Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-02-03

or | must die. | spent some time con-
sidering what to do, then went to the
ranch. intending to offer myself to
Daisy. If she refused me would
leave the field at once to all suitors.
If she accepted me | would have it
out with Barker.
| | 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 II she wanted me
l 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. told her
! frankly that | believed he would kill
me IL married her and that the mat
ter had better be settled before the
wedding. Being 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" day or two after
Barker's shooting rs was riding over
the country on horseback Huchins
| came up behind me and ambled along
side of me.
Il 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?"
"Ges. And. what's more. she asked
me to suggest some way o. scttlin' the
matter without blood spillin'."
That's impossible" said l.
$50 | thort at fust, but arter awhile
! thcrt of plan. Barker's mighty
proud o. his shootin and he's pretty
much made up his mind that he's lost
Daisy. reckon he'd agree to settle
the matter by Il trial o. skill between
him and you. He'd consider it his
only chance"
Pm no shot. Such IT contest would
give Miss Daisy TO him. and she
doesn't want him."
Not so fast You don't need to be
much O. shot. Could you hit II hens
egg at twenty feet?'
II might in two or three shots"
"Well, / give Daisy my plan, and
she's decided to try it. Here's note
for you, and here's note for Barker.
Whichever hits Il hens egg with
forty-two the most outen five shots
she'll marry"
He handed me note to that effect
from Daisy and showed me another
he was commissioned to deliver to
Barker.
DO you consent?' he added, draw
ing rein.
Yes" said; 81 consent to anything
Daisy DESIRES"
Without waiting for more he turned
about and rode back in 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 | made my
appearance at the barn, wondering
what was to be the upshot of this sim
gular contest. l found an egg sus-
pended over a basket by fine thread.
l won the toss and with 1t the right to
l missed the first and the fourth, but
put hole in the egg on the second,
third and the fifth. For my life could
not see why | had not lost. 1t would
be nothing for Barker to hit the egg
every time.
\ new egg was attached to the
thread for him to shoot at and, whip
ping out his revolver, he fired with ap-
parent care!essness. lie was surprised
to see the egg oscillate violently, but
the shell was not broken. The next
time he fred he took careful aim, but
with no better success. He was thun-
derstruck. Since | had hit the egg
three times he could now only tie me.
You must hit it III 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 ap-
peared to me that nothing could be
more fair than the trial. l asked
Uncle Jake how he had managed to
let me. poor shot. beat the best shot
in the territory. He would not tell
me. Barker was never seen there
again. Daisy had induced him to sign
a promise that If beat him he would
leave the field clear for me-
l married Daisy and took her east
with me. She 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
them when she first went to the coun-
try. She learned the secret of the
shooting match from Uncle Jake the
day we were married and told 1t to me
on our wedding journey. The meat
had been taken from the egg Barker
shot at, and the featherweight shell
had bcen moved aside each time by
the wind of the hall. To hit 1t was
impossible.
Uncle Jake had learned the trick
from Il prestidigitator who had passed
through the locality with a circus
His Aiment.
The captain had been tortured with