Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-03-07

hne features, you were quick to offer me
lesson awhile since. Are you as ready to
take one yourself at this meeting? How is
it you have outraged my friend and your
better?"
Let them alone, yer honor!" interposed
the card-sharper, approaching. "'Tis tie
cause for the both. One was hit by bottle,
the other grounded by fist Can't we have
a trihe O. fun with hawbuck without in
references? Faith, the bullock man shall
have my sword, an we'll see which is the
better carver! I'll back him, too, an We
may back yer friend the popinjay, whose one
merit lies in not knowing when he's well
beaten. Come, now! we'll to the Kalchook
Hill Ia small elevation near the Collect, Il
freshwater pond, which was on the site of
the present tombs. The gallows used for
military execution stood between it and the
Fields, or present City Hall park, an have
it out. Pll-"
What! you villain you! you low thief!
Get hence, or I'll scalp you!" interrupted
Scammell, turning on him. ''Kalchook
Hill, you dog! You would never go so near
thu gallows on your own free will"
"Gallows, is it?" returned the fellow, still
holding his ground. Il tell ye, Scammell,
capting though We be, ye are ripper for the
galows than am j, an this III back in any
way ye name"
Scammell, instead of falling on the fel-
low in fury, an act looked for, snapped
his fingers in his face, and with a look
measuring him from head to foot replied
| Contemptuously:
"You dirty dog! Mighty brave you are
in the knowledge that kings officer would
nc'er cross swords with such scum. I'll give
| you one minute to be gone, and, failing, I'll
see you tied up and lashed If you know me
so we'll, you know twill be done" And with
| this he turned his back on the sharper, who,
| far from obeying the hint to leave, stepped
away but few PAGES.
"And now, my wild sea Bird said the
| tory redirecting his attention to me, "are
you willing to clear yourself with my
| friend here? Give a fair explanation of
| this affair if you can, or perhaps you would
like to make fine point of the matter with
me i'll some quiet spot. / might doubt my
| rights to honorably cross swords with such
as you in matter private as this, but
will forego all objections and ask no terms.
| All! but you have an excuse; you will doubt
| less plead a wound"
| The deep insolence of his last remark
| turned my dislike of the man to sudden
hatred. Twas not the words, but his more
| than unbearable manner of uttering them
| that reused my ire and brought me to the
| pitch of action. Had he been nearer,
would have served him with my fist as had
| served Lounsbury, and would have re-
eretted it at once for its lack of dignity.
| Forgetting for the moment my assumed role,
| I stood where he had found me, and an
| swered:
| Capt. Scammel, my calling is the sea.
| You are but marauding bushwhacker, nor
can the curse be rubbed off you by title or
hidden by fine trappings, and did you but
| l-nnyx ~ would ha honara1 NV
swords with me- As for an explanation,
! will satisfy you so far as to say that pun
| ished your friend for insulting me, and, by
| the God above me, if you wish to carry this
| further, | will punish you worse than l did
| kim! l could but defend myself from him,
e boy whose back could break across my
knee, so he goes harmless. As for you, will
| fight you within the hour and ask for no
second"
"Good!" he broke in. "You gave the name
to the weapon. Let it be swords, and at
once. Remember" he went on with an
oath, and working himself into rage, TASK
| no quarter OF me. Up or down / give no
| mercy; let Poutrance be the word.'
Nay" said I, famed to an equal heat by
his blood-thirsty manner and the fury in
his cye-"nay, then, will not kill you, vii
lain as you are, but, should disarm you, or
you slip, will beat you with the fiat of my
sword until you roar for quarter, or | break
| every bone in your foul hide Twill be
scant mercy, as you were better killed out
right. Now look to it, for this 1 will do, or
My name is not tThorn-Lounsbury
l caught myself just in time, and started
Violently as l discovered the trip of my
tongue. Both the others likewise gave a
jump, but it Immediately transpired that
each had different cause.
Il q
son for thus starting, and that was through
the insult had offered him in degrading him
by n threatened beating White with rage,
he threw aside the bride, and drawing his
heavy saber, advanced on me with a torrent
of oaths.
Before / could do more than whip my left
arm out of it's sling and lift the bulky table
il defense (for was unarmed), the young
officer sprang between us.
Hold hard, Scammell!-Lounsbury! Are
you Capt. Lounsbury? Lounsbury, of Rye?
BY my faith! but 1 came near making a
bull OF it!-This thing can go no further
now, Scammell. I've been looking for the
man high and low for week. Clinton wants
him at once-at once! The order comes
from headquarters. What, man! Hold
hard"
''Hold hard YOURSELF" shouted the tory
| rs uc tIlcQ W uOuBc Tie young OlIlCeT. M
further now! Do you think I'll brook such
words to my face and wait for formalities
Ay, Lounsbury it is; and of Rye and the
phantom and the devil, for aught care!
What can Clinton want with such man
Stand aside, you salt fish, and let me meet
him!"
Call me no fish, you butcher-b birdr
snapped Belden. What ails your humol
to-day? Has the heat gotten your head
You first pick my own quarrel away from
me, and then flout me for looking to my OWL
interests. Has the fair Gertrude hipped
you, that you spleen so quickly? l tell you
my orders are imperative"
Fore God, you sprat! An you dare
twit me in public on my private affairs!'
shouted the tory, turning his wrath on tn,
naval officer. Use but her name again. and
I'll spit you as you stand, you half man
How! Will you, too, fght?"
Stung by his words, and more than stunl
} by the reference to his short stature, Bel
den had whipped out the sword he had
sheathed and thrown himself into tn,
fencer's attitude.
) Fight? Ay, I'll fight! Put aside tha
meat ak and use gentleman's tool. II
show you that half a man is better than
whole brute. My wrist is as fine as yours
for all your Drawn"
: That Scammell's blood had o'ercome hi
brain was plainly apparent by the way h,
threw his heavy saber to the ground anC