The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-06

cAldllenSe aIler cndllenge. On, WE'LL
overdid it; Laird accepted. L might
have known that that would happen
Laird was man you couldn't de-
pend on.
The boys were jubilant beyond ex-
preston. They helped me make my
will, which was another discomfort
and I already had enough. Then they
took me home. I didn't sleep any
didn't want to sleep. 1 had plenty of
things to think about, and less than
four hours to do it in-because five
o'clock was the hour appointed for the
tragedy, and I should have to use up
one hour-beginning at fourth prac-
Using with the revolver and finding out
which end of it to level at the adver-
sary. AT four we went down into lit
tie gorge, about a mile from town, and
borrowed a barn door for a mark-bor-
rowed it of man who was over in
California on a visit-and we set the
barn door up and stood a fence-rail up
against the middle of it, to represent
Mr.. Laird. But the rail was no proper
representative of him, for he was long
er than a rail and thinner. Nothing
would ever fetch him but a line shot,
the buIlet-the worst material for
duelling purposes that could be imag-
med / began ON the rail. I couldn't
hit the rail; then tried the barn door;
but couldn't hit the barn door. There
was nobody in danger except stray
glers around on the TANKS of that
mark. I was thoroughly discouraged
and I didn't cheer up any when we
presently heard pistol-shots over I'm the
next little ravine. / new what that
was-that was Laird's gang out prac-
Using him. They would hear my shots,
and of course they would come up over
the ridge to see what kind of a record
was making-see what their chances
were against me. Well. / hadn't any
record; and knew that IL Laird came
over that ridge and saw my barn door
without scratch on 1t, he would be
as anxious to fight as I was-or as I
had been at midnight, before that dis
astrous acceptance came.
Now just at this moment, a little
bird, no bigger than a sparrow, flew
along by and lit on a sage-bush about
thirty yards away. Steve whipped out
his revolver and shot it's head OF. oh,
he was a marksman-much better than
] was. We ran down there to pick up
the bird. and just then, sure enough.
Mr.. Laird and his people came over the
ridge, and they Joined us. And when
Laird's second saw that bird, with its
head shot off, he lost color, he faded,
and you could see that he was inter-
ested. He said:
WHO did that?"
Before 1 could answer Steve spoke up
and said quite calmly, and in a matter
of-fact way,
Clemens did it,
The second said, why, that is won
derful. How far off was that bird?"
Steve said, "Oh, not far-about thirty
yards"
The second said, "well, that is aston
fishing shooting. How often can he do
that?"
Steve said languidly. "Oh, about four
times out of five
L knew the little rascal was lying,
but L didn't say anything The second
said. why, that is amazing shooting;
/ supposed he couldn't hit a church."
He was supposing very sagaciously.
but I didn't say anything. Well they
said good morning. The second took
Mr.. Laird home, little lottery on his
legs, and Laird sent back a note in his
own hand declining to fight duel with
me on any terms whatever.
Well my life was saved-saved by
that accident. / don't know what the
bird thought about that interposition of
Providence, but / felt very, very COM
forta BILE over it-satisffed and content.
Now, we found out, later, that Laird
right along. If the duel had come of,
he would have SO filed my skin with
bullet-holes that it wouldn't have held
my principles.
BY breakfast-time the news was all
over town that / had sent a challenge
and Steve ellis had carried it. Now, |
that would entitle us to two years |
apiece in the penitentiary, according to |
the brand-new law. Judge North sent |
rs no message as coming from himself, |
but a message came from close friend |
Of his. He said 1t would be a good |
dea for us to leave the territory by |
he first stage-coach. This would sail /
next morning, at four o'clock-and in |
he meantime we would be searched 1
ior, but not with avidity; and if we
we're in the Territory after that stage
,oach left, we would be the first victims |
If the new law. Judge North was anx-
GUS to have some object-lessons for /
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