The Irish standard., 1902-06-07
His Friend.
The Enemy
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Copyright, 1901, by the S. S. Mcclure Coz
CHAPTER NI.-CoNTlNrEp.
Author Of Rogers Of Butte" THE Spur Of
Necessity. Mr.. Fit, Astroloser," etc.

udI Il SSitiS '~l'IC ttull tliCtC NSiC NlStC
reaches of white sand skirt:ng the wa
ter's edge. To the north We're 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 cant be seen,
and await Developments
Thus speaking. he headed his horse
toward the more southerly of the two
groves. In a little time the horse and
buggy had been hidden in the brushy
tangle ard the sheriff and Guy had hit
upon 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 comfortably when a fall of hoofs
reached their ears and they saw near
the cres: of the s.oping shore two
horse men dcsce nding at a gallop to-.
ward the other grove.
"By cracky!" muttered Pettibone.
"If there ain, Old man Glimmer and
Lem Bi,lins. 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."
Bllling and Glimmcr disappeared in
the brush and among the trees to the
north. and al was outwart!ly as calm
and serene as before.
The next arrivals were Col. Dinrle
and Capt. Blue. who drove a red
wheeled gig over the rise and down
to sentinel cottonwood that stood
apart. The captain and the colonel
were joking and laughing and one
would have imagined that duel was as
ordinary a 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 Coll
Keever and Sampson drove merrily
upon the scene. The editor of he Biz
ard was smoking cigar and his ex-
IRENE nonchalance was the most no.
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
around under the seat he succeeded in
finding and in drawing into sight
large revolver. Facing about, he
pressed a spring. pulled down the bar
rel and gave a businesslille glance at
the cartridges in the cylinder. This
done. he snapped The revolver together,
knocked the ashes from his cigar with
the mlzzle and staggered over in the
direction of his opponent.
"Well." said Dingle, sharply, eff you
are ready. pace off the distance and
let us get this affair over with"
well first flip a quarter for choice
OF positions" returned Keever. Civ
ing Il side glance at the sun. "'rhe
kind-was it the last. now. or next to
the last?-welI. anyway. ! fought with
the sun in my eyes and only pinked
my man. Still"
"1our "reminiscences are very inter
esting." but | think we can dispense
with Them" cut in Col. Blue. taking
a quarter out of his pocket. "Oncc
for all, Col. Kccver, what is ito"
The coin twirled in the air.
"Heads!" cried Kecver, and won the
toss.
Taking up his position with his back
to the west. he mntinned to Sampson
The printer came at once. leaving the
horse unhitrhrd, Although the horse
was known to he gentle, it was fool
ish thing for Sampson to leave it in
this way.
sampson. pace off 20 steps with
Capt. Blue" commanded Kcever. eff
you'd rnthcr make It ten, Dinglc, I'm
agreeable"
"Five!" cried the little Colonel.
"Would you like to have me tie
handkerchief over one of my eyes?"
asked Col. Kcever. with exnspcrating
condescension. 81 dislike to take any
advantage of yon."
"Don't you be disturbed" fared
Dingle, hotly. "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
ha eopd 1,otb ,oc;+;o,e
GAIL right, Colonel" sung out Samp-
son, and the principals We're soon back
to back, weapons in hand. awaiting the
fall of Capt. Blues cap. which was to be
the signal to turn and fire.
From their places of concealment 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 trag.
edy, after all, instead of farce? Guy
was be ginning 10 grow nervous.
sWe'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. clear that! This
is where Bikins and Glimmer take c
hand, and III warrant Keever put them
up to it," .......
Bilkins and Glmmer had suddenl,
leaped from the other patch of timber
and Guy and ths sheriff saw then
bound over the intervening space ant
hurl themselves upon Col. Keever
Sampson had also seized his employer
and the three were struggling with hin