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Article SCENES IN AMERICA. ← Page 8 of 8
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
with Jack close behind , bellowing for a " load . " In a moment they were all out of sight in the thicket . I hitched the horses as quietly as possible , and followed on . I immediately found evidence that the old hunter ' s aim , suddenly as it was taken , had been unerring ; for I found blood every few yards on the bushes . AVhen I had made my way through the thicket , the woods were comparatively free from undergrowth ; and I cotdd discover the fugitive and his pursuers close upon him , near an hundred yards in advance of me . They gained on him instant . At last when he found he must
every inevitably be overtaken ,-he turned upon his pursuers ; and he and Ball , at the same instant , levelled their guns and fired . Jack fell to the ground , and Ball and Hinkle were the next moment clasping each other in a desperate personal conflict . As I gained the scene of action , Jack sat up and pressed his hands below his knees , where he had received the ball . Almost out of breath , and without any definite aim in the confusion of the moment , I approached the wrestling and gory combatants—for they were both besmeared with blood .
" Keep off—if you ' re a man ; " cried Hinkle , in a hoarse altered voice ; fearing my co-operation with his deadly antagonist . " For your life—stand off ; " cried Ball , equally unwilling to be assisted or separated . Tbeir guns , hats , and parts of their torn clothing lay scattered around ; while , panting—their faces flushed—and staring at each other like demons , they continued their furious combat . Hinkle made a desperate effort to throw Ball on the ground , but he kept his feet—and throwing his head and shoulders forward , gave Hinkle a violent shove , which forced him several steps back before he recovered his balance . Hinkle now snatched the
handle of his butcher-knife , which hung in Ins belt ; Bufljerked him forward to counteract his design , but the blade escaped from the scabbard , and Hinkle thrust it at Ball's breast—who griping its sharp edge in his naked hand , with one act slung it from his own breast and Hinkle ' s grasp . As if this had added to his rage , Ball gave one furious lunge , and he and his enemy rolled upon the earth—yet clinched in battle . Sick at the horrid spectacle , 1 moved towards them to draw them asunderbut Jackwho had crawled up to the spotstood on one knee
; , , , holding a gun butt uppermost , and with the look of a fury , threatened to knock out my brains if I touched the combatants . They were becoming excessively exhausted , but they fought on—sometimes one above—sometimes the other . At last Hinkle was unable to extricate himself from beneath Ball ; but he suddenly got both hands around Ball's neck , and made a fiendish effort to choke him—but he was too feeble for the act . Ball jerked up his head , and without difficulty diseiigaged bis
clutched throat ; then putting his knee on Hinkle ' s breast , he drew bis butcher-knife , pointed it to bis heart—when I grasped his arm . Jack held the gun over my head menacing a blow—Ball glared his wild blood-shot eyes in my face—and poor Hinkle was closing his for ever . " Let go his arm-, " cried the strange looking son . " Let me go , " said the desperate father . " The man is dead , " I replied . Jack lowered the gun . And Ball , looking in the face ofhis dying enemy ,
with a countenance in which surprise and horror were newly mixed with almost demoniacal ire , arose slowly off his body . Then , rough as was his nature , and furious as had just been his passion , the old hunter dropped upon the ground and fainted away .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
with Jack close behind , bellowing for a " load . " In a moment they were all out of sight in the thicket . I hitched the horses as quietly as possible , and followed on . I immediately found evidence that the old hunter ' s aim , suddenly as it was taken , had been unerring ; for I found blood every few yards on the bushes . AVhen I had made my way through the thicket , the woods were comparatively free from undergrowth ; and I cotdd discover the fugitive and his pursuers close upon him , near an hundred yards in advance of me . They gained on him instant . At last when he found he must
every inevitably be overtaken ,-he turned upon his pursuers ; and he and Ball , at the same instant , levelled their guns and fired . Jack fell to the ground , and Ball and Hinkle were the next moment clasping each other in a desperate personal conflict . As I gained the scene of action , Jack sat up and pressed his hands below his knees , where he had received the ball . Almost out of breath , and without any definite aim in the confusion of the moment , I approached the wrestling and gory combatants—for they were both besmeared with blood .
" Keep off—if you ' re a man ; " cried Hinkle , in a hoarse altered voice ; fearing my co-operation with his deadly antagonist . " For your life—stand off ; " cried Ball , equally unwilling to be assisted or separated . Tbeir guns , hats , and parts of their torn clothing lay scattered around ; while , panting—their faces flushed—and staring at each other like demons , they continued their furious combat . Hinkle made a desperate effort to throw Ball on the ground , but he kept his feet—and throwing his head and shoulders forward , gave Hinkle a violent shove , which forced him several steps back before he recovered his balance . Hinkle now snatched the
handle of his butcher-knife , which hung in Ins belt ; Bufljerked him forward to counteract his design , but the blade escaped from the scabbard , and Hinkle thrust it at Ball's breast—who griping its sharp edge in his naked hand , with one act slung it from his own breast and Hinkle ' s grasp . As if this had added to his rage , Ball gave one furious lunge , and he and his enemy rolled upon the earth—yet clinched in battle . Sick at the horrid spectacle , 1 moved towards them to draw them asunderbut Jackwho had crawled up to the spotstood on one knee
; , , , holding a gun butt uppermost , and with the look of a fury , threatened to knock out my brains if I touched the combatants . They were becoming excessively exhausted , but they fought on—sometimes one above—sometimes the other . At last Hinkle was unable to extricate himself from beneath Ball ; but he suddenly got both hands around Ball's neck , and made a fiendish effort to choke him—but he was too feeble for the act . Ball jerked up his head , and without difficulty diseiigaged bis
clutched throat ; then putting his knee on Hinkle ' s breast , he drew bis butcher-knife , pointed it to bis heart—when I grasped his arm . Jack held the gun over my head menacing a blow—Ball glared his wild blood-shot eyes in my face—and poor Hinkle was closing his for ever . " Let go his arm-, " cried the strange looking son . " Let me go , " said the desperate father . " The man is dead , " I replied . Jack lowered the gun . And Ball , looking in the face ofhis dying enemy ,
with a countenance in which surprise and horror were newly mixed with almost demoniacal ire , arose slowly off his body . Then , rough as was his nature , and furious as had just been his passion , the old hunter dropped upon the ground and fainted away .