The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-01-29
HIS PROOF
OF COURAGE.

one downs some one who had insultet
me"~,
hut no one has nsultcd you,r
Some one might. then what woul,
! do for q proi@torF
Phil left her much depressed. ant
when man IL depressed about hi,
love affairs Il either takes away hi.
appetite or makes him hungry, II
made Phil hungry, He started for d
restaurant picking up his friend sid
ney Searle by the way. to whom he
told his troubles Searlc told him tha,
the proper thing for him to do, under
the circumstances was to find some
means of showing his prowess. The
friends went into cafe and ordered 4
brace Of chops and toby of ale for
each. At table near by were several
young men In evening dress regallng
themselves with oysters and cham.
pagne,
Phil" said Sidney, 'that fellow with
molasscs candy mustachc Is staring
at you"
What do yon think Ia better doY'
go up to him and tell him that
you'll give him Il chance to stare at
you over the muzzle OF pistol"
Phil reluctantly dragged himself
from his chair and went through the
required performance, Cards were cx-
changed. the offenders pasteboard
bearing the name Of Harold Littleaeld.
He explained that he thought Phil was
an acquaintance Of his. but the ex-
PLANTATION was not accepted, aud Sidney
took II upon himself to arrange for
meeting. The principals were TO hght
at 0 o'clock the next morning at
lonely spot a few miles out Of town
on the bank OF the river
Phil went home and TO bed, first set
ting his alarm clock He went 10
sleep at 3 o'clock. and the alarm went
Off Mt 4. II IL hard 10 conceive OF any,
thing more uncomfortable than being
wakened before daylight by raspinR
sound to the consciousness OF having
to go out In the raw air TO be shot at
Phil got up languldly, dressed himself
slowly and started for the ducllng
ground. The nearer he approached Il
the weaker grew his resolution. The
result was that q o'clock found him
half mile from the appointed spot
sitting on log. looking very disconso
late.
Then he was seized with q curiosity |
to 90 and. unobservcd. take look at |
the place and see how his friend and |
his enemy took his absence. So he |
got up and trudged on stopping at a
place where he could overlook the field
from behind tree. He saw the two
seconds walking back aud forth 10
keep Off the morning chill, but there
was not n principal In sight. IL oc
.urred TO Phil that Harold I.lttiefield |
was as ayerse TO being shot as himself
Here was the chance Of "a lifetime
Phil determined 10 hurry down TO the
seconds, trumping up by the way an
excuse for being late, and buster
lbout the absence OF the man who had
agreed to fight him.
Mr.. Llttlcileld had suffered the same
as Phil to having the
warm blood let out OF his body on
old morning. lie had halted In
WOOD on the side of the field opposite
o where Phil was in hiding and, see
ng that his enemy had not appeared,
esolved to 20 down and claim n vie.
ory by default. BY curious coin.
'ldence In time the two men started
Onward al the same moment. Unfor.
unately they caught sight Of each 9th.
II when II was too late to retreat
Both stopped and stared Both half
urned as II to fee, then simultaneous.
Y dragged themselves forward.
The seconds looked at them sternly
nd asked the cause of their delay.
Both gave very lame excuses, but so
ong as they were there to shoot each
ther the rest was unimportant, The
econds proceeded to get all In readl-
less, pacing off the ground and look
ng to the condition of the weapons.
whats the dlstanceY faltered Phil
n a whisper to Sidney.
Twenty paces," replied his second
"Can't you make It fortyr
am see."
Sidney marched up to the opposing
econd and asked the wishes of his
as the challenged party con-
erning the distance.
my principal says sixty paces," re-
lied the second.
Sidney went back to Phil and report
d the result.
"Try for eighty" said Phil.
eighty! Nonsensew
Phil insisted, and Sidney went back
nd succeeded In arranging for eighty
aces on the ground that bis man was
arsighted. The men were placed in
osition, and Sidney was about to give
be signal for firing when a clatter of !
orses hoofs was heard on the road
ehind the rise from which Phil had
tarted to claim a bloodless victory. {
he next minute a girl on horseback {
hot over the rise and, seeing the men 3
a position to shoot at each other, gave {
shrek. Riding between them, she l
rnru rain Shn tnaa Gtnlln nnnlrina 4