The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-08-19


aud making for the magnolia tree.
There snatched up my own rife, and
darted behind the trunk. stopped
and listened. Not a sound was to be
heard which rose above the warm hum
OF the insects and the other never
ceasing noises Of the forest. could
not doubt that the man was watching
me and waiting for his next opportuno
ity to pick me of. My gorge rose at
the thought of him. Brute If he
could fire sitting shot at an unsus-
pecting man, 1 knew what had to ex-
pect, and what must do if my own
life was to be saved. had to depend
on myself. In that solitude the next
human creature might be twenty miles
away.
Thud
A bullet had struck the tree, and the
noise of the shot came close upon lts
heels, 1 swung out from behind the
trunk an1 lifted my rifle, when an
other shot whistled out from beneath
the live oaks, and 1 was poorer by the
loss of an ear lobe. My own bullet
ratified harmlessly among the tree
twigs, and 1 strobe back to shelter,
raging and bleeding.
The passion of murder burned in me
then like a torch. The heat of the day
seemed TO have passed completely
away. The perspiration which stood
on my body turned cold as an ice
douche. Never before had my thoughts
gushed up with such clearness and
strength. 1t was duel to the death
between me and the sharper, and he
had drawn first blood, and had got
to win.
The words seemed floating in the
hot air before me-"Killl kill kill !"
had reloaded the Remington, and
stood with ears strained to catch the
slightest sound which told of my en-
emys moving. Till that moment l
had supposed his rife was repeater.
Now another idea came to me. There
had been two reports; one short and
sharp, the other heavier and more
noisy. OF course, the thing was clear.
He had fired q revolver shot first, to
draw me from my cover had dropped
the smaller weapon the moment he
pulled trigger; and had fred on me
with the rifle directly 1 emerged from
cover. The fendish cunning of the
man made my hate for him glow in me
like draught of raw spirits.
All idea of fairness (if indeed such
had ever occurred to me) was COM
pletely swept away by that time. 1
would fight him by his own methods.
The only question was one of means.
AS matters stood, lay ensconsed be-
if stepped out of its shelter, l should
have to take his fire before could get
in my own. AS snap shot was very
conscious of my own deficiencies; I;
from observation l had high estimate
of his skill.
But brain working at the pressure
which mine was put to then yields up
unexpected fruits and when the idea
did at last come to me l could have
sung for very Joy. But there was too
much danger in it to increase the
risks unnecessarily. slung my rifle
by its strap across my shoulder, and
turned round and commenced to
climb the magnolia.
The stem had been split by light
ming, or could not have got up with
out my hands being seen round the
sides, and, as it was, the climb to the
first branch was desperately hard but
l had the strength of ten men in me
then, and the silent wilyness of a
Seminole, and gained the cover of
the foliage without having made q
slip or cracked twig.
With the caution of a lynx / made
my way up the ladder of branches,
going higher and higher till there was
barely one layer of the dark green
shining leaves between me and the
burning sky above; and then looked
about me till / found a steady seat ;
and then l unslung the Remington
from my shoulders. / brushed the
rustling curtain of leaves softly aside
with the muzzle and peered out. My
enemy was on his old ground, stand
ing beneath the live oaks with his rife
at the ready. Some indefinable sus-
picion must have got hold of him, for
at that moment he looked up.
The reports of the two rifles rang
up into the heated air simultaneously,
but mine was the better aim. His
bullet whistled through the dark green
leaves a foot from my head; mine
broke his right elbow joint.
l reloaded and hailed him. There
was a pool of black water on the
nearer side of the live oaks, and the
snout and eyebrows of an alligator
showed upon the surface like two
knots of dead wood.
take your ride," said, "and that
revolver and throw them into the
water"
He hesitated, nursing his wounded
arm in the palm of his hand, and glar
ing at me like fend.
"Quick |" l said. "If you take time
to think twice moro I'll shoot yor
dead"
He picked up the weapons one 10y
one and then dropped them into the
water with sullen splashes. The rep
tiles in the pool, frightened by tn,
noise, sank down to the mud below
where they lay.
"Now," said, "goi" and he went,
and watched until he was out o
sight among the tree trunks and the
saw grass.
Then climbed down and gathered
my orchids and went home by another
way, keeping a very sharp lookout.
trusted little TO that mans chivalry,
I have seen another fellow cheat al
cards since then, but that was il
South America and / did not fee