Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1871-07-06
ed like one listening intently,

'VHc
Without changing the direction Of his
gaze, or other movement than that of the
arm, which rose with the precision of q
nicely adjusted machine, the old man
brought his pisto to the level Of his en-
en,y's breast. For an instant he held it
there. Still nd look in the direction it
pointed. Still the same appearance of
eager listening.
The Major was in no hurry He
could afford to take his time with a man
who held his pistol at random, without
looking whitherward. He took deliber-
ate aim. He was determined to make
sure work. This ball III Used his adver-
sary's heart. even fraction Of an Inch,
he would never make any pretentions to
skill again
The sharp report of the strangers PTS
tol was 70 llowed by convulsive jerk of
the Majors arm, causing the discharge
Of Eis WEAPON far wide of its tiark, while
he. staggering few PAGES backward. fell
heavily to/the ground:
'Ccnduct me to him. said the old nan
10 MS rrlcnQ.
The latter took the principals arm,
and led him to the PROSTATE form of the
Major; whose second kneeling by lis side F.,
had tori opgn bis garIiieu IS, exposing to
view the fatal wound in h is breast, made
by the strangers bullet.
is your friend seriously hurt 2 inquir-
cd the latter coolly.
You can see for yourself; sir?' the
second answered
There your'e In error replied the
other, | AN totally blind
The wounded man, who had by this
time revived a little, and is second,
looked at the stranger in astonishment.
There was no visible defect in his organs
division but there was fxity Of look
that bending of the eyes on vacancy"
which SO unmistakably evinces the absence
OF sight.
Who are you? and what was your
motive in seeking this encounter /? the
Major family murmured.
First. arc you in cond ition to re-
new il. - inquired the stranger.
There is no need-I am dying
when l have told you who I am the
stranger resumed, you will scarce req uire
my motive for what l have done. No
wonder you have forgotten James Merton.
he continued. for he is greatly changed
no doubt
The dying man started, and grOanea
bitterly.
but have never forgotten you. Rich
ard Buford, Ior the injuries you have
done me- A cherished daughter, the
pride of my eyes, and the joy Of her
mothers heart, you ent iced from
her home, deceived by slam marriage,
and then abandoned her to de of bro
ken heart. My son, and only remaining
child, in rash attempt to avenge his
sisters wrongs. fell y victim to your &C
cursed skill You even robbed him of
the ordinary chances of combat, unequal
as they would have been, by encasing
your cowardly body in concealed armor.
The loss of both my children unsettled
my W ife's reason, and she died in mad
house. Could l have found you then, l would
have given you no chance for your life;
but va liant as you have always protessed
to be. and coward as you are, you feared
and evaded me. Yet knew we should
one day meet. and l reg istered VOW,
that when we did l would offer you q
sacrifice to your own Internal art. To
this enc | studied to become an adept
in it, and have succeeded. And when,
at length blindness cast its shadow upon
the, and seemed to render hopeless the
fulilment of my vow, instead of aban-
doning it, / betook myse If to a new spe-
cies of practice. | soughtto make hear
ing take the place of sight. Again |
succeeded learned to take aim with
the ear instead of the eye. When heard
you answer ready to-day. knew the
exact direction in which to point my pis-
tol, as we'll as i'll had seen you. Be-
sides I could hear you breath ing where
stood You lost your chance in delaying
your ERE. You wished to make sure
work, and over. reached YOURSELF
More than once the Major looked ap-
pealingly at the speakers face; but in
those remorseless, sigh:lcss eyes. there
was no sympathy. And as the labored
breathing grew fainter and fainter. the
old man resumed his listening attitude
| At last all was still.
He is dead = he said; and its wonted
expression Of sober melancholy settled on
the old mans face. az, taking his com.
pan iohs arm, he turned and walkee
I 10 isnralv avyav