Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-08

!. 1 found Miss Daisy very much ex-
cited. She had heard OF Barker's
shooting escapade and had turned bit
terly against him. / told her that
wanted her and if she wanted me
I WAS willing TO settle the matter be-
tween Barker and myself. Her reply
was all | could have asked for, but
she positively forbade my coming into
collision with my rival. l told her
frankly that / believed he would kin
me If married her and that the mat
ter had better be- settled before the
wedding. Being a woman, she wished
to get round the matter by subterfuge
and for the time being would consent
to nothing definite.
Daisy was very fond OF an old ranch
er called Jake Huchins. To her he
was Uncle Jake" A day or two after
Barker's shooting as was riding over
the country on horseback Huchins
came up behind me and ambled along
side of me.
al hearn about the shootin' o. your
pipe onten yer mouth he said. "Lit-
tie Daisy was telling me about it,
"Oh, it was Miss Nolan who told
you, was it,"
Eyes. And. what's more. she asked
me to suggest some way o. settlin' the
matter without blood spillIn'."
That's impossible" said i.
$50 1 thort at fust, but arter awhile
1 thort Of a plan. Barker's mighty
proud o. his shootin', and he's pretty
much made up his mind that he's lost
Daisy. 1 reckon he'd agree to settle
the matter by trial o. skill between
him and you. He'd consider 1t his
only chance"
I'm no shot. Such a contest would
give Miss Daisy TO him, and she
doesn't want him."
mot so fast. You don't need to be
much o. a shot. Could you hit hens
egg at twenty feet?
81 might in two or three shots"
"Wen, 1 give Daisy my plan. and
she's decided to try it. Here's a note
for you, and here's note for Barker
Whichever hits a hens egg with a
forty-two the most outen five shots
she'll marry"
He handed me q note to that effect
from Daisy and showed me another
ne was commissioned to deliver to
Barker.
"Do you consent?' he added, draw
ins rein.
Eyes," 1 said; 81 consent to anything
Daisy desires"
without waiting for more he turned
about and rode back i'm the direction
from whence he came.
The next day Uncle Jake Informed
me that Barker had gladly agreed to
the terms.
On the appointed day 1 made my
appearance at the barn, wondering
what was to be the upshot of this sin
gular contest. i found an egg sus-
pended over a basket by n fine thread.
1 won the toss and with it the right to
fire five consecutive shots at the egg.
1 missed the first and the fourth, but
put a hole in the egg on the second
third and the fifth. For my life could
not see why L had not lost. 1t would
be nothing for Barker to hit the egg
every time.
A new egg was attached to the
thread for him to shoot at. and. whip
ping out his revolver, he fired with APP
parent carelessness. He was surprised
to see the egg oscillate violently, but
the shell was not broken. The next
time he fired he took careful aim, but
with no better success. He was thun-
derstruck. Since l had hit the egg
three times he could now only tie me.
You must hit it in the center" said
Uncle Jake. IF you don't you'll |
glance"
Barker aimed long and carefully at |
the center and sent the egg bobbing, |
but still the shell was unbrOken. |
Flinging his revolver on the barn |
floor. he strobe away.
knew that Barker had been tricked. /
but could not conceive how. 1t APP |
peared to me that nothing could be |
more fair than the trial. l asked |
Uncle Jake how he had managed TO (
let me, Il poor shot. beat the best shot |
in the territory. He would not tell 7.
me. Barker was never seen there
again. Daisy had induced him to sign
Il promise that if l beat him he would
leave the field clear for me.
l married Daisy and took her east
with me. Size said she had had enough
Of the wild west and had no further
use for cowboys. not considering them
The romantic creatures she had thought
lnein Wnen she nfSC went 10 tne cOun'
try. She learned the secret of the
match from Uncle Jake the
day we We're married and told it to me
on our wedding journey The meat
had been taken from the egg Barker
shot at, and the featherweight shell
had been moved aside each time by
the wind of the ball. To hit it was
Uncle Jake had learned the trick
from prestidigitator who had passed
through the locality with a circus.