The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06

we would fight in Kentucky, sixty
miles away All day we Travelled; the
| Dickinson party preceded US over the
same trail. At every squatter'S cabin
the inmates would call US to the wiz
ard work of Dickinson. Here he shot
the head from a fowl; there he cut
the string by which a gourd was hang
! ing; now he drove a nail at twenty
PAGES. 1t was a trick to shake my
nerve.
I'VE would fight in the early morn
ing, each standing to peg twelve
PAGES apart. Overton won the word
and the pistols. l was dressed in a
black coat, loose and long, and with
no white to show at the throat and
coax a bullet. We were given our
places, L to my joy with my favorite
pistol.
1T was conceded by Overton and
myself, as we went up and down the
business in advance, that Dickinson
would kill me. Our hope was that
I'd last long enough to kill him-he,
the defamer of my wife,
THE thought on our side was for
me to brace myself and take Dicken-
sons fire. 1 could not rival him for
! quickness or for sureness. And the
haste of an attempt would waste and
throw away my aim.
I'VE were put up, l say; the words
were to be Fire-one-two-three
stop' We might fire at any moment
between 'Fire!' and Stop And Over
ton had the word. AS 1 took my place
I slipped bullet into my mouth. I
would set my teeth on it to steady
, my hand.
"Overton cried the word and began
! the count. With the word 'Fireu Dick
enson's weapon flashed. I heard the
, roar of it, and felt the numb, dull shock
as the lead crashed into my side. But
l sustained myself. 1 was held on my
| feet by hate. l thought he had slain
me, but with him out of hell I would
not rest in my grave.
when l did not fall, but stood firm,
Dickinson started back.
cried.
Step to your peg, sir roared Over
ton, pausing in his count and cooking
q pistol; step to your peg, or I'll blow
your head from your body!'
Dlckenson stood again to his peg
and turned his eyes from me; his face
was the color of tobacco ashes.
"Overton resumed his count 'One!'
Click! My pistol caught at half
cock.
"Overton paused and I re-cocked my
pistol; Dickinson white and firm to his
peg-a man who had played his life
away.
my pistol responded; the lead tore
its way through the midst of Dicken-
sons body. He crippled slowly down
on one knee; and then he fell along on
his face, and next turned over on his
back with a sort of twitching jerk. 1
never took my eyes from him.
And your wound" said I, was a
serious one, I well know that"
My ribs were broken. while my
boot was clogged with the blood which
ran down beneath my garments. The
bullet l placed between my teeth was
crushed as fiat as a two-bit piece"
1T was hardy work." said l, bear
ing up and firing on the heels Of such
a wound"
Sir, 1 was thinking of her"-glanc-
ing at the miniature. Il should have
killed that man though he had put his
| bullet through my heart"
Here the General turned his face to-
wards me; his eyes were shining with
lambert orange glow one sees in the
panther's eyes at night.
There was silence, 1 still looking on
the General. His nervous face was
twitching. Then the frown on his fore
mead gave way to quiet sadness Ris-
ing, he stood by the mantel and gazed
for long, and tenderly on the NINA
ture of his dead dear one.
I have had many titles said he,
anu ne SPOKE Nnlsperlngly ana as
though talking with the picture; II
have had many titles, and the great
est was the one her husband / have
had honors l stand the chief of the
greatest nation in the greatest age
the world has witnessed; and I would
give all to hold her hand one moment.
They say there is heaven above us.
1t will be no heaven unless I meet her
there"
Now while was in warrnest sv,,,na-
thy with the General, his talk would
seem to fill me up with darkness. Also,
l could feel the two hot arms of Peg
burning my neck. That story, too, Of
the Dickinson fight may be supposed
to have set in my nature that animal
which lairs within each of us. some
what on truculent edge. Abruptly 1
burst forth:
And it is surprising thing" cried