The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-23
results. but buppInp the o

results, but hugglng the ground close
| ", l jerked the empty cartridge out
and got another into It's place. Zip
came bullet not three inches from my
cheek, and again, as brought my gun
up, another struck the road almost
straight in front OF me and tore its way
| through the cloth of my coat on the
arm This shot nearly blinded me and
rendered it impossible for me to re-
turn the fire effectively for the dust,
and so might say for the next two, as
both being in front and fortunately a
| little to one side, absolutely could
not see even the end of my own rifle.
In few seconds the dust was cleared
sufficiently to allow me dimly to sight
my opponent. My finger had almost
pressed the trigger, when, somehow or
| another, l seemed to feel that need
| not shoot. There was no motion about
| my adversary. nor was his face visible,
F! and even at that distance 1 could see
| that his rifle was not in position, but
was grasped in his right hand wide
! out from his body. 1 kept my rife on
| him, hesitating what to do. He still
| had two shots in his magazine, and L
had right to fire on him and make
certain, but still, as I say, 1 hesitated.
As did so Mottram waved me to hold
my fire, and, leaving their position on
the hill, the two seconds ran hastily to
the silent figure in front of me. A
| wave of the hand released NE from
suspense and Informed me that the
duel was over. On reaching Crockford
found him insensible from pain and
loss of blood. My second shot had
struck him fair on the left shoulder,
shattering the bone at the joint in e
terrible manner and flooding the road
with blood. Even then the man had,
before insensibility set in, managed,
goodness knows how, to send those
four bullets in rapid succession, any
one of which, had it been three inches
.truer, would have killed or badly
wounded me. We got him to the store
and Dalziel, who possessed some sur
'gical skill. managed to staunch the
flowing blood, and In day or two
he was pronounced out OF any abso-
lutte danger of his life. Recover he did,
although it was three months before he
could leave his berth. AS the ranch
had passed into my hands during that
time l saw that he was properly at
tended to, but when he was able to
travel directed that he be paid up all
wages and have an extra fifty dollars
given him, but that he be discharged
from my employ. You see 1 felt very
unsafe while he was within forty miles.
1 heard that he ultimately recovered
the use of his arm, but it was long
time before Il was ANYTHING. like sound.
Little more remains to be told, eX-
cepting that gave Dalziel a hundred
dollars for that Winchester as SOU
venir of the affair
But Mr.. Compton, said 1, show on
earth did you manage TO make such a
good shot at your man on your second
attempt, when, as YOU pointed out. you
shot SO badly at the box lid? Was it
simply fluke?"
Compton looked at me rather curious
II and said:
81 notice that you sometimes play at
whist, but don't perceive that you let |
the adversaries see your hand. It is |
true that l was never within five feet |
of the box lid, but then, you see, l !
never shot at that lid at all. / aimed at !
n dozen different parts Of the shanty, !
knots, blotches on the wood. etc, but |
never at the lid. Knowing what / was |
shooting at, was satisfied, because al 4
my shots were within six to ten inches |
of where l aimed them, and OF course /
the others thought ] was blazing away |
at the lid all the time, though, mind, / /
never said so. and Crocaford naturally /
got the impression that l was very I
bad shot from what the others told 4
him l rather expected the result would 1
be that way, and it was unlucky foE ,
Crockford-
suppose we have drink, now. L 4
can never think of those Internal bull /
lets whizzing past me without feeling /
a certain drvness in the throat and .
mouth Upon my soul, the remem-
ibrance makes my flesh creep more now
than it did al the time, but You know l /
was lighting mad then, and was shoot I
inc To kill