Bisbee daily review., 1909-05-29
THE DUEL
 By Charles s. Reid
lCopyrghi, by Ilaliy slory pcb. Col


 displayed teeth of dazzling whiteness. and with black eyes scintillant of yo- uptuous mischief. was the drawing card of old Melendez's Pulquerio. But the girl managed her conquests with the cleverness of drawing-rocm fla vorite. Even as she sat upon the table tonight, in the dim light of the dance room, and while the tinkle of the guitars timed the measure of the fandango. two men. each unconscious of the other. believed that they were enjoying singly the favor of the girl, for each held one of her hands as she sat between them. And Pedro Ro- deriguieo. one of them. had held her in his arms and kissed her an hour before. The other. Herman Valaquez. had enjoyed the same privilege the night before. And now, even as these two held hands with wineska, her eyes were following the tall figure in the room who was not one of per coun- trymen and in the sparkle of her black orbs were the charm of the sep pent's, the gentleness of the doves and the passion of the jungle tigers
 For once the girls cleverness lacked comprehensiyeness. As the stranger absorbed her attention. Pedro and Her nan were for the moment forgotten: and each of these. craving her notice. made movement, which bTough. the other into view. Each observed the occupation of the other. and the eyes of each shot Sieam of light into those of the other. Each dropped the hand that he had been holding, and both moved toward the door. In the darkness outside, Pedro and Herman crossed dirks, but without an utter ance further than the hiss of labored breath. The blades for a moment were laid face to face. fearful caress that meant murderous things in the possi- b,ilties of the duel that must follow. But the place was not to be here blood must not stain Wineska's feet.
 One of the men led the way. Out of the town and into an old trail, rug ged way that led toward the mcun- tains, moved the two in single file. on silent march. The occasional crack ling of dry twigs broke sharply upon the silence, but nothing else was there to indicate that two human beings were moving among the shrubbery
 T. was already past midnight, but the trail was leading upward, by wind ing stages and over rugged. broken lodges of stone. upward toward the top of series of cliffs. The climbing be- hsYs Ea let. l-1 steadily forward until the top of the highest cliff was reached. This was high above the surrounding country, and the ledge was little more than the crest of huge stone.
 Finally Pedro. the leader. halted and faced about He stood within a foot os the edge of the cliff Herman quick Iy stepped forward. The left foot of each came forward. until the toe of each adversary touched that of the other. Then two dirks flashed in the moonlight that was paling slightly be- fore the first streaks of dawn. The blades clinked against each ether as they shot like gleams of lightning to their work Thrust and parry. tierce, low carte, seconde, obsei wing no rule but opportunity, the keen blades kissed and rekissec. and in a few sec onds were rocking with blood. But beyond the clicking of the steel and the occasional impact when some blade would plunge into flesh. there was no sound. Soon the drip. drip. drip of the drawn blood of each of the contestants made the place where he stood slip pery and uncertain. But each pair of eyes held the other with an un- swerving gaze: and though each soon began to realize a growing weakness. the vigor of the contest was unabated. Desperation sat upon the issue and al lowed no quarter.
 Presently, as Herman made a vicious lunge forward, his foot shot from un- der him and his body reeled from the clin, while Pedro. who had sought to parry with equal viciousness, was car. ried over after his adversary. Down, down, down hundred feet or more, and the duelists landed among the sbarp powders of another ledge of rock. broken in limb. almost iifeless. unable to move a muscle below the waist, but within reaching distance of each other. With dirks still tightly clssped they sought to renew the con- test, and began hacking at each other slowly and with little more effect than the bringing of a drop of blood now and then.
 Tn the meantime daylight had come, the sunshine fell among the cliffs and swept over the valley below. Where the duelists had lodged was inacces- sible to any living thing but the birds of the air. Below them opened . thousand feet of space. A huge vul. ture left his eyrie on . distant cliR, swept down across the chasm and up. ward again, making . circle in the air high above the heads of the duelists. Pedro saw this, and Herman, too, had watched the bird wfpse eyes seemed to be upon them. Pedro cast his dirk into space. Hernan's followed. And as the vulture completed his second and lower circle, Pedro extended his hand. which Herman clasped-for once they were warm friends.
 In the meantime back there at the culquerio of Melendez wineska lay in the arms Of the tail stranger. tangling her slender fingers in his tair. while ns kissed her drowsily.