Evening star., 1896-06-27
There seems no. outgate." rejoined Hall.

n,'r[nn Tnefe seems no outsate" re'0ined Hall
Then Tor q space there was a silence that
was onRy baoken by the breathing of the
| two menrths man at the table busy racking
| his BRAIN tp come at some means Of over
reaching phtN opponent. Halliburton wonder
| ing what his plan might be.
| Ye said That yours was marked, think y
SAID the man, sharply, at length breaking
the stiffness, darting as he spoke keen
! glance at Halliburton.
'Nay.su said not so," returned that per-
| son. imperturbably; you hinted that 1 ken
| ned yours. and l answered you that ye
| might takett so if it pleased you"
| Having said which. John Halliburton
| leaned his back against the wall and
| watched his rival with a smile Of amuse-
| rent as he scrutiniZed the packets each in
| turn back and front but only once again
| to recognize that he was discounted.
Come sir" said the man, looking up, as
If he had formed a resolution, this Is
| trif1ing. One of us must reach Hunsdon-
we cannot bide here till the crack of DOOM y
| Halliburton nodded. WILL" he corrected.
''Well, will; anything in the devils name, -
answered the other. There seems no other
course open than to put the matter to the
arbitration of the sword. l will free you,
let you choose your packet, and then fight
you / outrance. The man that leaves
this room alive may carry his dispatches
whittier he will
Halliburton shook his head Marry" he
said, Il will only use my weapon on a gen
tleman. net upon common assassin. But
even If ye were man l could meet would
not cross blades with you now, for my
orders were peremptory, and l may not go
from them. In selfdefense am any mans
man, but l will not jeopardize the kings
business in any sic fashion ye propose
If 1 did. faith, l might come off ill. for one
thing 1 ken not your play. and more. sir.
am not too well assured that. after having
chosen the packet. might not get a stellet
in my back. 1t may be, for aught l KEN
that We have knave or tway by to help at
a PINCH
IL was a random shot, but it told; the eye
of the man at the table Wayered for q sec
ond. then Dropped.
Sdcath. what would you, them" he said
with shIug of the shoulders. lingering the
packets nervously and turning his back to
the light. as if to study them to better ad-
vantage-a proceeding. however, that failed
to hide the confusion he was in. "Gif ye will
neither night nor choose l trow we are not
like to get away SOON"
Faith, no, answered Halliburton, with a
yawn. Faith. no; unless ye care to ad-
venture plan have thought on
We'll" said the other, 'let us hear it,
"Pshaw. sir" jeered Halliburton: .'ye may
glover there like a cat in the dark, but ye
viii find nothing about me but what's hon.
est. The plan is simple enow, fair field
and no favor. Let us wait till the light
lackets-our host may held them for that
| natter-anG then let the best man, or
rather the best horse, win the day"
But how about the beasts? We may
That may well be; but a throw of the
dice will settle that-the chances of war
the highest call to have first choice. What
say ye?'
Done said the other, with just enough
elation III his voice to apprse Halliburton of
what would happen.
PART III.
AS. however. John Halliburton stood to
win, no matter how things went, he dis
posed himself to wait the coming of the
morning as comfortably as circumstances
would perr1it, and very soon. much to the
others surprise, resumed the slunber from
| which he had been so rudely awakened.
] he man at the table, not having the same
happy Indifference, or conscious that he had
to deal with one of great courage and re-
source. elected to sleep with one eye OPEN
SO that he might Illustrate any designs
upon himself or his possessions. TO that
end he wrapt himself in his cloak and sat
down IN the window seat. In this strange
fashion, the one asleep, the other nodding
with the bones of contcntion--the packets
lying on the table between them. as if
things of no account. the night was spent.
At length, after what seemed to the wax
ing man an eternity of time, and when he
was almost come to believe that day would
Of dawn streaking the easement warned
Rising with great caution so as not to dis
turb the sleeper, he stole across the floor
out of the apartment and along the pas