Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-02-27
HER
CHALLENGE
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
By OWEN OLIVER

valley between them was no mans
land, for they were too busy fight
ing over it to keep out the thieve:
from the hills.
Neither boosted long of advantage
till the days when Robert McAllister
seventh of the name, grew old. Their
an i'll time happened to the clan. His
son slipped over crag and was
killed. Since Robert McAllister was
too old for arms, the name of the
clan grew small, and the more dar
ing of the tribesmen took service un
der the king of France, for Mary Nc
Allister had the spirit of a man, but
only the body of maid
Alan, the young chief of the Mac
donalds, had won great renown in
arms, and he had the way Of leading
men; and those who are born for lead
ing never lack men to lead. He
drove the McAllisters from the valley
and built little fortresses there tc
hold it, and when he had held it for g
full year he sent message to Robert
MCAlllSlST, saying.
From Alan Macdonald to Robert
McAllister, most courteous greetings
THE fortune of war has given us
advantage which you cannot resist
When strife is useless, strife should
cease. If you will own that the val
ley is mine l shall be honored by
your using it. 1t is said that good
foes make good friends, and | am
wishful to try, for there is none who
honor your name more than l."
Robert McAllister, being wise old
man, was minded to consent.
1T is a generous offer from gal
liant enemy" he said.
But his daughter pleaded with him
in her dead brothers name and pre-
vailed. So he made answer thus:
Robert McAllister sends all cour'
teous greetings to Alan Macdonald
The fortunes of the moment changes
For those who come after, hold to
what I have held, and my forefathers
before me. If our numbers are less
SuOu OuI ID AOIs
Then came another message from
Alan Macdonald.
'If you rely on courage, let one OF
your tribe meet me in single com.
bat, the valley to belong to the vic
tors clan. Alan Macdonald"
Many of the McAllisters volun-
teered for the fight, but there was no
great man of arms among them, and
the elders would not consent.
"It were giving Macdonald the
land" they declared. There is no
man in Scotland who can stand be-
fore him. For he was large, pow
erful man, and withal quick as small
er men are; and he had curious cum
ming of fence which he had learned
in France.
So they sent no answer at all, and
Mary McAllister locked herself in her
room for two days, and brooded over
she made deep plan, as women will.
and rode out in the gray dawn to the
castle on the Spur mountains; and
when Macdonalds outposts chal.
lenged her In the valley, she an.
swered:
II am Mary McAllister, and have
come to answer the challenge of your
chief" Then they sent a guide to
conduct her the easiest way to the
castle, and when the chief warder
came to the gate and asked her pleas
ure, she made him the same answer
as before.
Il bring to you an equal challenge"
She looked him straight in the eyes.
IF your challenge is such as man
may accept" b answered steadily. Il
accept 1t unheard."
She put h( hand in her bosom and
drew out two quaint phials of colored
glass, with shoppers of dull wrought
gold.
"Will you drink toast with met"
she asked.
Surely" he answered, "if IL is
such as a man may" But he looked at
the strange vessels and liked them
not.
1T is an innocent toast enough, and
'harmless-if you drink the one"
And IL drink the other?"
1T is only DEATH"
There are worse things" he told
her. She pushed the phials smilingly
towards him.
Choose VIII drain the other"
+. "And them"
"One Of us will gain the valley, and
the other will feel no loss"
[ He took up the phials and held them
in the sunlight that streamed through
an open easement on to the floor.
It was awesome, he thought, that
death should come in such guise:
and he was angry with himself, be-
cause he feared that he feared.
-'Dare you not?" she asked, taunt-
ingly.
AYE" he said. Il dare. Give me
which you will"
/ II should give you DEATH" she an
severed. For / know" Alan Mac.
donald looked hard at her, and saw
that truly she was passing fair.
"Gfve me death, II you will"
II take no odds" she said. Neither
would l have the death of so generous