Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1907-07-06
A ST RAN q e
DUEL
BY CAPT. JAMES WELLS.

teduy udu Deen lHSIe WSth, diu 4
was sure that he had the better
chance She smiled at him as she
never smiled at me. 1t made me
angry That was why l challenged
him to duel, with pistols. l thought
ne was a coward and that he would
not fight
"Ah, captain" said he, "let us not
ness up the hacienda with shooting
me another. Let us settle it another
way"
He led me out into the yard where
he senior had two condors chained to
ron posts Great birds they were,
with wings that spread perhaps ten
feet. The senior had raised them
rom chicks, they told me.
THE birds, captain-they give me
/, an idea. They never have flown, but
heir strong wings will bear them far.
If a basket were fastened to them,
hey could lift a man in the air-per-
laps. 1t would be worth trying"
What do you mean?" ] asked.
"Since you wish a duel to the death,
ct us toss for 1.-THE loser to voyage
nto the air with the BIRDS
1t was a foolish idea, but l would
lot be bluffed by the Gillian.
"All right, Almaraz," | said
1t is a queer country down there at
he foot of the Andes. When Ine2
and the senior heard about it, instead
Of trying to prevent the odd duel be-
tween Alamaraz and myself, they en-
Outraged it. The neighbors rode in
rom nearby haciendas, and all the
servants and riders on the rancho
gathered to see the senior toss the
coin.
Tails" said he. Capt. Wells
wins. Almaraz will make the voy-
age"
Pretty Inez kissed the CHILEAN good
oy, and i almost wished that | had
| ost.
ADDS, dear one" she said. "The
saints and the blessed virgin will save
you"
Almaraz climbed into the wicker
basket which had been harnessed to
| he giant birds. The senior unfas-
tened the chain and the condors took
wing.
For an instant it seemed certain
hat Almaraz would be upset from the
basket The birds resented their
close partnership, and so to 100 feet
IN the air he performed like an aero
bat keeping them together. There
we're some angry attempts at swoop-
ing on the part of one of them, with
lalons splayed, and quite bit of con-
| Tor music.
But the bigger of the two was a
steady-minded bird, with its eye on
he snowy peaks of the Andes in the
west The rebellious one, after min
lte's hesitation, saw the point, and
they went rapidly aloft and westward
together. With superb sweep Of
their wings they rose and rose, so
near each other that the tips of their
onions seemed to touch.
We leaped upon our horses and gal
!oped after them. The horror of it
was upon us. | was sorry that | had
challenged MY rival. The girl loved
him, and why should l have been so
selfish as to interfere with his happi-
ness? l vowed that if he ever came
down from his mad flight in the heav-
ems | would be his friend forever.
The condors rose tirelessly. They
were a half mile, mile high. They
became two tiny. specks in the blue
South American sky. Almaraz looked
like toy-like a doll Yet with sub
lime nerve he stood upright in the
basket and guided as best he could
his feathered steeds toward the dis
tant crags.
/ soon outstripped the others, for
my horse was a thoroughbred. Mile
sight of the dizzy voyagers. With my
field glasses, which / put to my eyes
now and then, / could see them
olainly.
AS the harnessed condors neared
the first crag, / could see Almaraz
above me, waving his white handker
chief at me, and | answered him with
shouts which he doubtless did MOI
hear. The condors circled with ma
jestic grace and then swooped dowr
and settled upon the crag-a mere
splinter that pierced the heavens
The basket bumped against the stone
and was still. 1t seemed almost tina
Almaraz was doomed. He was 1,5OO
feet above the earth, where no human
help could reach him.
My glasses surveyed him, and saw
him wave his handkerchief again
Then | saw him take his revolver from
his pocket, and pointing it at the near
est bird fired.
I could not hear the sound, but
saw the puff of white smoke and I'M
derstood his plan. He had killed tn
smaller bird. 1t toppled over TOWARD
him. The weight of the dead bir'
and of the basket was too much TO
the big condor. He chung to the Graz