A DUEL FOUGHT WITH LASSOES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 3130, 9 December 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

A DUEL FOUGHT WITH LASSOES.

(I'r-istt hitcitvjeilC.) li happened about twenty years ago, aiuit was about as exciting a piece of work ai 1 ever saw. I was foreman at that tinw for the Seven Up (7 UP) horse ranch ir Wyoming, and we were on our « ay fron: Sydney, Neb., with a- band of mares that had been shipped from Missouri to Sydney, Neb. We had to drive the animals overland to the home ranch. Well, I picked ut an outfit of men around Sydney, seven : Americana and three Mexicans — a tough lot. We started out, and when we got to the Big Cheyenne River, south of the Black Hills, we stopped to let the horses rest foi a few days. There was one Mexican, Pedrc Gonzales* about the most ill-natured and most quarrelsome man I ever saw. He fell ' out with an American by the name of Dick MAll, an all-round bad man. I knew Dick by reputation, and he had a bad record. i Well, one day at dinner time Dick made ■ some remarks about roping a greaser down m Texas and hauling him across the prairie , until lie was worn out. The Mexican an- ! swered by saying that that man must have been asleep or dead, for you could not rope a live man and do that. Dick jumped tv his feet and pulled his gun, and Pedro did the same. I rushed before them, and ordeivd them to put up their guns. The Mexican's j black eyes shone like a rattlesnake's when ; about to .strike, but he put his gun back m his belt, and Dick did the same. I I knew there would be trouble, and how ' to avoid it was a question nof easily solved. I ordered the horse wrangler to fetch uj: ! the saddle horses, for I intended to move i on that afternoon. The Mexican spoke tc I Dick, and they walked off to one side and j talked m a low tone for" a few minutes. i When the horses came up I noticed both J men saddled up their best horses. They botl : unwound thier lasso ropes and stretched ; them out side by side. Dick's rope was ! about forty-five feet long and Pedro's about ! sixty feet. Pedro drew his knife from his j belt and cut his rope the exact length oi j Dick's. Then they coiled up their ropei I carefully and each man led his horse m o]> ! posite directions until they were about one j hundred yards apart. Then they mounted ! like a flash and rode towards each other. ] stood holding my horse by the bridle and watched every move. I will never forget the look of hate and murder on the Mexican's face. His lips were apart, showing his white teeth, and a wicked smile seemed tc play about his mouth. Dick's jaws were set tight, and n look of mingled fear and rags combined on his savage face. They rode slowly towards each other foi about fifty yards, watching each other like a couple of caged panthers. Then they made a dash and both ropes shot out like a streak of lightning. Both men dodged and escaped. In an instant they had gathered up their ropes and began to circle around and around. I could hear the swish of their ropes as they swung them around their heads, each man trying to get some advantage. They charged back and forth and finally both threw their ropes again. It was a close call for Dick, for the Mexican got his rope over Dick's head, but Dick threw it off before he could pull up the slack. In an instant Pedro had gathered up his rope and threw it again and caught Dick around the head and one arm. He drove the spurs into his horse and started across the prairie, but like a flash Dick's hand went to his pistol, and before the Mexican could pull him from his horse Dick sent a bullet through his head, and the Mexican fell to the ground dead. But Dick was jerked from his horse with terrible force, for the Mexican had made the end of his rope fast to the saddle horn. The Mexican's horse ram a short distance and then stopped, and before 1 could get to him one of the other Mexicans had ridden up and emptied 'his six-shooter into Dick's body. He then put spurs to his horse and soon disappeared across the prairie, and that was the last I ever saw of him. The other Mexican told me that was the third duel of that kind Pedro had fought, and always got his man.