Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-01-11

| we kalkilnte You re- a little too handy and
free in them sortcr things to teach school
round yer, and we kinder allow we don t
kecr to hcv our gals and boys cddicated up
to your hGh-toned standard. SO cf you
| choose TO KEN along easy wen max you
! conf bile ON Il boss we've got waitin out
side, an escort YOU across the line. Ef you
don I've II take You anyway.
The ipastcr cast Il rapid Glance around
him. IN his quicl.ness OF perception he had
already noted that the led hoi'>' among the
cavalcade was fastened by iurjut TO one
of the riders so that escape h. Eight was
impossible. and that he had not a single
weapon to defend himself with or even pro
woke, III his desperation, the etIugr" that
could forcstal ignony 10y death. Nothing
was left him but his voice, clear and trench
cnt as he faced them.
"Nou are - to one " he said calmly, "bnt
if there is single man among you who
dare step forward and accuse me of what
You only together dare do, ! will tell him he
Is a liar and a coward. and stand here ready
to make it GOOD against him. You come
here as judge and iulN coudrnnn% me with
out trial and confronting me with no az
cuscr, you come here as iawlcs- avengers of
your honor, and you dare not give me the
privilege of rs laWcs-ly defending my
own.
There wa, another slight murnur among
the men. btt the leadcr moved impatently
forward "We'Vc had enough o. your
prcachin' we want you," he said roughly.
Come.
"Stop said duh voice.
1t came from mu,o figure which had re-
maincd notioplc~s anon" the others Every
eye VIC, turned upon if as If rose and ldzilS
pushed the cloth from its iaCn.
"Hiram MckinstrN,' said the others in
mingled tones Of establishment and sr,pr-
ion.
That : me- said MckinetrN coming for.
ward with heavy dcliberaton. II joined
tui, yer delegation at the cross roads in
stead O. my brother who had the call. !
reckon ct IS all The samc-or m"bhe better.
For poIpooe to take yer gentleman OF your
hands.
lie lifted his slumbcrou, eyes for tue first
time to the master, and 81 the same time
put himself between hlm and Harrison -
porposc, ne continued, $50 take him, at his
/ word. pcrlo>c 10 give linn chance TO an
,wer with gun. And cz J reckon, by all
accounts, there, no man yer cz hcz better
/ right than me pclpoSc 20 u" tile man TO
put thar question TO him i'll tie same way
Fl may not suit some gents he continued
slowly facinS an angry exclamation from
the lank figure behind him. 'rl would pre-
ter To heV | / mon TO take up their private
quo lis, but even then reckon that the man
who is the most injured hcl the l1ga to the
first say ana that man me.
With careful dellhcratlon that had a
double significance 10 the malcuutents, ne
handed his own rife to the master and with
out looking at hun continued. IT reckon
sir, you've seen that afore, but eff it ain {
quite to your hand, any OF those gents, /
| kalkilate, will he high-tOned cnuh 70 civ
you the chYce o theirs. And there no
need o trapsin' beyon the township lines.
to fix this yer affair: | propose to do 1t IN ~
! minutes III the brush yonder.
Whatever might have been the feelings
| ana intentions OF the men arouhn MN, the
precedence of Mcknatly right to the
! duello was principle too deeply rooted IN
| their traditions to deny; II any resistance to
! 1t had been contemplated by some OF them.
the fact that the master was now armed,
| and that MckinstlY would quickly do battle
at his side with revolver IN defence of his
| rights, checked any expression. They 81
| lently drew back as the master and Mckin-
stry slowly passed out of the school-house
together and then followed III their rear.
| In that interval the master turned TO Nc
| hlnSuiN ana Sad III " 10" VOICE a'tep'
! your challenge and thank You for II. You
have never done me greater kindness
whatever have done 10 you-Yet ! want
you to believe that neither now nor then
meant you any harm.
IF You mean by that, sir. that We reck-
on Ye won return my lire Sere bind and
wrong. FOR 1t VIII ito You no good VIII
them, he said with significant wave OF
his crippled hand towards the following
crowd, nor me neither.
Firmly resolved however that he Woulc
not fire at MckinStry, and clinging bhndlS
to this which he believed was the last idet
of his foolish life, he continued on without
another word until they reached the opel
strip of chcmiSU that thanked the clear
ing.
The rude prelimnaries were soon settled
The parties armed with rifles were to fire n
the word from Il distance of so yards, anC
then approach each other continuing tn
fight with revolvers until one or the othcl
fell. The selection of seconds was affected
by the elder Harrison acting for MckmStry
and after a moments delay by the volun
teerng of the long lank figure previously
:. l l