The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-09-16
DUEL with LARIATS.
TERRIBLE BATTLE BETWEEN
COWBOY BANDS.
Mexican and American "Punchers" Settle
Their Differences in Sensational
Manner-They Fought Like Tigers in
Cage.

Between Mexican and an Ameri-
can, yes,'' said Joe Hampton. 1T hap
pened about twenty years ago, and it
was, about as exciting a piece of work
as I ever saw. I was foreman at that
time for the Seven-Up e U p horse
ranch, in Wyoming, and we were on
our. way from Sydney, Neb., with a
band of mares that had been shipped
from Missouri to Sydney. We had to
drive the animals overland to the home
ranch. Well, I 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
lll-natured and most quarrelsome man
ever saw. He fell out with an Ameri-
can 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
remark 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. I rushed
between them and ordered them to put
UP their guns. The Mexican's black
eyes shone like rattlesnake's when
about to strike, but he put the gun
back in his belt and Dick did the same.
l knew there would be trouble, and
how to avoid it was question not
easily solved. I ordered the horse
Wrangler to fetch up the saddle horses,
for I intended to move on that after
noon. The Mexican spoke to Dick and
they walked off to one side and talked
IN low tone for few minutes. When
the horses came up I 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 forty-t1ver feet long and
Pedro's about sixty sfeet. Pedro drew
his knife from his belt and cut his rope
the exact length oftDick's. Then they
coiled up their ropes carefully and each
man led his horse in opposite direc-
tions until they were about 100 yards
apart. Then they mounted like a flash
and rode toward each other. stood
holding my horse by the bride and
watched every move. I will never for
get the look of hate and murder on the
Mexlcan'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 a look
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 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 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 advantage.
They charged back and forth and final
ly both threw their ropes again. It
was close call for Dick, for the Mex
lean got the rope over Dicks head, but
Dick threw it off. before he could pull
up the slack. In an instant Pedro had
gathered up ais rope and threw it again
and caught DICK around the head and
one arm: He drove the 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 terri
BILE force, for the Mexican had made the
end of his rope fast to the saddle horn.
The Mexican's horse ran short dis
tance and then stopped, and before I
could get to him one Of the other Mex
leans had ridden up and emptied his
six-shooter into Dicks body. He then
put spurs to his horse and soon disap-
peared across the prairie, and that was
the last 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.