The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-19

shooting glasses of whisky from each
others heads. Talbot was suspicious
of Fink's good faith, and tried to per-
suade the men to shoot at some other
mark. They were unwilling, how
ever. and a coin was dipped to deter
mine who should shoot first. Fink
won, and Talbot measured off the dis
lance Of 60 yards. Both men took
their stations. and while Fink was
loading his rife. Talbot prepared the
glass of whisky. AS he placed 1t on
Carpenters head he whispered:
YOU'D better refuse to have any,
thing to do with the contest. Fink'll
kill you."
I back down now the crew'l1 think
I'm afeerd."
Talbot made no reply, for he was
familiar with the river code Of hon
IF I be killed." continued Carpen-
ter. see that my sister gifts the wag.
es thet's comm to me. You en- keep
my gun y'r-self."
and Fink slowly raised his rifle and,
with cool, steady hand, pulled the
trigger. Carpenter fell without a
groan. with a bullet through the ex-
act center of his forehead. Fink
coolly blew the smoke from the bar
rel of his gun and carefully reloaded
it.
II don't know how it could have
happened" he remarked careiessly.
Il took as fair q bead on the black
spot in the glass as any man ever
Then he turned about and walked
over the gangplank into his boat. The
girl was terror stricken when she
learned what had heppened. but Tai
bot treasured her. permitting her to
return to Fink's boat, as he evidently
believed that the man would not dare
to do her any harm, for the present
at least.
Fink continued sullen for some
time, but finally. after draining sew
eral more glasses of whisky, he burst
into an uproariously ribald song. At
length he again went on shore. and
heaped a great pile of leaves on the
sand. Then he spread them out in a
circle. leaving a space in the center
large enough to lie in stretched at
full length. He ever laid himself
down on the sand to see If the bed
was comfortable.
Returning to the boat, he searched
for Peggy until he found her in the
~ ordered her to go ashore. Glad
enough. evidently to get away from
him, she promptly obeyed. Selling
his rifle, however, Fink followed. and
just as she was stepping from the
gangplank he ordered her to lie in
the bed Of leaves, threatening to shoot
her at once II she did not obey.
With the CUR pointing at her there
was nothing to do but obey, and the
few members of the crew who were
present were too fearful Of Fink to
interfere. Fink then heaped the
leaves about the girl and, shouting
loudly. III teach you to talk to other
men, he seized a blazing stick from
among the leaves. which, being dry,
burned rapidly.
Peggy must have swooned. At least
for the first few minutes she was
badly frightened to move or even
As soon as the flames reach
e flesh she shrieked loud enough
however, and Talbot came running
just as the girl leaped from the burn
ing leaves. Fink raised his gun as il
to shoot Peggy, but before he could
pull the trigger a bullet from Talbot's
rifle struck him in the breast, and
he crumpled to the ground dying. The
girl jumped into the river, closely fol-
lowed by Talbot, who quickly brought
her to shore.
The water had quenched the flames
before the girl was badly burned, but
1t was several weeks before she was
able to go about. During this time
Talbot cared for her, having taken her
to the steamer and returned the old
cook to the keelboat. Finally Peggy
recovered fully. and at the end Of the
long voyagle to New Orleans she and
Talbot were married.