Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-14
The Edge Of Hazard
By GEORGE HORTON
Copyrighted, 1906, BY The Boobs-aisrrfu Company
By GEORGE HORTOf
Copyrighted, 1906, BY The Booss-Msrn Company

American into consideration! The very
idea was absurd.
Hardy had struggled into his over
| Well, l am ready" he said. .Let's
over
AS they passed out they met Wang,
who glanced anxiously at his master.
| am going to take an early ride
with the lieutenant" he explained !;
It's fine morning for riding, Wang
But he added In a low tone to Gort.
chakov: If anything should happen
| to me, let that boy know Immediately
| he is devoted to me. In case the
worst should happen, there Is paper
on the dresser In my bedroom, leav-
Ing him a small sum OF money
have had not time to have 1t attested,
| but You can bear witness that I told
i you the thing was genuine"
The lieutenant's sledge and beauti.
ful tea moi thoroughbreds was wait
, ing at the curb.
Jump in, pray" he said, land let's
| be off. And we mustn't talk of any.
things happening. There Is nothing
going to happen except that you will
shoot great rascal and bully through
| the heart, and we shall come back
to a hearty breakfast having doae
good mornings work with very little
waste of time"
Gortchakov had now fixed on Ro.
manoff's heart as the most pleasing
receptacle for Hardy's bullet.
| The coachman cracked his long
whip and the high-strung, nervous
| CfnndC
the. Muscovite capital. In half an
hour they had reached their destina.
ton, thick wood on the banks Of
| the Moskva. Hardy's other second
was already on the spot with sur
geon, a fat little man, wrapped thick
| In furs, who walked briskly to and
instruments.
you are in good time. gentlemen
cried Gortchakov, consulting his
| spare
Il think l hear sleigh-befls now
/ said the surgeon. II hope 1t Is Roman
off, so that ] can get back to my
warm bed. What the devil people
want to come out in such weather Us
| this, is more than can understand
Let them shoot each other and be
damned. if they want to-, but not at
| this hour and in such weather"
We shall try to be expeditions, ,
said Hardy cheerfully. "and, in the
meantime, | beg pardon for my share
| in the inconvenience to which we are
putting you. You're right about the
sleigh-bells. Here are our friends
now"
Il j . y ~ !.
| Through vista between the leaf
less trees a sledge could be seen ap
proaching, drawn by three horses, run
ming like mad. The driver rose &c
his feet and settled back on the seat
bringing them to rearing, paving
sudden halt
Your servants, gentlemen" said
Kolkolnik, lifting his hat. I'VE trust
we have not kept you waiting"
"And yours replied Gortchakov, re-
turning the salutation, in which the
others joined. "You are just on the
minute, If my watch is right"
"You are fast" said Koukolnik
climbing 1aboriously from the sledge
his timepiece in his hand 1--WE are
| five minutes ahead"
| Il will wager you a hundred roGbles
am right" insisted Gortchakov, with
the Russians ever!present mania for
gambling.
'Done!" replied Koukolnik; and
now, let's to business"
The details were soon arranged and
the ground measured off. Hardy did
not pay any attention to these pre-.
liminaries, but walked briskly back
ward and forward to keep his feet
warm glancing occasionally at Ro.
manoff. who stood leaning against a
tree. his hands in his ulster pockets
| an insolent, careless smile on his
handsome face. He certainly was q
/, splendid specimen of manhood
thought the American, and IL he felt
the least tremor Of fear, he knew
how to disguise it. Did 1t seem at all
unlikely that a high-bred. aristocratic
woman, the daughter Of hundred
warriors, should have fallen in love
with man like that?
1T is time now, my friend" said
Gortchakov, coming up to Hardy. 81
must trouble YOU to remove your
coat. But you will not catch cold
for 1t will only take you a minute
Upon my word, admire your nerve.
You ought to have been a Russian
You will shoot him at the word
three"
Hardy removed his ulster and faced
his opponent. A long dueling pistol
of excellent make and perfect preci.
sion was placed in his hand.
Are you ready, gentlemen" asked
koukolnik. II will count three slowly.
You will raise your weapons and take
aim when commence, and will fire
at the word three"
As these words were being uttered
Hardy fixed his eyeglasses more firm.
!, ly on his nose, the while he examined
the distance and the person of his an.
tagonist with a cool, practiced smile.
Koukolnik began.
"Odeen!"
The two weapons were raised and
pointed.
"Dvah."
1t could not be seen that the han.l
of either man trembled in the slight.
est.
aTra!"
Two shots rang out almost stimuli
taneously.
Neither man fell.