The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-01-06

closely, 1 jerked the empty cartridge
out and got another into its 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 II i'm
possible for me TO return the fire ef-
fcctively for the dust, and so might
say for the next two, as both being in
front aud fortunately little to ono
side / absolutely could not see even
the end of my own rifle. In a few
seconds the dust was cleared sufficient
ly to allow me dimly to sight my OPP
ponent My finger had almost pressed
the trigger when somehow or other
seemed to feel that need not shoot.
There was no motion ebont m Y adver-
sary, nor was his face visible. and
even at that distance I could see that
his rifle was not in position, but was
grasped in his right hand wide out
from his body. kept my rifle on
him. hesitating whit to do.
He still had two shots in his
magazine, and had right TO fire
on him and make certain but still, as
1 say, / hesitated. As / did SO Mot
tram waved meto 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 me from suspense and
informed me that tho duel was over.
On reaching Crockford 1 found him
insensibe from pain and loss OF blood
My second shot had struck him fair on
the left shoulder, shattering the bone
ut the joint in a terrible manner and
flooding tho 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 trucr, would have
killed or badly wounded me. We got
him to the store aud Dalziel, who
possessed some surgical skill, man
aged to stanch the flowing blood, and
in n day or two he was pronounced
out of any absolute 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 attended to, but whom he
was able to travel / directed that he
be paid up all wages and given an ex-
ira $50, but ordered that he be dis
charged from the employ. You see,
my life felt very unsafe while he was
within fifty miles. 1 heard that he
ultimately recovered the use of his
arm, but it was long time before it
was anything like sound.
Little more remains to be told,
excepting that I gave Dalziel hum
dred dollars for that Winchester as a
souvenir OF tho affair"
"But. Mr.. Crompton," said /, chow
on earth did you manage to make
such good shot at your man on your
second attempt when, rs you pointed
out, you shot 80 badly ut the box lid.
Was it simply fuke?'
Compton looked at me rather Curl
ously and said:
81 notice that you sometimes play
at whist, but don't perceive that you
let the adversaries see your hand. 1t
is true that / was never within i've
feet of the box lid. but then you see
/ never shot ut that lid Mt all. l aimed
at 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 all my shots were within six
to ten inches of where aimed them,
aud Of course, the others thought l
was blnzlng away at tho lid all the
time, though, mind, 1 never said so.
and Crockford naturally got the i'm
preston that was very bad shot
from what the others told him.
rather expected tho result would be
that way, and it was sunlucky for
Crockford. San Francisco Exam
iner.
Eggs Forty Years Old.