Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-11-07

ing, when ping Ia bullet whizzed be-
tween our heads and buried itself in
t-@e-trunk, a couple of inches from
the old mans ear. Quick as lightning,
he dropped behind a rock, dragging
me down with him. At the same in
slant a shrill voice rang out:
DOG, come. and get your payment
Murderer Of my brother, did you think
to escape francesca? Did you think
he would not know you, even after
forty years? FoolI 1 have but lived
for this day! The sun shall breed
maggots In your body-and the crows
shall pick out your eyes-as they did
my brother's!''
l looked at the old man beside me.
His features sharpened, and the pupils
of his eyes contracted to points OF
fame His head seemed to hatten like
that Of snake, as revolver in hand,
he writhed himself along, the ground
and cautiously peered round the angle
of the rock. Instantly there was an
other shot, and the blood dripped from
furrowed cash in his cheek. I'm
needing, he moved back a few inches
into the shelter, cautiously Invested
himself Of his sombrero, and, insert
ing a joint Of his rod, elevated 1t, inch
by inch, till it just showed above the
top Of the rock. The time-honored
ruse was once more successful-ping
came the bullet; but the simultaneous
crack Of the Americans revolver, and
ctidod o1Irco from hobind on0fhor
| rock a few yards in front Of us, told
that, this time, the blood was to the
| old man. 1t was curious situation
for a law-abiding Englishman. Two
madmen, intent on each others de-
struction, would disturb themselves
| but little should a stray bullet find
lodging in the heart of an inoffensive
third. 1 chung to my rock. The duel
went on, with long pauses between the
shots, each striving to take the other
unaware-but no more blood was
drawn, and, after a time, both revolv--
ers were silent.
"COme out, Seraf1no, come out!"
shrilled the voice, "and let us fight 1t
out, hand to hand, like men,"
II have no bullet left" whispered
the man beside me, in accents Of saw
age despair. Apparently his adversary
was In like case, for
Come out Come out! Let us end
it with knives" called the voice.
Throw away your pistol to where
1 can see 1t fall, and 1 will come"
cried Serafino, speaking for the first
time.
There was a momentary pause be-
fore the reply came:
"Then let the Englishman hold yours
up above the rock until he has seen
mine fall-then let him throw yours
to the same place."
The Americana handed me his re-
volver without word. 1 held it on
high-not without a CULVER for the
safety of the exposed arm-in my
mind vague plan that, the weapons
once gone, l would rush between and
separate the madmen.
A revolver flashed through the air
and fell with a thud on the bank of
| the stream; instantly mine followed it.
In the same breath, as it seemed,
| the two men rushed at each other Be
| fore the American could draw his
knife-before / could make forward
step-there was a loud report, and the
American dropped. The treacherous
old scoundrel who had acted as our
cocher carried second pistol
Vendetta! Vendetta !" he scream
ed, In a voice hardly human, and fell
upon his enemy's body, biting, tearing
| like wild beast. With a supreme eff
fort the dying Serafino raised his arm
he drove 1t upwards, and his long
Corsican dagger cut straight into Pc
| retti's heart
"a me la Vendetta !"-the hoarse
whisper Of triumph broke-Serafino
fell back, dead, beside his dead foe.
A week later, from the deck Of the
Fraissinet boat, 1 watched the peaks
of the lies Sanguinaires CLEAN blood
red in the rays of the setting sun.
With conflicting feelings 1 looked my
last on that land where the handi-
work Of Nature is so supremely lovely,
where the passions Of man are so I'M
ontrolled.-Black and White.