Year: 1873

left shoulder As if this was not enough, he sent still another ball after him, which, strik

 ing him in the pit of the stomach, caused him 10 fall heavily forward on his face. Me Cluskey was now moTtally wounded and momentarily growing weaker from loss of blood Tearing open his shirt in his agony, a crimson spot in his left side indicated the place where Andcrsons first shot had taken effect. He still however, retained his grasp of his pistol and by an effort superhuman m its coolncss and dcliberation fired at his an tanonist his third shot. The latter had been closely watching for this, and endcavored to save himself by suddenly dropping to the ground. Too late, however. McCluskeys

 finger was already on the trigger and his eye along the sights, and when his adveSary's body reached the earth it was heavier by Colts pistol ball. A scream of pain followed and the spectators saw the figure of man | clutching wildly with his hands at the grass and writhing and twisting in horrible con. l tortions The bullet had struck him full in ! the abdomen and like his antagonist, Ander- ! son Was now

 AT FAsr-DYiNG MAN.

 ! At this iuncture it seemed as if the crowd

 would interfere. but Harding sternly bade ! them keep back and leave the men to settle

 the matter in their own way. As none cared

 to dispute with the gigantic hunter the man

 date was obeyed, though a universal expres- sion of horror ran through the spectators, a

 number of whom were the engineers and

 attaches of our own party. Still, horrible a'

 was tbe scene, no one thought of leaving the

 spot An irresistible fascination to see 1t out

 bound one and all alike to the blood-stanec

 locality But the finale was at hand-thC

 curtain almost ready to drop.

 McCluskey, sumlnoning by a supreme eff

 fort his remaining strength, drew his knif' and began to crawl feebly in the direction o his antagonist. The latter, who had raised

 himself to a sitting posture, saw the move

 mcnt and prepared to meet it. Both ha' dropped their revovers, leaving to the coll

 steel the completion of the work.

 By this time it had grown quite dark, an

 to distinguish the movements of the com , battants required the closest attention. An 2 derson was clearly unable to move any poi

 tion of his body save his right arm. Wit

 this he raised his knife aloft, and as McClu

 key crawled up to within reach, dealt him 1 terrible blow in the neck, cutting muscle t and tendant and veins, and half severing tn e head from the body. But the effort was to 3, much for him, and leaving the weapon sticl t ing in the wound, he pitched heavily forwar IS on his face Every one supposed that th r. blow would have instantly killed McCluske ss but strange to say it did not, for so gre is was his vitality that before falling he twi d plunged his knife into the body of Anderso The tale is soon told. McClusky lived l minute more than his antagonist. The de; n- bodies locked in each others embrace, we he taken to the house of Harding and laid O ty side by side on the gaming table. A criI 'e- son trail marked the path of those who ca ey ried them indoors, and pools of blood inc nd cated the scene of the late conflict.

 op There was no gaming that night. T

 hunters and Indians appeared to find excii ot ment enough in talking over the events of the day without having to resort to th' :" usual pastime. About eleven o'clock { of moon rose, and the bodies were taken O 'a- for burial. There were no funeral cereu th nies, but Job Harding remarked as the m re- fled forms were lowered into the gra dds "There go two as brave men as ever live till They were buried deep to keep the vol his and coyotes from digging them up, and lch earth was heaped up in little mound ,he mark where they slept. And then with r night wind whispering a soft requium ON to the dead mems graves, and the moon shini et. sadly from her distant sphere in the upI d ether, the crowd softly dispersed, and ca isi- one sought his couch.