Connecticut western news., 1909-03-18
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reached the hollow one of the passen- gers, a boy of sixteen, put down O window, letting in lot of foggy night air. There were coughings and nut terings, and a man endeavored to raise the window, but the boy hung on. Then the coach stopped suddenly, the door was thrown open and a voice said:
 Hey, doctor!'
 A man of professional appearance started and looked uneasy.
 You a doctor?" asked the man at the door.
 "All the better. You're wanted. Git out"
 It was not yet clear but that the coach had been stopped by road agents, and the surgeon quickly alight- cd
 "All right. Drive on. Doctor, you git on to that critter and come along"
 The doctor made a feeble protest. which was not listened to, mounted the horse referred to and, with q man riding on either side, one of whom carried the doctors bag, proceeded by a croSsroad.
 "W-w-hat are you going to do with meY' asked the medical man.
 "Oh, don't be skeered. You're not goin to be hurt. Are your tools in the bag?
 "I have some instruments there"
 "Well, you're to be ready at a fight to patch up one or both of two men that is, if they're not killed before the fracas is ended. Y see. Tom Biglow and Abe Huchins, they got stuck on the same gal, and there don't appear no way to settle the matter except for one of 'em to kill the other. They bein' good friends and neither wantin' an advantage, they want to hev the fight conducted with all the flourishes of an old fashioned duel. South Caro- lima Jim, he arranged 1t all for 'em and says they must hev a surgeon"
 "But hasn't the girl got anything to say about itT'
 ''The gal! Oh, she don't know that either of 'em want her. They tum- bled to her only last week. Y see, out we're in Arizony there hain't many wo- men, and this one she come out with her folks only a week ago lookin' as purity as a leetle red wagon. Tom and Abe both seen her to onct, and both said they was goin' for her. But it wouldn't be far for either of lem to go in ahead Of the other, so they made it up to fight for her. Tomorrow ronrniT1' fIanu,ra fn r. t'other down the road, and when they get within shootin' distance they're to begin firin'. South Carolina Jim wanted 'em to stand still and fire when he dropped his hat, but they said there mought be chance of one on lem bein' charged with shootin' be- fore the signal. and they preferred to do the job without any sich tomfool restrictions. But they let Jim hey his way about the surgeon. We kep Johnny Croker on the stage every day for week to find out if there was doctor aboard, and if there was John ny was to let down the winder when lie come to the holler"
 And how far" asked the doctor,
 
 way on this stupid businessY' We're we are. was the reply, and they pulled up at a cabin beside the road. A man appeared at the door, lighted only by q candle within. We ketched him." said one of the men on horseback. Then to his fellow | horseman he said: You ride over and tell Abe. There's the dawn comin' now. Tell him soon's he sees the first speck of the sun to start. Tom II start from yere at the same time" The messenger went on, and the others entered the hut. The owner drew quart bottle from beneath his coat and passed it to the doctor, but the doctor declined. Not drink this chilly -mornin'r' ex- claimed his entertainer. "Why, what's goin' to stiddy your hand when you're cuttin' out a bullet or tryin' to stop 1 flow of blood?"
 That's just what would unsteady me-" replied the doctor
 This statement was received with a stare of wonder, and the conversation turned upon other topics. Tom Biglow spoke of his future with as much con- fidence as if he were not going within m hour to be one of two targets for q dead shot. When that hour had passed and the dawn had developed into broad daylight, leaving Biglow, the two others mounted and cantered down the road for a mile. when the doctors pilot stopped. "They're to begin tfrin' when they're on that and that crest" pointing in op- posite directions. You're to stay were. where y'll be about even between lem both"
 After awhile they saw first one fig ure standing on crest and soon after another on the opposite crest. Both advanced and when they thought they were within range fired a couple of shots each, but they were too far apart for execution. At that moment a man and a woman came riding furiously across the plain.
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