Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-30
CHAPTER XIII.-(Continued. }

tied The parties armed with rifles were
to fire at the word from distance of
eighty yards, and then appoach each
other, continuing the fight with revOly-
ers until one or the other fell. The selec-
ton of seconds was effected by the elder
Harrison acting for McKinstry, and after
moment IS delay by the volunteering of
the long lank figure previously noted to
act for the master. Preoccupied by
other thoughts, Mr.. Ford paid little heed
TO his self-selected supporter, who to the
others seemed to be only taking that
method of showing his contempt for Nc
Kinstry's recent insult. The master re-
ceived the rifle mechanically from his
hand and walked to position. He
noticed, however, and remembered Of
forwards that his second was half hidden
by the trunk of a large pine to his right
that marked the limit of the ground.
In that supreme moment it must be re-
corded, albeit against all preconceived
theory, that he did not review his past
life, was not illuminated by a flash of re-
morseful or sentimental memory, and did
not commend his soul TO his Maker, but
that he was simply and leenly alive to
the very actual present i'll which he still
existed and to his one idea OF not firing
at his adversary And if anything could
correct in was q certain exalted sense
that he was doing quite right and was not
only not bad sort of fellow, but one
!, p-hom his survivors might possibly re-
Z greN
care you ready, gentlemen? One
tyyo-three-i -
The explosions were singularIy stimuli
raneous-so remarkable III fact that it
seemed to the master that his rife, fired
in the air, had given double report. A
light wreath of smoke lay between him
and his opponent. He was unhurt-so
evidently was his adversary, for the voice
rose again
"Advance! Halo there!
Stop!''
He looked up quickly to see McKinstry
stagger and then fall heavily to the
ground.
With an exclamation of horror, the
first and only terrible emotion he had
felt, he ran to the fallen man, as Harri-
son reached his side at the same moment.
\ "For God Is sake, - he said wildly,
8browing himself ON his knees beside Nc
Vi hStry, "what has happened? For 1
5Sir to you, | never aimed at you! l
"a in the air. Speak,! Tell him,
#l, he turned with despafring appeal
to Harrison, ''you must have seen it all
tell him it was not me!''
A wondering, INTERPRETATIONS
smile passed quickly over Harrison s
Mace. Gin course you didn t mean it, -
z;he said drily, ''but let that slide. Get
5Iup and get away from yer, while you
Ekin, - ne added impatiently, with sig
&nificaRt glance at one or two men who
Fingered after the sudden and general
dispersion of the crowd at McKinstry's
Fol nj
"Never!'' said the young man pas
4 sionately, "mtil he knows that it was
not my hand that fired that shot
McKinstly painfully struggled to his
(elbow. cit took me yere,' he said
With slow deliberation as if answering
some previous question, and pointing to
his hip, "and it kinder let me down when
IL started forward al the second call. -
'But it was not l who did it, Nc
I Kinstry, l swear it. Hear me! For
God = sake, say you believe me.
McKinstry turned his drowsy, troubled
eyes. mpon the master as if he were
vaguely recalling something. "Stand
back thar mint, will ye,' he said to
HARRISON, with langud wave of his
crippled hand, 81 want ter speak to this
yer NAH"
- Harlib BON drew back few PAGES and
- hand, but he was stopped by a
Where hev you put Cressy?''
y ~ @ySsaia slowly.
t understand you,'' stam-
6mered Ford
"Where are you hidin' her from me?''
repeated McKinstry with painful distinct
ness. "'Whar hev you run her to, that
you re reckonin' TO jine her arter-arter
-this?''
81 am not hiding her! am not going
to heri l do not know where she is. [
have not seen her since we parted early
this morning without a word of meeting
again, said the master rapidly, yet
with bewildered establishment that was I
obvious even to the dulled faculties of |
his hearer
''That war true?" asked McKinstry,
laying his hand upon the masters
shoulder and bringing his duh eyes to the
level of the young mans.
1t is the whole truth said Ford
fervently, "aud true also that | never
raised my hand against you.
McKinstry beckoned to Harrison and
the two Others who had joined him, and
then sank partly back with his hand upon
his side, where the slow empurpling of
his shirt showed the slight ooze of
deeply-seated wound.
"You fellers kin take me over to the
ranch,'' he said calmly, "and let
him, - pointing to Ford, ''ride your best
boss for the doctor. l don t, he con-
tinued in grave explanation, ''gin rally
use doctor, but this yer is sllthin outside
the old woman's regular gait. He
paused, and then drawing the masters
head down towards him, he added in his
ear, "When l get to hev look at the
size and shape o this yer ball that's
In my hip I'n-I'll-1 'll-be-a-
Attle more kam!" A CLEAN of duh
~ aifcance struggled into his eye.
e master evidently understood him,
he rose quickly, ran to the horse,
united him and dashed off for medical
istance, while McKinstry, closing
~ heavy lids anticipated this looked for
y! m by fainting generally away.
CHAPTER XIV.
OF the various sentimental fallacies
Entertained by adult humanity in regard
TO childhood, none are more mgeniously
inaccurate and gratuitously idiotie than a
belief in its profound ignor-
qnce of the events in which it daily moves,
and the motives and characters of the
- va hn /