The record-union., 1899-09-11
A DUEL WITH LAssos.
A Mexican and an American Fought
It Out to the Death.

A Mexican and an American Fought
Tt Out to the Death.
Between a Mexican and an Ameri-
can, yes. It happened about twenty
years ago, and it was about as ex-
citing piece of work as / ever saw.
was foreman at that time for the Seven
Up G U P) horse ranch, in Wyoming,
and we We're on our way from Sydney,
Neb., with a band of mares that had
been shipped from Missouri to Sydney,
Neb. We had to drive the animals
overland to the home ranch.
We'll, / picked up an outfit of men
around Sydney, seven Americans and
three Mexicans-a tough lot. We
started out, and when we got to the
Big Cheyenne River, south of the Black
Hills, We stopped to let the horses rest
for few days. There was one Mexi-
can, Pedro Gonzales, about the most
i'll natured and most quarrelsome man
ever saw. He fell out with an Amer
lean by the name of Dick McAll, an all
around bad man. knew Dick by rep
utation, and he had bad record.
Well. one day at dinner time Dick
made some remarks about roping a
'Greaser' down in Texas and hauling
him across the prairie until he was
Worn out. The Mexican answered by
saying that that man must have been
asleep or dead, for you could not rope
live man and do that. Dick jumped
to his feet and pulled his gun, and
Pedro did the same. I rushed between
them and ordered them to put up their
guns. The Mexican's black eyes shone
like a rattlesnake's when about to
strike, but he put the gun back in his
belt, and Dick did the same
Il knew there would be trouble, and
how to avoid it was a question not
easily solved. I ordered the horse
Wrangler to fetch up the saddle horses,
for l intended to move on that after
noon. The Mexican spoke to Dick and
they walked off to one side and talked
IN a low tone for a few minutes. When
the horses came up 1 noticed both men
saddle6 up their best horses They both
unWound their laSso ropes and
stretched them out side by side. sDick's'
rope was about forty-five feet long and
Pedro's about sixty feet. Pedro drew
his knife from his belt and cut his rope
the exact length Of Dicks Then they
colled up their ropes carefully and each
man led his horse in opposite directions
until they were about a hundred yards
apart. Then they mounted like a flash
and rode toward each other. 1 stood
holding my horse by the bride and
watched every move. I will never for
get the look of hate and murder on the
Mexican's face, and a wicked smile
seemed to play about his mouth.
cot %s~-I14
of mingled fear and rage combined on
his savage face.
They rode slowly toward each other
for about fifty yards, watching each
other like a couple of Gagged panthers
Then they made dash and both ropes
shot out like a streak of lightning
Both men lodged and escaped. In an
instant they had gathered up their
ropes, and began to circle around and
around. I could hear the swish of their
ropes as they swung them around their
heads, each man trying to get some ad-
vantage. They charged back and forth
and finally threw their ropes again. 1t
was a close call for Dick for the Mex
lean got his rope over Dicks head. but
Dick threw it off before he could pull
up the slack. In an instant Pedro had
gathered up his rope and threw it again
and caught Dick around the head and
one arm. He drove spurs into his
horse and started across the prairie,
but like a flash Dicks hand went to
his pistol, and before the Mexican could
pull him from his horse Dick sent a
bullet through his head and the Mexi-
can fell to the ground, dead.
But Dick was jerked from his horse
with terrible force, for the Mexican had
made the end Of his rope fast to the
saddle horn. The Mexican's horse ran
short distance and then stopped, and
before I could get to him one of the
other Mexicans had ridden up and
emptied his six-shooter into Dicks
body. He then put spurs to his horse
and soon disappeared across the
prairie, and that was the last I ever
saw Of him. The other Mexican told
me that was the third duel of that kind
that Pedro had fought, and always got
his man. Seattle Post -Intelligencer.