Tales of the Colorado Pioneers. Alice Polk Hill
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Ohio.
“ We had, during our trip over the plains, occasionally taken that old gun down and rammed a charge of pistol balls down, until we had about six inches of a load in it. I advised him not to attempt to fire it, but he said he was determined to kill that old chief. I gave it to him with the admonition to shut his eyes and say his prayers before pulling the trigger. But he fearlessly walked out towards the old scoundrel, who also advanced, each eyeing the other.
“ When about seventy-five yards apart, both raised their guns at the same instant—and both fell.
REMINISCENCE OF A FREIGHTER. 49
“ The chiefs horse started off with a gallop, and the In¬ dian, being a very large man, broke the strap with which he was tied on, and fell to the ground near where he was shot. We saw the blood fly from Dick’s face and the gun bound away out of his hands, but he quickly jumped to his feet, wiped his face, grabbed up the old musket and ran as only a long-legged Missourian knows how to run, for the corral. The musket had kicked, and the hammer had torn away a ‘chunk’—as he said—of his cheek.
“Upon the fall of the chief, the Indians made a rush to secure his body; but we kept up such a continuous fire that they could not get near it safely. Dick then proposed that as he had killed him, if we would charge on them and drive them back towards the south side of the corral, he would go out and get his -scalp.’ This we did, and Dick bounded out with an old butcher knife, and in less than a minute he sat himself across old Lo, and we could hear him tearing the scalp away. When the Indians saw what he was doing they made a desperate charge and drove us back, but not until Dick had secured the prize from that Indian’s head.
“The loss of the scalp of their chief seemed to be a signal for retreat, for without any apparent order or sign from any of them, the remainder rode rapidly off towards the river, and disappeared among the hills.
“The trophy justly belonged to Dick. He stretched it and tacked it on the hoop of a keg, and from there to Fort Morgan, despite our entreaties and protests that it would certainly invite our destruction should we meet a large war party, it floated from the mast of his ‘prairie schooner.’ We were stopped of course at Fort Morgan by the commanding officer, who, I believe, was a brother of
4
50 TALES OF THE COLORADO PIONEERS.
Phil. Sheridan, and directed to go into camp until a proper number had collected to come within the order of the De¬ partment Commander. Dick suggested that as we had a pass, pointing to the scalp floating over his wagon, we ought to be permitted to proceed. The officer directed us to move on, which we did with our colors flying, and fortunately had no further molestation on the trip.”
“ Were there any duels in those days?” I asked.
CHAPTER X.
A BLOODY DUEL.
“Yes, there was a bloody duel among the old-time romances. I remember it as though it was yesterday,” said
Judge Bennett.
“ It was the 7th, not the ides of March, A. D. 1860, when there occurred a most sanguinary encounter or affair of ‘honah,’ between two citizens of the Territory. Dr. Stone, Judge of the miners’ court in the Mountain City District, had been a member of the Legislative Assembly. Hon. L. W. Bliss was Secretary, and at the time acting Governor of the Territory.
“ There was no woman in this case, but money, the ‘ root of all evil,’ according to respectable authority, did have something to do in the primeval cause of the quarrel, and wine warmed up the blood and caused the latent heat to escape.
“ The affair grew out of some personal language used by the former against the latter. As I remember it, Dr. Stone had drawn his pay as a member of the Legislature during the first and only session of that body that ever
A BLOODY DUEL. 51
met, which was in the fall of 1859. A Provisional Gov¬ ernment had been organized, with It. K. Steel at its head. The Territory was then called Jefferson. The Dr., after having sold his pay warrants, publicly repudiated the Territorial organization. This action, by a member of the Legislature, was quite annoying to the other officers of the Territory, and particularly so to the sensitive Secretary.
“ Bliss and Stone were together often; were jovial, free hearted, fond of a joke and a drink, and up to this time were the best of friends.
“On the evening before the 7th of March the Secretary, Lou. Bliss, as he was familiarly called, had invited to his private rooms at the hotel a dozen or more gentleman friends, to break a few bottles of wine with him. While they were making themselves merry with the attractive host and the generous wine, Dr. Stone, who had come down from Central that day, stepped into the room unbidden and took his seat among the convivial party. The call was inopportune, for the party had just been discussing his repudiation of the Territorial organization.
“Shortly after Stone came in glasses were filled all around and Bliss, rising, said: ‘ Here’s to the man who got Iris pay and then repudiated the government and left his friends.’ Dr. Stone understood the remark to be aimed at him, as in fact it was. Fire shot from his eyes, and without taking his wine, he and a friend who came in with him immediately withdrew.
“The friend who had retired with Dr. Stone soon re¬ turned with a note bearing a challenge to mortal combat. Bliss immediately accepted.
“ Being the challenged party, according to the code he
52 TALES OF THE COLORADO PIONEERS.
had the choice of weapons, and chose double-barreled shot-guns, loaded with ounce balls; distance, thirty paces; time, afternoon of the next day.
“The place selected was on the bank of the Platte river near Denver.
“ There was no secrecy, for there was no law against duelling, nor, for that matter, against any other form of murder, except that in the absence of statutes the inhab¬ itants of the western border of the Great American Desert were ‘a law unto themselves.’
“The town was full of excitement over the impending duel. People conversed in whispers and exchanged glances full of meaning. Some said Bliss would not fight, that he was a Northern man and hadn’t the nerve. Others said Dr. Stone was from Harper’s Ferry, and would make Bliss fight or back squarely down. Others again averred that Bliss would fight, and was sure to hit his man; that he was rehearsing for the combat, and was a crack shot. He had at the ‘word ’ shot the figure of a man at thirty paces distant full of holes, from the crown of the head to the knees, hitting the figure every time where he said he would.
“And so the gossip, went on, until the opinion became general that Bliss’ superior skill would brace him up for the conflict.
“ Not knowing the precise hour, I watched to see the crowd start, and then followed, thinking possibly I might stop the fight by reasoning with the parties on the ground.
“When I reached the appointed place Dr. Stone had just arrived in his carriage, accompanied by his seconds and surgeon. Shortly after came Bliss, walking and carrying his shot-gun carelessly on his shoulder. He was
A BLOODY DUEL. 53
dressed in a dust-colored ‘ Raglan’ coat, and impressed me at the time as though he was, as near as might be, following out his habit of bird hunting.
“He mingled in the crowd, talking and chatting with his friends and acquaintances with as much apparent ease and composure as though the occasion was but a Christmas shooting match. Dr. Stone walked with his surgeon apart from the crowd, looking pale and highly wrought up.
“ I began to counsel peace and compromise, but no one seemed to think a peaceful settlement could be effected. Some told me I had better keep still, or I might get hurt.