Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-08-17
A DUEL WITH LAsSoS
Mexican and American Cowboys Set
tie Their Differences with
the Ropes.

tie Vhelr DtuercnCeA with
the Ropes.
"Between Mexican and an Ameri-
can, yes" said Joe Hampton. sit hap
pened about 20 years ago, and it was
about as exciting piece Of work Is
ever saw. l was foreman at that time
for the Seven-Up q U p horse ranch,
in Wyoming, and we were on our way
from Sydney, Neb., with band of
mares that had been shipped from Mis-
souri, to Sydney. We had to drive the
animals overland to the home ranch.
well, picked up an outfit of men
around Sydney, seven Americans and
three Mexicans, a tough lot. We start
ell 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 Mexican,
Pedro Gonzales, about the most ill
natured and most quarrelsome man l
ever saw. He fell out with an American
by the name of Dick McAll, an all
around bad man. / knew Dick by rep
| utation and he had 4 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 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.
l rushed between them and ordered
them to put up their guns. The Mex
leans black eyes shone like rattle
snakes when about to strike, but he
put the gun back in his belt, and Dick
did the same.
II knew there would be trouble, and
how to avoid it was a question not cas-
lily solved. ordered the horse wrangler
| to fetch up the saddle horses, for l in
tended to move on that afternoon. The
Mexican spoke to Dick and they walked
off to one side and talked in a low tone
for few minutes. When the horses
came up noticed both men saddled up
their best horses. They both unwound
their lasso ropes and stretched them
out side by side. Dicks rope was about
IS feet long and Pedro's about 60 feet.
cut his rope the exact length of Dicks.
Then they coiled up their ropes care
fully and each man led his horse in OPP
posite directions until they were about
100 yards apart. Then they mounted
like flash and rode toward each other.
l stood holding my horse by the bride
and watched every move. | will never
forget the look Of hate and murder on
the MeNican's face. His lips were
apart, showing his white teeth, and a
wicked smile seemed to play about his
mouth. Dicks jaws were set tight,
and look of mingled fear and rage
combined on his savage face.
''They rode slowly toward each other
for about so yards, watching each other
like couple of Gagged panthers. Then
they made a 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
begun to circle around and around. l
could hear the swish Of their ropes as
they swung them around their heads,
each man trying to get some advan-
tage. They charged back and forth
and finally both threw their ropes
again. 1t was a close call for
Dick, for the Mexican 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 the spurs into his horse and start
ed across the prairie, but like flash
Dicks hand went to his pistol, and be-
fore the Mexican could pull him from
his horse Dick sent bullet through
his head and the Mexican 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 MeEican's horse ran
short distance and then stopped, and
before 1 could get to him one OF the
other MeXicans had ridden up and emp
tied his six-shooter into Dicks body.
He then put spurs to his horse and soon
disappeared across the prairie and that
was the last 1 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.'-Se-
attic Acknowledgements.