(From "Chambers' Journal.")

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 234, 25 July 1872, Page 9

(From " Chambers' Journal.")

Those were lively times on the Yerdigree. .The red-skins had sent us their ultimatum. There sat their en,voy extraordinary, half-naked, on his mangy steed, armed and equipped for war, and erect and imperturbable as Bismark. The a noon-day breeze just moved bis trailing scalp-lock, else he might have been taken for a painted statute. Herndon sat on a hewn slab of 1 oak, beating the " long roll " with the fragments of a broken ramrod, and laughingly commanded us to fall into, but we had no trifling matter before us. . Early that morning we had spurred our ponies through the crystal tide of the Verdigree, clambering up the western bank, and after exploring one of the loveliest valleys that ever charmed the eye of man, had each selected a prolific tract of land, aud determined to settle ttiere for nis life. Tbe i'orenoon had been passed in cutting timber for our cabins. But the jealous Osages had resented our summary proceedings, and had despatched us a peremptory summons to retire across the river, or pay the penalty of noncompliante with our lives. " Won't you be kind enough to ride out to that there mound there ?" said Ben, the black-mo ustached Missourian, to the vermilion-daubed savage, who partly understood English. "We want to talk this here thing over a little." And he pointed t« .1 'spot about thirty yards distant, as though ho expected his request to be immediately obeyed. Wheeling his charger gracefully, the Indian acceded without a word. Our whole civil and military force had been mustered for the occasion. There were six of us ; we were all young and vigorous , every man had "seen service," and that of the roughest kind. We held an impromptu council of war. " What do you think we'd better do, boys ?" inquired Beu nonchalantly. A silence ensued, each waited for the other to speak first. At last, Texican ventured to express an opinion. What his true name was I never learned. From " Texan," the frontier lingo had tnetaraorpaosed his title into " Texican," and by that anomalous soubriquet we knew, respected, and called him. "I'm for a fight, boys," said he. "This here land can't be beat nowhere ; it's Number One. And they ain't got any better right to it than we have ; and besides that, they ain't give us a decent invitation to leave. It wouldn't look well for us to travel off on terms like these." * And with a grating oath he swore he'd die iii his boots before he'd get out of the way of a set of greasy Osages. He shot 'em, anyhow, every chance he got. Three .seasons preceding, the Coinanches bad scalped his father on the " Old Texas line," and brained his sister with a war-club. We expected him to talk in just this style. " You just settle the matter for yourselves, boy's whatever it's to be," interposed the Missourian, yawning, as though nothing more than au everyday dilemma — a mere deal in " poker " — was to be decided, I thought it prudent to dodge the responsibility, and follow his example. '• It's all very well to talk about fighting it out," remarked Colton ; and it's likely that we got as much sand in our craws as any of 'em, but what can six of us do against three o^ four hundred ? I don't like the way they talk, myself; but the game is all in their hands, aud they know it. I .had all the fighting I wanted in the war, shooting you Texas fellows, and don't want any more of it, if I can help it. We oii^ht throw our logs together, and hold our own till morning, but it would turn out an uijly scrape before we -got through it. We haven't got a drop of water, and we'd soon run out of provisions, and they'd dance over our bones in forfcy-eigiit hours. If the rest of you want to fight, why fight it is, but I thiuk we'd better go a little slow." He was a young, blue-eyed, flaxenhaired Minnesotian, and "the borderruffians, gave him credit for being •' as cool as a wedge, and sharper than steel." " I tell you what I atn in for," said " ludiana." We generally went by the names of our native places. We're all old vets in this military business, and we want to use a little strategy with the vagabonds. They've insulted us, and for one I don't feel like falling back without burning powder. But it's just as Minnesota says. We can't fight 'em all to any purpose. But we- may beat 'em after all. Now, I move that we'll pick our man, and they'll pick theirs, and let tbe two shoot it out. ' If their man wins, we'll evacuate ; if ours wins' we'll stay. This novel proceeding suited everyone. Herndon amended it by suggesting that we should cast lots for the championship, and that the fi^ht should take place with rifles at twenty paces. This was declared to be gelt ing the thing into shape •"'and we all cordially agreed .to it. Ben rose, and motioned importantly to the envoy. That nude personage gravely rod& up, received our reply with stolid decorum, and was out of sight in a minute. "We'd better load, up in the meantime, boys," remarked Indiana ; " for if

it don't suit 'em, they'll be after us in short order." The idea was voted " not bad," and we not only charged our rifles and revolvers, but flung our logs together in such a manner as to form a very eflicientdefence, if required. Herndon then kindled a fire, procured water, and commenced cooking dinner. In about twenty minutes the envoy returned. Our proposition had met with great favour, he briefly informed us, but would not be accepted unless the distance was shortened to ten paces. He also stated that the contest would be expected to continue until one of the principals was killed, and that knives or tomahawks must be allowed to be used after the discharge of the rifles. " That's pretty close quarters, boys," continued Ben. " 1 got a slug once on just such a fciine-table. But I guess it's all right, though. They know they can't shoot with us. Let's give the poor-devil's a chance." To tbia we all assented. Tor the tomahawk provision we cared nothing ; we knew the first shot would settle the matter one way or the other. The messenger then went on to say that the warriors of the tribe would be assembled to meet us in one hour, at tbe crest of a lofty eminence, which he pointed' out to us, about half-a-mile distant- —we to be punctually on hand, and be galloped off again. Next came the task of casting lots for the post of peril. We began to realise that blood wus to be shed. It was a solemn moment, for no one could predict the result of the encounter. Indiana tore up one of his mother's letters, and plainly writing each man's name upon oneof theshp3, placed them all in a hat together. Texican was then blindfolded, and deputed to draw for us ; whoever's name was on the slip he picked out was to be our champion. He drew his own. " It's all right boys," said he, when the result was ascertained. " You couldn't please me better." Further than this he said nothing. Then ensued a long and awkward ! silence, for we bad all our misgivings. ' When our dinner was ready, we de spatched it quickly, smoked a few minutes without conversation, and then reticently mounted our ponies. On arriving at the designated battleground, we found several hundred Osages awaiting us, all armed and painted, and most of them entirely naked, with the exception of breechclouts. Two lances were stuck in the turf about ten yards- apart; these indicated the positions of the combatants. We were received with neither friendly nor hostile demonstrations. As soon | as we dismounted, Texican, rifle in hand, walked calmlj forwa-d to the nearest lance, and baited. In a few moments, a tall young- brave stepped out of the crowd, and stalked proudly up to the other. I was appointed to give tbe necessary signals. In order to disturb their accuracy of aim as little as possible, 1 was requested to stand half-way between them, and two paces back from the line of fire. There was no danger of being hit by such marksmen as they were. In my right hand I held a lance, from the point of which dangled a red flannel streamer ; when I raised it, they were to aim ; when I lowered it they were tofi re. And then we waited for Eed Cloud, the chief of the tribe. It was an impressive scene. Texican leaned his shaggy chin upon his hands, on the muzzle of his long rifle, and with a gleam of malicious triumph glared fiercely across at his foe. He was reckless of his own life and felt sure of his prey, for his aim was death. The young Indian seemed to read his thoughts ; but standing erect, with a graceful and careless indifference, gazed dreamily off to the southward, where the long blue lines of timber were lost in the misty beauty of the horizon. His eye soon softened with a tinge of pensive sadness. Was he thinking of the happy | hnnting grounds'? The other four members of our party stood in a cluster a little way to the left of Texican, for the Ameri an savage is proverbially treacherous. Presently, Red Cloud emerged from a rude lodge near by, and clad in a long robe of furs, moved with stately presence to the front line of his people. With a dignified wave of his hand, he signified his pleasure that the tragedy should begin. Each principal recalled his thoughts, examined the tube of his rifle, and nodded to me. I raised the lanee — they sternly took aim. I lowered the lance quickly, and two sharp* reports instantaneously followed. The wan ior sprang wildly into the air, flung his weapon fully twenty feet away, and dropped dead at his post. The bullet had crashed through the brain. Texican thudded the butt of his rifle on the ground and gave vent to a hoarse, mocking, and half-demoniac cry of triumph and revenge ; then he tried to steady himself" with his weapon but staggered helplessly back ward. Herndon and Indiana ran up, and caught him in their arras. His red shirfc gradually deepened in hue, and a dreadful alarm seized us. Still he laughed hoarsely, and tried to point to the motionless "corpse of his adversary. We hurriedly gathered around him, and tenderly as children laid him down on the soft green grass." .Tearing open his shirt, we found a bright scarlet spot on his left breast, close to his heart. N.one of us were versed in surgery ; we could not state in scientific terms just what particular veins and ligaments had been

severed ; but we knew by the location of the woundj and -byjiis parched lips and pallid Countenance, " that death was upon him." "It's all clay with me, boys," he faintly said, for he was growing much weaker every moment ; " but I've paid 'em handsomely for it. Give my rifle to Colton — I always liked him." AYe bent over the poor fellow with words of sympathy for his pain, and praise for his valour, and our enemies might have shot us all down without our knowing it. • But it was of no use, His breath quickly came and went. " Water," at length he groaned. We had none, and there was not a brook within half a mile. An Indian girl comprehended our want, ran to the lodge, and in a moment returned with a skinful. We placed the cooling fluid' to his burning lips, and he took a long draught, but it choked him, und he vomited up a handful of bright crimson blood. We had seen to j many men perish not to know by this that the lead "had penetrated his vitals. He was bleeding internally. As soon as be could clear his throat to speak, he said feebly and almost breathlessly, " Don't you try to revenge me, boys. Honour bright. They've done the fair thing with us, and you acts the man with them. You're to cross the river, and I'll Don't forget the Texican." The last of these words were rendered almost unintelligible by the blood that gurgled up into his tliroat. A film seemed to gather over his eyes. " Where are my friends 1 Don't leave me to die alone, boys," he moaned with a great effort, clutching blindly at us. " We're with you to the last, old friend," answered Colton, grasping his right hand. I caught the other. We may have been a faint-hearted lot, buc there was not an undimmed eye amongst us. Soon he groaned almost inaudibly, a shudder passed over him, and he was dead. Even the stony-hearted barbarians seemed touched by the distressful incidents of this sanguinary affair. Few of them could speak English, but such as could advanced towards us, and, by the aid of signs, endeavoured to inform us that their champion had expected to die, and they urged it would be fitting 10 entomb two "teuch brave men together. We received their strangely chivalrous proposal with a maguanmity equal to their own. With sprars and tomahawks, they excavated a grave ; and wrapping the cotnhiGHnts in the rich fniM of the chieftain, we laid them down to rest side by side— friend and foe alike lamented. Then heaping a gre-it pile of stones above them, to baffle the efforts of prowling wolves, we fired a volley in the air, and with aching hearts departed. And there they slumber still. One died for his friends, the other for the houour of his tribe, The wistful su miner winds sigh a sad requiem above the spot of their long repose, the wild flowers blossom in vernal profusion around it. and the showers of heaven impartially descend upon the sofc verdure that enshrines it.