Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-07-09
~. "r
His Friend.
The E11,c1r,v
By WILLIAM WALLACE CooK
Author Of Rogers Of Butte" The Spur Of
Necessity, MIR. Fit. Astroloeer." etc.
Copyright, 1901, by the =. s. Mcclure CO..
CHAPTER XI.-CONT1NUED.

Ol CAC H1dlAs vi Oil S1OCS Cl1C DduhS
had gentle slope and there were wide
reaches of white sand skirting the wa
ter's edge. TO the north were two
small groves of cottonwoods standing
knee-deep in dense underground.
We're half an hour ahead of time"
said Pettibone, land consequently are
first on the ground. Suppose we make
ourselves comfortable among those
cottonwoods, where we can't be seen,
and await Developments"
Thus speaking, he headed his horse
toward the more southerly of the two
groves. In little time the horse and
buggy had been hidden in the brushy
tangle and the sheriff and Guy had hit
upon a point of vantage from which,
entirely unobserved. they could see
the north shore of the lake in it's full
extent.
They had no more than settled them
selves comforts bly, when fall of hoofs
reached their ears and they saw near
the crest Of the sloping shore two
horsemen descending at a gallop to-
ward the other grove.
"By cracky!" muttered Pcttibone.
''lf there amt old man Glimmer and
Lem Ri.kins. I'm Feejee! Now. what
the dickens are they here for? Tell me
that. somebody. and I'll be obliged.
Look at that! They're going into hid
ing in the other grove. Well, I'll be
dinged!"
Bilkins and Glimnner disappeared in
the brush and among the trees to the
north. and al was outwardly as calm
and serene as before.
The next arrivals were Col. Dingle
and Capt. Blue. who drove red
wheeled gig over the rise and down
to a sentinel cottonwood that stood
apart. The captain and the colonel
were joking and laughing and one
would have ina CINE d that duel was a S
ordinary matter with them as Col.
Keever had Informed Guy it had once
been with him.
Capt. Blue hitched the horse to tree
and as he finished and turned away COL
keever and Sampson drove merrily
upon the scene. The editor of the Biz
ard was smoking a cigar and his ex-
ticeable thing about him.
Good afternoon, gentlemen" he
called courteously to those already on
the field.
Col Dingle and Capt. Blue nodded
distantly and Col. Keever shrugged his
fat shoulders, chuckled cynically and
got down from the buggy. Cropping
L L J
finding and in drawing into sight
large revolver. Facing about, he
pressed spring, pulled down the bar
rel and gave businesslike glance at
the cartridges in the cylinder. This
done, he snapped the revolver together,
knocked the ashes from his cigar with
the muzzle and staggered over in the
direction of his opponent.
SWELL" said Dingle, sharply, "if you
are ready, pace off the distance and
let us get this affair over WITH
"We'll first flip quarter for choice
of POSITIONS" returned Keever, Civ
ing side glance at the sun. "The
last time I figured in an affair of this
kind-was it the last, now. or next to
the last ?-well, anyway, fought with
the sun in my eyes and only pinl<ed
my man. Still
"Your "reminiscences are very inter-
esting,' but I think we can dispense
with them," cut in Col. Blue, taking
quarter out of his pocket. "Once
for all. Col. Keever. what is it?''
The coin twirled in the air.
"Heads!" cried Keever, and won the
toss.
Taking up his position with his back
tc the west, he motioned to Sampson.
The printer came at once, leaving the
horse unhitched. Although the horse
was known to be gentle, it was fool
ish thing for Sampson to leave it in
this way.
sampson, pace off 20 steps with
Capt. Blue" commanded Keever. IF
you'd rather make it ten, Dingle, I'm
agreeable"
'Five!" cried the little Colonel
"Would you like to have me tie a
handkerchief over one of my eyes?'
asked Col. Keever, with exasperating
condescension. 81 dislike to take any
advantage of you''
Don't you be disturbed" flared
Dingle, holly. "When it comes to pis-
toll practice, my one eye is as good as
your two eyes any day"
"Calm yourself, Dingle, or your aim
will be bad. Sampson, see that I get
five PAGES, or less.''
Five very short PAGES were stumped
off by the Captain, who punctuated the
distance by driving his wooden leg into
the sand at both positions.
GAIL right, Colonel" sung out Samp-
son, and the principals were soon back
to back. weapons in hand. awaiting the
fall of Capt. Blues cap. which was to be
the sigma to turn and fire.
From their places of concea lment in
the brush Guy and Pettibone were lis
tening to the conversation and watch
ing the sanguinary preparations with
intense interest. Was it to be trae-
edy, after all, instead of farce? Guy
was beginning to grow nervous.
"We'd better go out and stop this be-
fore it's too late,'' he said, excitedly to
Pettibone. "They'll kill each other"
Don't you believe it, returned the
sheriff, confidently. ''Hear that! This.
is where Bilkins and Glimmer take a
hand, and I'll warrant Keever put them
up to it,
Bilkins and Glimmer had suddenly
leaped from the other patch of timber
and Guy and the sheriff saw them
bound over the intervening space and
hurl themselves upon Col. Keever.
Sampson had also seized his employer