Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-03
ner that plainsmen had. Coyle exper-
fenced a change of heart.

All this was merely preliminary to
Hanks meeting with Sagebush Brown.
Each man had been keeping cases on
the other for long time and doubtless
each had made up his mind as to eX-
actly what he would do in the event
they both looked forward to. The gum
fighter was bound by his code to try
the issue of supremacy whenever called
on to do so, the same as If he had
been a knight Of the fourteenth CEN
tury. Two fighters of equal standing
could not long occupy the same terri
tory.
Brown was recognized as the off,
cial man of eastern oregon. That coun-
try had been Vaughan's old stamping
ground, but he had been roaming wide
for years, and Brown fourished In the
meantime. Eventually 1t happened
that Hank journeyed down into
Browns bailiwick and Brown took note
of his coming.
There was nothing In the nature OF
instant and open challenge. Hank
passed the time Of day with old and
new friends that he met, and the
friends Immediately began to cast up
the possibilities of what they knew to
be in the wind. Never a word Of
yaunting purpose came from Hank.
He was simply there and Sagebrush
Brown was also somewhere there
abouts. They had a fair sized king
dom to roam over, but they couldn't
keep apart.
Occasionally they saw each other,
watchful and careful always, both in
tent with hostile instinct on the other.
Trifing incidents came up gradually
that tended easily under the circum-
stances to brew bad blood. If Brown
displayed resentment Hank was not the
man to step out of the way of 1t. A
duel that burned it's desperate charac-
ter into northwestern history was
fairly in the making and no man could
hope to prevent it.
They had a cowboy horse race over
Hank and Brown were both there, par
ticipating in the sport. An argument
arose over the merits Of respective
horses, Hank on one side and Brown
on tie other. Both were positive as to
opinion and not at all backward about
expressing it. One made statement
which the other contradicted. The
time had come.
Ordinarily it would have been a case
of shooting first, but this was differ
ent. It was the final test Of superior
ity between two champions in the keen
est, quickest game on earth. The spec
tators had the duel of the day in pros
pect. No commonplace flash and fire
programme could fulfill expectations.
Both principals realized this to the
completeness of the fierce satisfaction
of it and carried themselves according
ly. They stepped out together from
the crowd.
Hand to hand?" Hank asked.
Hand to hand" responded Brown.
They clasped hands, Hank sardoni-
cally smiling; Brown dark and deadly.
With right hands free to snatch revol-
vers from their holsters the two stood
in deadly embrace, primeval hatred
and hostility leaping from their eyes.
For the instant they made their savage
border picture there with the blue sky
above and the fate Of the next moment
heavy upon them.
The strain snapped with a simultan-
eous movement of the right hands and
a double report Hank Vaughan and
Sagebrush Brown lay on the ground
together, their left hands still clasped.
There is but one protective course in
a duel like this and that Is the strength
and agility one principal had in hold
ing his opponent fixed long enough to
plant a bullet in a vital spot. Hank
shot for Browns heart, but Brown
managed to receive the bullet in the
shoulder. Brown shot for Hanks
heart over their Used hands, but
missed it by hair.
1t was a muzzle to muzzle affair be-
tween the two men who could Kill un-
der far less certain circumstances, yet
neither man died. But it cost Brown
an arm and Hank never fully recovered
from the wound in his breast. He out
lived it to die from injuries received
from a bucking horse that fell on him
near Pendleton, in the nineties. And
there had never been better horsem&n
in the west.-Spokane Spokeman-Re-
view.