Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-04-29
THE DUEL
By Charles S. Reid.
Copyright, by Daily story Pub. Coz

II ~
it. Those feet were encased in bead
ed slippers, and some dark red hose
covered her exquisitely turned ankles
A red skirt and a black bodice with
white lacings completed Wineska's
costume Her rich brown beauty,
with full red lips half parted in smile
displayed teeth of dazzling whiteness.
and with black eyes scintillant of vo
luptuous mischief, was the drawing
card of old Melendezs Pulquerio But
the girl managed her conquests with
the cleverness of drawing-room ia
vorite Even as she sat upon the
table tonight, in the dim light of the
dance room, and while the tinkle oil
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
two held hands with Wineska, heI
eyes We're following the tall figure in
the room who was not one OF ner coun
trymen; and in the sparkle of her
black orbs We're the charm of the sep.
penis, the gentleness of the doves and
the passion of the jungle tigers
For once the girls cleverness lacked
conprehensiveness. AS the stranger
absorbed her attention, Pedro and Her
nan We're for the moment forgotten;
and each of these, craving her notice
made movement, which brought the
other into view Each observed the
occupation of the other and the eyes
of each shot q CLEAN 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 We're
| laid face to face, a fearful caress that
meant murderous things in the posi-,
| biilties of the duel that must follow
But the place was not to be here
blood must not stain Wineskas feet
One of the men led the way. Out OF
| the town and into an old trail, a rug
| ged way that led toward the noun
tains, moved the two in single file, on
a 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 shrubbely
1t was already past midnight, but
the trail was leading upward, by wind
ing stages and over rugged, broker
i lodges of stone, upward toward the tor
of a series of cliffs The climbing be
came difficult, but the duelists kept
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 a huge stone.
Finally Pedro. the leader, halted ant
faced about. He stood within a foo
of the edge of the cliff. Herman quick
ly stepped forward The left foot o
each came forward, until the toe o
each adversary touched that of til.
other. Then two dirks flashed in tn,
moonlight that was paling slightly be
fore the first streaks of dawn 'Th
blades clinlled against each other q
they shot like CLEANS of lightning Il
their work Thrust and parry tierce
low carte. seconde obsel wing no rul
but opportunity the keen blade
kissed and rellissed, and in a few sec
onds We're rocking with blood Blu
beyond the clicking of the steel an
the occasional impact when some blad
would plunge into flesh there was n
sound Soon the drip, drip, drip of th
drawn blood of each of the contestant
made the place where he stood slil
perry and uncertain. But each pal
! oil eyes held the other with an vi
: swerving gaze; and though each 500
Z began to realize a growing weakness!
! the vigor of the contest was unabateC
Desperation sat upon the issue and a
! lowed no quarter.
; Presently, as Herman made viciou
: lunge forward, his foot shot from III
Z der him and his body reeled from th
) cliff, while Pedro, who had sought t
Z parry with equal viciousness, was ca
Z ried over after his adversary Dow
4 down, down hundred feet or NOR
j and the duelists landed among til
y sharp powders of another ledge
4 rock, broken in limb, almost lifeles
q unable to move a muscle below Ii
q waist, but within reaching distance
q each other. With dirks still tight
4 clasped they sought to renew the co
4 test, and began hacking at each otht
81 slowly and with little more effect tia
81 the bringing OF a drop OF blood no
g and then.
b In the meantime daylight had com
b the sunshine fell among the cliffs al
n swept over the valley below Whe
I. the duelists had lodged was inacce
81 sible to any living thing but the birt
II of the air. Below them opened
4 thousand feet of space. A huge V,
n ture left his eyrie on distant eli
n swept down across the chasm and II
n ward again, making a circle in the a