its gardens and orange groves: and
then giving few, last, hurried words
of direction to our seconds, we order
ed the door to be closed upon us and
locked upon the outside.
'As the heavy door closed upon us,
the darkness was almost tangible in
its intensity Not even crevice or
Granny existed, either in wall or roof
through which single strangling ray
of light could penetrate; while the
thick adobe walls shut out every ex-
ternal sound. The place was indeed
dark and silent as the voiceless cham
Der Of t',o dead and chilling damp
ness, like that of the. tomb, pervaded
it. And there we stood, two immortal,
breathing men, shut up in that living
grave, bent on the murder of each
1t was indeed a fearful moment to
both of us! What were the thoughts
of our associates without, I knew not
nor cared; but for myself, 1 can say,
that unutterable thoughts were mine:
"a thousand hurried and tumuItuous
reflections rushed confusedly through
my excited brain. Death, I was GER
tain, awaited Us both. for what pos
sible chance was there that either of
us could escape! l believe, Doctor,
that l am constltutionally brave; for
after all, the courage Of the duellisG
depends only upon the physical. and
not the moral temperament. But l
mus. confess my heart quailed in that
dark, silent room, ignorant of the di-
rection in which the fatal blade would
reach me- The house, without par.
titions, was scarcely twenty feet square
and dodge and fly from each others
approach as we would, on the smooth
cement floor, we could scarcely fail to
throw ourselves upon the keen points
OF each others knives. But deter
mined, if possible, not to let my antag-
onist gain single advantage over me;
and scarcely had the key ceased to
CRATE in the rusty lock, than shouted
to him, to stand upon his defense, and
leaped noiselessly to one side, inten
dung as he sprang past me to plant a
knife thrust into his back.
I'm ready Seuor, guard yourselfr'
was the reply, but in tones, l fancied,
less courageous than those he had ut
tered outside the door; and simulta-
neously felt rushing motion in the
air, made by his sudden passage over
| the floor; and the nex5 instant, e'er !
had moved a yard from the spot, ]
experienced singing sensation in my
left side, as if red hot iron had pene
| trated it. I was wounded; and soon
| felt the hot blood dabbliog down my
leg, and falling with pattcring sound
upon the floor
''As l made this discovery, l sprane
forward and fourishing my knife
swept the air in every direction about
me, and crying aloud to my enemy
dared him to leap upon me. or give
me notice of his whereabouts by the
sound of his voice But the only
answer heard, was faint .ha. ha
uttered as if in triumph, thouh appa
rently beneath my feet. Could it b,
that the Mexican was creeping along
the floor, and thus approachin g me
while my thrusts we're all lost on th'
vacant air above him2 and turnin:
upon my heel, stopped forward. ant