The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-01-08

that the American would nave no Op-
portunity for logical conjecture. The
| horses were soon put to canter also.
which rendered the task still more diff
| ficult
81 wish you would tell me why you
| were so good as to do all this for met"
I Pendleton said as soon as an opportu-
nifty offered.
81 will tell you the truth. senor," was
the calm reply. There are several rea-
sons. l might have decided to act be-
cause of any one of them, but because
| of all of them I could not hesitate.
| First, then, know about you and your
| mission in this country. I realized full
ly the unfortunate circumstances in
| which you were placed, and I know
that you would have not one but
dozen duels on your hands in less than
two days il you could find anybody
who would fight you after failure to
! meet Romero. From such dishonor l
desired to save you, because If the po-
| sitions were reversed I would be glad
to have somebody do the same for me.
In the shooting gallery on San Felipe
Neri have seen you at practice, and
believe you to be as good a shot as Ro-
nero. With a word of instruction that
I can give you l believe you will be
victorious in this affair. That word is
this: 1t is Romero's practice to fire one
fractional part Of an instant before
the word tres The second will cry,
] Attention, uno. dos, tres! Romero's
practice Is to touch the trigger when
the t. Is sounded; he does not wait for
| same. bueno! There Is one more reason,
which you may not approve. 1t is that
hate Romero and would rejoice to see
him killed. also believe that you will
kill him. he once committed great
iwrong against member of my family.
My social position will not permit me
to challenge him. might assassinate
him, but do not wish to do that. That
IS all, senior. am in the employ Of the
Isenorita. am the administrator Of an
estate that belongs to her. l am her
lservant and therefore yours also. Que
mas. senior?
"MaeI not reward you for your
rvice"
| IF you are killed, you cannot do so;
If you kill him. that will be sufficient
reward" was the calm reply. "We are
now on the Passed, not far from the
place of meeting. Do you wish me to
| 60 to the city?'
"Yes; to the Concordia. CAPTAIN Ag-
ramonte is supping there. Tell him to
meet me at the appointed time or lit
tie before it if possible and whatever
else you choose to add. All, and say to
him that l wish him to make arrange
ments with Romero's second to permit
you to be present. That may be accom-
plished If they will add one witness"
II had thought of that, senior. If you
will pull in your horse a moment.
will remove the bandage from your
eyes. Will you await me here or do you
prefer to 60 nearer to the cityT'
81 will ride slowly up and down be-
tween this spot and the Indian statue
until you return. How may address
you? 1t will be necessary to introduce
you to Senior Agramonte"
81 will introduce myself to him at the
Concordia. You may call me Pancho,
without prefix. will pass as serv-
ant. Hasta luego, senior. I will return
in an hour"
zone thing more. Pancho. We forgot
my case of pistols"
| cit is better so, senior. You will use
Romero's without tossing for choice.
! You will be given the selection. 1t
I f>r foJ- ho
one nearest to you in the case when
his second places it before you. That
is what you will be expected to do. Sc
lect the other one, and you will win.
| Do it carelessly. Adios!'
The charro put spurs to his horse and
rode away. While he was gone Pen
dleton rode MP and down the Passed
between the points named, and he was
soon gratifed to see the charro return
much sooner than he expected.
Everything is arranged" the charro
announced. II found Senior Agramonte
without difficulty. He was much dis
iturbed because he had not seen you.
but is all right now. The place Of
meeting is changed. There is small
| SloFC w
posite the park. 1t is to be there. Ii
you are ready, we will go at once
With the rising Of the sun, half
hour before the appointed time. Agra
monte appeared, and promptly on the
! minute came Romero with his seconds
and the surgeon.
The principals bowed courteously to
each other, and the seconds began i'm
mediately to arrange the ground. When
it was paced off. Agramonte won the
choice of position. and, although the To-
cation was such that 1t offered little or
no advantage, it was regarded by Pan
cho as a good omen. .s'-.
"You will kill him, senor," he said in
| confidential aside. He seemed to re-
gard Pendleton as quite as bloodthirsty
as himself. rs it your first duel ?" he
added presently.
Eyes" s
"Your nerves are like steel. You
will triumph. I know it. Cara, but l
will be gladT
The enthusiasm of this stranger,
strangely enough, communicated itself
| to Pendleton. He began to believe that
| he would be successful. He knew per-
fectly well that Romero always shot to
/ Ixs1r .r5 4hnA kho h,,lIo% 4o,,ohoa l,Y,,,