The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-25
THE DUEL AT LIBERTY PATCH.

| o. the fact that he represented the veri-
! ties OF law unto others. and he taught
I his girl the same sOphisticaI methods.
/ h also taught her TO shoot from the
! shoulder before she had learned To read
! and write. TO take care OF herself whea
{ confronted by any crisis Of peril, and 10
! esteem men at their own valuation. He
gave her 70 understand that If she de-
! fected in ever so slight a sweTve from
! the conventional path marked out fol-
/ her sex he would shoot her with as little
] II morse as he would shoot q rabbit. The
I Roman father Nirginius had supplied
4 him with a standard, and he had named
/ his only child Virginia in difference TO
/ his hero
! Virginia Mccain was as handsome and
/ high spirited as the most exacting father
could wish. Her education IN athletic
! sports had given her splendid health, and
had not materially iRterfered with such
Womanly pursuits as she required to keen
/ Der fathers house in order, with the help
o. a good servant. who had lived with
them since the infancy of Virginia. On
one day she might be hunting criminals
/ With her father, on the next demurely en-
! gagged with her needle at home At such
an hour old Catharine told her a piece
OF news. She few TO her father for his
confirmation.
Yes, I've heard of IT, The tenderfoot'
Z
combat hope he'll kill Ranse and save
me from dom the job. An I b'lieve. too
| that Dave Carter has a heap more grit
than any of US give him credit for.
An more, he's an A No. l shot with a
revolver. I've seen him handle his
shootin' irons, an he's a match for
Ranse Caney or any OF his gang
Then, you're not going 10 stop the
hght?' asked the girl.
I'D like TO know why? They've got a
meetin' place out OF my jurisdiction
They are goin' to fight it out in the
Patch
But you can arrest them before they
get Thereon after they leave?"
Not me IF Dave Carter kills Ranse
Caney he'll have the thanks of the people
of two states, an save me from doing
the JOB some day. There's a girl in the
scrape-who is she?'' the sheriff looked at
his daughter with sudden suspicion.
How do I know?" The color surged
into her fair oval face and she bit her
lips nervously.
Dave Carter challenged Ranse for
slurrin's remark on some girl they both
know Now, Dave has been sweet on
you, Jinny-Ive seen it-but if Ranse
Caney had dared to even look at you
sideways he wouldn't be Twin to tell OF
it. 1 amt overly fond of a tenderfoot,
but Dave is a gentleman, an no SLOUGH
with a gun. If 1 thought il were you as
Caney spoke Of slightingly I wouldn't
wait till daylight to fill his carcass fun
o. bullets, but you haven't no acquaint-
ance with any such carrion, have you,
Jinny?'
No" said the girl, firmly, though l
don't believe he's as bad as folks tell
about him. He never had the chance
Dave Carter had Of a good home and
lets Of education. He's had to fight for
everything he got, and everybody was
against him. Put Dave in his place and
he mightn't do any better"
Him an his like are a curse to the
country" said her father. 1T amt that
ne has killed his men-if that were done
in fair hght-but he has looted trains and
killed women an children. II Dave Car
ter shoots to kill tomorrow he can have
the best I've got. He deserves all he'll
get, for he viii do the state a benefit.
l tell you, jimmy, Ranse Caney is worse
than an outlaw-hes ruffian-ans he
ought 10 be killed with as little compunc-
ton as a rattlesnake."
Liberty Patch-the spot chosen for the
dUel-lies in a corner of the Pocket"
country. filing an angle between two
states and outiawed by both, its distinc-
ton in crime being due TO the fact that
il had no claim TO being legal territory
and was exempt from the laws of either
fevorite dueling ground for the young
hoods OF either state, and some really
sanguinary affairs had occurred there, all
details being hushed up at the time 10
become rosy traditions later on.
The two men who confronted each other
as the sun rose that morning were well
matched in size and strength, of athletic
build and fine proportions One was 4
Harvard graduate, the other an outlaw
/
Caney had sold himself 10 the devil there
was no visible mark Of the bargain. His
tanned complexion glowed with health,
his eve was bright and clear, his express
sion determined but scarcely brutal; h.
confronted the man they called tender
foot with a poise that was IS graceful
and undaunted as an Indian. and waited
for the signal that was TO be given by
their secOnds-fOF the affair had been
regulated according 70 the code dueJlo by
the "tenderfoot," who had scruples about
border ruffianism. Not so with Ranse
Caney. He had killed his man before
h was 20.
1t was too early in the morning for a
riotOus demonstration, so the few friends
who accompanied the principals were
quiet in speech and movement, especially
after they had caught a glimpse OF the /
sheriff daughter moving about in the [
thick under-brush of the Patch, wearing
her natty bunting dress and evidently /
looking for game Or possibly she was /
there to witness the duel fought IN her /
defense For both these men were in /
love with the girl. one openly and ac- I
knowledged, the other at a distance and /
unspoken, so il was believed. She had /
never given any evidence of caring for I
either The common belief was that IL 1
she had ever been seen speaking TO Ranse /
Caney her father would have killed him /
on sight. That he had spoken lightly OF I
Virginia was to be his death warrant.
"One-two-' before the final number /
was counted A revolver shot cleft the arr 4
and Ranse Caney fell forward on his /
face. Tie .'tendeFf0ot had not lifted his
arm 10 shoot. but no one cared 10 know
how the deed was done, enough that the
right man was killed. and they were
warm in their congratulations 10 Dave
Carter, who received them ike one
cazed-
Sheriff Mccain made bluff OF looking
Into matters. but when he found
chance he shook hands warmly with
Dave ana said,
BY Cd. old fellow. you did well not
to trust him He must have lost hia
nerve not 70 have winged YOU arst- You
DID right 70 take no chances.
Mccain. said the tenderfo0t. i never
Fred shot Look al my TsVoiver-every
chamber Is loaded.
who old IT then; who shoe him -
lie slandeTea YOUR daughter Virginia
[ would have killed him for it-but an
1ther hand fred the shot
"Jinuy's2 Did-Jsnny -kiH-ths reptIer'
re EheriGs voice grembiec. She did
-iEht-e2actiy riEht-my brave E-l tut
20 them think yos did fl. dear boy. shs
nust have done it 70 save ycu- Say sou
z.ied him
Yes said the tenderfoot. fovfaur
40 one shan ever know from ne Au6
Is rale fare hscsma slrrssd Win cnln-