Year: 1867




and bleeding on the ground. He was
thus found by his brother few mo-
ments afterwards, his handsome face
turned upward to the sky, pale and
ghastly, and his manly form rigid and
cold in death.


1t would be impossible to tell the az
ony of that young brother. He cast
himself upon the dead form of him
whom he loved better than life. The
tears Of great anguish welled up from
his heart, and dropped upon the face of
his dead relation. He clasped the cold,
inanimate form in his arms, and called
upon him in the most endearing names.
Thus We found him. We took him
from the body, and l myself carried
the dead man into the cabin. The fol-
lowing day We buried him. Work
ceased upon the Almay cabin, and the
young man, Tom Almay, remained
with me for two days. During that
time he said nothing whatever; he
merely sharpened his bowie knife and
cleaned his rife. On the morning of
the second day, be asked me to accom-
pany him to the tavern. l suspected
what he intended to do, and l was per-
fectly satisfied. put my revolver in
my pocket, and went with him. On the
way he told NE that he intended to kill
Slade and his companions, but that he
would do it in fair fight; that he
would never become red handed as
sassin, and asked me to become his sec
ond. could not, would not. and did
not refuse him. l went with him. and
We found the assassin Slade in the tav-
ern with his boon companions. | told
Tom Wright what We had come for;
that young Tom Almay was in search
of vengeance, and that Sam Slade was
the first man he wished to meet. Slade,
with a cold -blooded grin, stated his
readiness to butcher Tom Almay at
any time he might appoint-the quick
er the better. Tom Almay had alrea-
dy given me his instructions; so upon
the acceptance of the invitation by Sam
Slade | went forth, and on the verge of
wood, in company with two other
men, proceeded to dig grave. In
short time the work was performed, and
the parties on the ground. When Sam
Slade beheld the grave, he asked what
it had been dug for, and was quotly
answered by voice from behind him
''To cover your vile and cowardly car
cass."


Turning, he beheld the form of Tom
Almay divested of jacket and shirt,
standing in his leathern leggins, his
bowie knife in his hand, and his eyes
filled with deadly hate. He only gave
him scowl, however, and turned pale,
and repeated the question. told him
that it was the way that Almay pro-
posed to fght-that it would save the
trouble of moving the body if one Of
them were killed.


Slade at first turned slightly pale,
and tremor passed through his form
as if he felt premonition of his ap
preaching end. He mastered his emo
ton, however, and taking off his coat,
drew his knife from his breast and
sprang into the same grave, setting
himself down at one end, and then
awaiting the advent of his desperate
opponent-who looked altogether too
light for the gigantic ruffian to whom
he had opposed himself. Scarcely a
man that was gathered about that grave,
soon to be the scene of bloody battle,
but felt assured, ere the fight began,
that young Tom Almay would soon be
a bleeding corpse at the feet of the pom
derous brute with whom he was to con-
tend. The rufians made their bets up
on the result of the fight, but as no.
body would bet on Almay, very little
money was wagered on the coming
bloody contest. Little did those men
know-ay, little did any of US know,
with whom Slade was about to contend
and not until after the bloody contest
did We know, when three gashed and
CORY forms lay dead in the grave, that
that the most noted master of the bow
lie that ever Arkansas produced was
represented in the person of Tom AL
may.


When everything was ready, the
light form of the fair duelist leaped in
to the grave, and from one end awaited
the signal for the onset. The word
was given, and the two men darted like
demons on each other, Slade making a
fearful lunge at the face of his young
opponent. With the utmost care the
awful blow was parried. Calm, cool
and deliberate was the face of young
Almay. The strength Of the giant
seemed in bis youthful arm. and the
courage that is said to characterize the
lion cleaned in deadly light from his
brave young eye he parried the awful
blow of the brute before him, and swift
as the lightning shoots from the sky,
his stout white hand fell forward upon
the right side of the face of Slade, and
the ear of the ponderous brute fell
to the ground. With howl of pain
and rage, Slade darted on the youth,
and, with another lunge, sought to lay