Year: 1869

Put down that knife, or the con-
sequence be upon your own head.
Put it down, l say and the hand of
the speaker slowly and deliberately
raised revolver.


1t was a very anxious moment for
the lOOkers-On. One of the combat
ants was brawny ruffian upon
whose face was stamped all the evil
passions of the human race. Black
hair, black bearded, black eyed and
strong enough was he to have felled
an OK with "A single blow of his fist.
The other was a pale, slender, intel
lcctual looking young man, boy al
most, with light curls and complex
ion and blue eyes.


The scene was in the little town of
Washington, on the Brazos river in
Texas, and the time midnight.


DO yer know who yer are talking
to, boy ? was the coarse and unedu-
Gated answer of Luke BoutOn, than
whom no gambler in the vicinity was
more detested and feared.


A man to whom (and not without
reason) was imputed every crime
even that of murder; who was an
unfailing shot with the pistol and
rifle and unmatched in skill with that
strictly Border weapon-the bowie
knife. A short residence in that To-
cality had given him a reputation as
"a duelist, for the long grass of the
Tampas covered the forms of two who
had fallen by his hand. Where he
came from no one knew, and he was
particularly reticent about his former
life. Still it was whispered-behind
his back, for no one was foOl-hardy
enough to say it to his face-that he
was one of the very few who escaped
from the terrible justice of Natchez-
under-the- -hill,' when the outra ~ed
citizens awolA in their wrath and
took speedy vengeance in their own
hands. Be that as it might, he had
already earned a name sufficiently
bad to need no additions even where
the great majority of crimes were
looked upon lightly-making Texas
in its infancy the paradise of scoun-
drelS.


OF the other, his boyish antagonist,
even less was known. 1t was but
two days since his arrival, and he
had come on horseback and alone,
OF his business he had nothing to
say, but his suave manner and quiet,
gentlemanly department had already
made him friends among the better
portion of the sparse population.


Very much to their surprise, there
fore, was it that they had seen him
enter into contest at cards with the
professional gamester Bouton, conf
dent that he would either be cheated
or bullied out Of his money, in case
he should be successful, which was
almost beyond the range of posi-
bility.


But for two hours the game had
been progressing, the gambler get
ting more angry at every deal, and
the youth keeping perfectly cool and
breathing taunting words as if his
object was still further to provoke
him. If it was his purpose to do so.
he was more than successful, for Bon.
ton had suddenly sprung to his feet
and drawn his heavy knife with oaths
upon his lips and murder flashing
from his eyes.


Put down that knife again re-
peated the young man, Mark White
man, as he had given all to under
stand was his name. Put it down.
No one but a coward and a cheat
would attempt to use such fatal ar
guments in simple game of chance.


'Er cheat! cowardr thundered
Bouton, with all his wrath aroused.
by heaven, I'll make yer eat yer
wOrdS.'


For fear you do not fully under
stand, | will repeat them


yer dare not ? was hissed from
the more than tightly compressed
lips.


Coward cheat! | dare say any
thing to one like you.'


Coward er ginr and his knife
flashed still more wildly around.


In vain the Others interfered. They
cared little for the professional and
brutal gamester, but they did for
young Whiteman, and could not but
be surprised at the almost subIimity
of his coolness and bravery, even
though he was courting his own
death.


Something il the manner Of the