Show I 1 CHAPTER VI v continued roll e left to go 90 not far w quarter to 0 o ran amke it C up tho the lost distance tare had find trav traveled ellid fast agh tilen alie ahad enabled to ninke make an easy bad been of it wd and looked its as though she i plenty in r ret etc erve yet still inch toab aach the salle sable whirlwind crept up lip and nd now they swung around last fist turn ta find Blun squared rel away for 1 fiaai jockey had guno gone to whip we seo see tits arm alln rising S t feel eel the mares ii lang and almost under the sting of the had quicken ft and alth ough our horse was last giving lali if 1 that was ln in tint could sense ns as it were that 1 I ye e liy was nil 1111 iut hut flonc one for and t here in his fits greatest eren test races lie bont ont to give alvo hla his mount the most stance he ws as now w actually more i hindrance than a help and yet spite of ever everything athing satan gained heart want out to him ant I 1 of evil disposition lie he might be somehow onie liow even tit nt that tense ino it I 1 could not hut but compare ill bilm pirate captain a devil indeed ib it e devil whose courage could not questioned no wo hundred yards to pot got the giblack i black head with the nostrils of si crini smi was even with vitt tile king flanks of the bay and then it once the impossible happened by clear nerve from the top of head ead to tile lie sole of tits ills helpless sonie somehow how in the lie face of all laws ihor iture managed to achieve tile alio in me for one instant lie he gath blin himself self in his saddle like the hy of of for half a dozen strides lifted ifield tits his mount along and once 1 I and thrice for the first time iS erace lie let satan have the alie full let act of the whip any a time since then I 1 have seen striving for the crowns ahe turf in america england and iroll australia alln many it n splendid rhae I 1 seen down tilt taiti stretch to victory but never in life can I 1 recall a more tre tremendous ter rifle burst ot of speed than I 1 saw morning on the crnek nt at the port te e NO Deill if lie had run fast before i he fairly lew flew in one bound ns as dined lie drew head to head with we vire lit in another for the first time day he drew clear we saw that head stretched clied shooting ward and forward and then all moni moment ent amid it a babel of shrieks Is prayers ers curses the 1 race wits was anil and though by a sc scant ant quarter conly h cal satan had bad won terly exhausted to too 0 spent for 4 is george and I 1 silently clasped s I 1 do not think ive e even so lias bas remembered remember eI our winnings it the llie race nice all and the alie race only that held us spellbound ali and then alke two MO figures lit in n dream we our way down to the track fly brne brave little thoroughbred that dial was as stood with legs apart hond head n i flanks heaving staunch little leslie she had riven given her utmost sa quiet inlet for once still rolled those aceres d eyes with what seemed to tie me of sardonic huntor humor eyou you it a scare I 1 they seemed to ls plainly its as words ile he too ltd heavily liea vily and tits ills black sides side A d with foam two stable boys throwing throw lne water on Qua liy who II 11 the truck track in a dead fain t ills his the upper if lip p drown clear of t the I 1 I 1 tied d teeth showing the agony he undergone colonel singleton 1 I li the rall mil mopping the from tits his brow and looke he a man on the verge of col an and nt sight of hani I 1 sudy experienced experience a grent great reaction zing K that I 1 too felt old and spent drawn iian ani and half dead for the need 1 at l I 1 turned to lewis and in a e which seemed to me to comp come 1 on an lin immense mense distance I 1 managed alter george Oe orge I 1 think we need e sleep tarm at me ns fis it if malting making it effort beffort to understand ile he looked Ima eineo that I 1 did tits face was 1 blue air circles les lay deep under tits his in 9 eyes eves kob bob lie he answered f as it if picking tits words I 1 you vou nian min of sense and I 1 linking liking 1 for r mutual support we turned erring footsteps in the direction be balace of delight CHAPTER VII under the moon en ell I 1 n next axt opened my eyes I 1 was and for it moment I 1 d i about tile me in that curious curlon Is halt half condition condit lon which follows a heavy amt I 1 then with a start confess tr les returned and the events e dy day before came crowding to lit at my watch I 1 its it is evening and rising lins has I 1 f round funi my hend head neliea savi while tile die floor of the room wl me like the decks of the ainther in EL a heavy sea pros pres I 1 after ler cling my face w with ith wnm felt totter nui 1 I managed to t ru V to georges ty roum found r borge in the 1 net act of rising nad to nake make I 1 r merry over my lily and branc illy ly gelle nilly woebegone ill ap tie 1111 Self if was in tile the lest hk alls rt at supper blithely or als usual bottle ottle ott lp 1 I d er I 1 tu it 1 l protesting hanti 3 ire n ti wiatt ll it cooling anti nl dell ar tit pa assumed its pr in twriz aind f the rou I 1 by ELLERY H CLARK copyright 2924 by merrill co service latto wheel began N to spin tile the gentlemen drank gambled while tile the ladles adles continued continue their search for or con osta already however ho weer I 1 had begun to weary of these liese ti lings fill and when supper was over and george SUK sug more roulette I 1 wits was content to bo be it a looker on fortune we df discovered Is 18 n fickle jade and hod find now deserted us for geol george ge lot stell steadily IIII lind nt at length in disgust accept accepted tin tile proposal propos nl of tile lie libers for n game gaine 0 c it r ds at this ills I 1 confess I 1 was not for further with these gentlemen had aroused in tile ine a n strong dislike A captain johnson with pink cheeks ani straw colored hair wits my wt pt aversion ner slon and lieutenant Iten frew with bulldog fon fen tures and tin a air filled me with equal loathing it was therefore not without that I 1 saw them depart and after watching the fortunes of tile lie wheel for perhaps half nn an hour I 1 took my leave tind strolled neross the room ronni to where the card rhine game was in progress ily BY tills this time tile lie hall wits crowded the players were intent upon their sport rind and thus ns as it I 1 had tin nn excellent opportunity to watch them hem unobserved a arms was impending sold gohl w wits is heaped lit in the center of table and ench each mans eyes eves were riveted on oil ills cards and then so quickly that I 1 should never hit linvs c perceived it lind had I 1 not been watching them closely I 1 saw johnson who sat opposite george gaorge deftly slip a card from ills his sleeve sl etive and without pausing add another heap of gold to tile the pile for nn fin instant istook thunderstruck thunder struck and in that moment the finvers laid their cards upon the table and johnson with a triumphant smile enear encircled cled its his winnings with his arms and calmly swept them toward him my blood boiled I 1 have made god knows my lily share of mistakes in tills this world hae done many things for foi which afterward nid I 1 lime have been sorry ann find and ashamed but I 1 think that I 1 lime i least always tried to play plo the game of life fair and square anti and to see tills this pink checked cheeked dandy deliberately swindling my mv friend was too much in three strides I 1 had reached table and leaning forward I 1 shook tny n fist full in III johnsons face ant and ejaculated you client cheat sirl for one thing at least I 1 will give ghe him film credit there was no hesitation in ills reply ills glass of wine stood lit at tits elbow and the next net second I 1 gasped and spluttered splutter ed while it trickled most uncomfortably down my neck at once I 1 lost all control of myself in self and unused to the lie customs of society in auch such cases lit in another I 1 should have hae leaped at him hill bodily trusting not to weapons but to mere inere grip of hand on throat tin oat to wipe out the insult and determine who was the better man I 1 think too lie rend read my lily purpose lit in my eyes ees for lie started up lip tint and had half drawn tits his sword when fortunately for tile me george geoage gripped rny my arm steady dyl 1 he cried don dont t brawl braw 11 I 1 and seeing that lie had succeeded lit in calming me lie ile led me a little to one side did lie he really client cheat lie asked cheat I 1 echoed angrily of course lie he did slipped a card from tits his sleeve the scoundrel let me at him george but answer me to a realization of how bow these things till bugs were properly done nonsense lie he rejoined challenge him of course and I 1 suppose wont want me for your second you go to your room and ill manage the affair there was such till nn air ot of finality lit in tits ins words that I 1 obeyed tit at once but on n tile the way thither and I 1 sat waiting a biting for him I 1 had ample time for reil reflection action I 1 knew next to nothing of dueling but ons one thing 1 I did tit know that till the challenged party had the choice of weapons ea pons that lie he would choose rifles iliew of course no hope it if I 1 could have been assured on oil that point I 1 would have counted him already its as good as dead no he would choose clio ose swords or pistols if pistols my illy chance was at least even if swords I 1 felt sure that I 1 was the one already lend lead for I 1 know nothing of the fencers art I 1 was for from happy lit in illy mind surprisingly soon however I 1 heard tile the sound 0 of footsteps outside tilt the door opened and george 11 speared ppe ared well I 1 queried eagerly what to do WP we light with swords to my relief lie ho shook ills hend no 0 lie answered ns lie sentell himself its not to tie lit Rw sword ord Ilen Itell frew makes an tin usual proposal prop osil it seems that there Is it long narrow pit a 11 little way olt off the eldore lie suggests that we ive place one of you nt fit ono one end of this island the lie other nt at tit alie oilier giving cacil of you 11 pistol with vitt one load only anti it A at tilt the word you tire aro free to do what you please shoot advance hold your ground anything its a bit unusual I 1 confess ive never heard of a of just that sort but I 1 suppose its fair enough dont you I 1 was so rf relieved that I 1 heed riot not fight with swords that lint I 1 would havo digre ed to anything certainly it fair I 1 tin answered II when Ln do we tight fight tomorrow in mor orning george stared nt at me ine oil oh I 1 I 1 forgot lie he cried they want to fight now its clear moonlight you know what do you say once more I 1 felt that I 1 could not complain of the sporting spirit of these of they might do ninny things thing 3 which illicit they hc should not do might tie bp dishonest w where here cards were w ere concerned coacci ned 1 but tit nt least it seemed to mo me tint that they the were brave brae enough as for far if as fighting went yet if I 1 had known nt the time that johnson Joh nion had fought a duel on tills this s self selfsame same spot only a month previous pr had killed his ann and had thus he come familiar with ills his surrounding I 1 nin sure that I 1 should have glen given them loss less credit than I 1 did nor wits was tills this lily only error I 1 wits foolish enough to underrate my mv nd and with the cocksureness of youth auth leaped to the conclusion that lie he was probably ibl no great rent shot while if it came to grips and knives I 1 felt certain tain that I 1 could best him there so that altogether nito gother it was with alacrity that I 1 jumped to my mi feet crying all right I 1 im ready I 1 george nodded approval 1 hats the way a to feel lie he answered come on then lets get it over and leaving tile the palace we e naked walked down to the wharf to find the officers there beffi e us already seated in their bont with a gesture renfrew Ilen fiew indicated indicate another for ourselves our ches till thus since george very ery properly prop orl would not allow me to to row for fear of unsteadying my lily hand I 1 seated myself in tile steni and we vie set forth for the island in our of op ponente wake hake I 1 shall not pretend thit that I 1 enjoyed the trip I 1 was reflecting with sovie remorse on tile the excellent advice given me hv by capt fennels barclay Har clas lie ile had told me not to drink or gamble and to avold quarrels qu anels and I 1 now realized liow how completely I 1 hall had managed to dis 0 bey him film hut but presently presen tl I 1 banished these the thoughts from my mind this wits was no time to lot let my m wits go wool I 1 gathering my present business ivi was lis to get tile the better of this supercilious englishman by this time our adversaries ader sarle had readied reached the 1 island and after we fin biad 1 I drawn alongside de of efthem them it took but a few moments for george and ron frew to agree upon the details of the fight then st stripping rippin to shirt and trousers we each took our knife and pistol the latter carefully careful loaded b in our seconds rind and tossed a coldore for foi choice of position I 1 won named the sterly easterly en end to bring the moonlight into my m opponents eyes and an in slant later we hall had landed and were walking away back to lack back while oui oil 1 seconds sec ands shoved shoed off and stood ready to gle give the word of command As I 1 passed leisurely along the edge edg of the islet I 1 began to reflect on how this curious duel due might best be fought to draw ills his fire it if possible seemed the surest way but I 1 had scarcely rea realized lizel ml until now what a gamble the encounter was and I 1 began to feel profound respect for tile inventor of the plan it if we ve had been acquaint ances of long ions standing stand liiK ench each knowing tit the others merits as it marksman that would be one thins thing tilt but its it was neither of us hall had tile tho slightest clue clua to the ability of the other then too there tile the moonlight bound d to nt a t boulan feet tho the straightest all alm and 1 I th thus u s the lie more I 1 pondered tile more elu elusive dve the problem appeared how fur could I 1 advance lit in safety I 1 could not tell but I 1 resolved reso hed more strongly str ongy than ever eer to try to draw his tire fire running atik the risk that tits his bullet might find it a spot nothing short of that I 1 figured would stoll tile mo and his pistol I 1 should havo have liliu at my iny mercy thus thu I 1 in marched arched along the tiny wilven waves rippling into silver nt lit my lily feet while away to the north the outlines of the land loomed softly thrown tile the haze anti and now I 1 lind had re reached rached tile end nd of tile lie sand spit anti wheeling about suly saw the figure of my illy antagonist tit at the opposite extremity while our two seconds had paddled ait oit oi a short distance from the island und and lay resting upon their oars there no need of further delay add indeed now that fairly nt at it I 1 was anxious to have tile he affair begin thil I 1 hailed with relief the sight of lien iten frow frew standing erect in hla fits bont boat it ti d then the sound round of ills his voice crying heady got gol though with no definite plan pinn ot of campaign I 1 st started artel forward and even in the uncertain light could see thal thai my illy opponent was also advancing anol tit nt a brisker pace all nt at once and without warning my iny nung flung up ills arm arill will and I 1 sow saw tile moon light glint on the barrel of tits his went weep on instinctively I 1 dodged sharply to the alie leh left screening my lily face its as I 1 dill did so but to my mortification no report followed clearly lie bud been testing UK inc trying to throw me into su iden panic and thus thug lead me to discharge my lily pistol |