Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-10-03
FOUGHT WITH ROPES
THE LAssO AS A DEADLY WEAPON IN
A COWBOY DUEL.

DT~ Two DespcradOcs Who Were
Skilled In Horscmanship and
Adopts In FIinGinG the LnrIat Shut
fed OF This Mortal Coil.
Il once witnessed Il duel with lasso
ropes between a Mexican and an Amer
ican,' said Joe Hampton. 1t hap
pened about 20 years ago, and it was
about as exciting piece of work as
ever saw. / was foreman at that time
for the Seven Up q l. p horse ranch
in Wyoming, and we were on our way
from SydUey, Neb.. with Il band of
mares that had been shipped from the
Missouri to Sydney. We lad 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 start
ed 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 naturcd and most quarrelsome man
I ever saw. He fell out with an Amer
lean by the name Of Dick Noah. an
all around bad man. l knew Dick by
q
"WelI, one day at dinner time Dick
made some remarks about roping n
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 |
n live man and do that Dick jumped |
20 his feet and pulled his gun. and Pc |
drO did the same. | rushed between |
them ana ordered them to put up their |
guns. The MeSican'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.
al knew there would lie trouble, and |
how to avoid II was a question not |
easily solved. ordered the horse |
wrangler to fetch up the saddle horses, |
for | intended to move on that after /
noon. The Mexican spoke TO Dick, |
and they walked off to one side and |
talked i'm Il low tone for n few minutes. |
When the horses came up, l noticed |
both men saddled up their best horses.
''They both unwound their lasso
ropes and stretched them out side 10y |
side. Dicks rope was about - feet |
long and Pcdro's about 60 feet. Pedro
drew his knife from his belt and cut
his rope the exact length of Dicks.
Then they coiled up their ~. PES care
fully, and each man led his horse in
opposite directions until they were
about 100 yards apart. Then they
mounted like flash and rode toward
each other
81 stood holding my horse by the
bride and watched every move. l Will |
never forget the look of hate and muir
der on the MeXican's face. His lips
We're apart, showing his white teeth, |
and Il 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 9th
er for about 30 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 begun to circle around and
around.
81 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 finally both threw their
ropes again. 1t was n close call for
Dick. for the Mexican got his rope over
Dicks head. but Dick threw it off be-
fore he could pull up the slack.
lin an instant Pedro had gathered
up his rope ana 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
n flash Dicks hand went to his pistol.
ana before the Mexican could pull him
from his horse Dick sent a bullet
through his head, and the Mexican
fell TO the ground dead.
"But Dick was jcrlled from his horse
with terrible force. for the Mexican |
had made the end of his rope fast 10
the saddle horn. The McXican'S horse |
ran short distance and then stopped. |
and before I could get TO him one of |
the other MeNicans had ridden up and |
his six shooter into Dicks | :
body. He then put spurs to his horse .
and soon disappeared across the prai- :
rte. and that was the last l 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.
No Birthplace.
y remark made 10y 6-year-old boy
on 4 certain occasion was the natural