Year: 1872

character had a spice of the DIR;
matte. On the banks Of the Obi


lived a shantyman who had


bdxom daughter, and Mike locke


upon this girl with admiring eyes


He was thus much human, an,


the bright girlish glance of tn


backwoods maiden found a sof


placein Mikes bosom. He looked


and learned to love. But she wa


a star afar. He feared not man


but in the presence of this veal


woman he was timid. Mike hat


a comrade between whom and.him


self there existed as much friend


ship as he was capable of feeling


for any one. His name was Joe
Stevens. He h ID taken Joe un


der his care, taught him how tt


use the rifle, and backed him up
in many a "scrape. In fact, JOE


was his special pet, and he hat


confded in him more than in any


mortal man. Joe saw the nader


who was the object of Mikes idol


airy. If less courageous than hi,


mentor in the presence of man,


he had less modesty in the pres.
ence of woman.


The maiden who had looked


with favor on Mike, looked with
tenderer regard on Joe. Moral
ity and forms of law were all dis.
regarded in the wilderness. The
girl yielded to the persuasions
Of Joe and became his mistress.
This state of the case in time be-
came known to Mike. Joe had
enjoyed the bliss be only
dreamed of. The soul of Mike
was filled with deep and intense
hatred of his f,rmer friend
Thoughts Of revenge haunted his
midnight couch. But he said
nothing. The occasion came at
last when he cou d take a savage
vengeance on the man who had
plucked the flower he faih hoped
bloomed for him alone. 1t was on
the occasion of grand target
practice among the boatmen.-
There were a large number of
backwoodsmen and early naviga-
tors assembled. The spot selected
was not far from where the city
ut : JItsmcuth, Ohio. now stands,
and near the residence, or shanty,
of the object of Joe's love and
Mikes devotion-the cause of
Mikes hatred toward his former
friend. 1t was grand occasion
among the rough pioneers, there
were some visitors from beyond
the mountains, and each rileman
was particularly anxious to dis
play his one accomplishment be-
lore the strangers. Mike was a.
mong them-the very prince of
marksmen. But on this occasion
he was unusually quiet aid re-
ticent.


After exhibiting their skill by
"cutting the CENTER 10 the salts
faction of the visitors, it came to
Fink's turn to perform the grand
final feat of the occasion. This
consisted in sitting tin cup on
the head of one of the party, and
placing him at a distance of fifty
PAGES, shouting the cup oft the
head OF the person supporting it.
Mike as usual selected Joe as cup
bearer. All knew his skill, and
no one would have hesitated to
have. performed the service. Joe
accepted the honor with alacrity,
especially gra.i6ed at Mixes COM
mendatory remarks, as he reques-
ted him to perform that service.
Fink expressed himself confident
that he oou!d s'plug the foremost
side of that cup, provided Joe
would hold it up, for he allus hid
kind o stiddy,like." " The dis
tance was meas ured-the cup
bearer took his station; the shin
ing helmet was placed upon his
upon his head. Mike took his
"peg,", pricked his flint, primed
his firelpck, poised his rife, took
aim and fired: The ball crushed
the brain of his former
friend and comrade, and Joe Ste
vens fell prone to the earth and
expired without groan. Mikes
was satiated. But Joe
had brother there that day
He, as well as the other persons
knew that "Mike Fink
had played foul" Scarcely had
the light smoke wreath from
Mikes fatal rife vanished into thin
air, when Dick Stevens, the broth
er of the murdered Joe, brought
his unerring rife TO bear upon the
murderer, and in an instant a
ball went crashing through the
skull of Mike Fink, and he fell