The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-02-28

u the faint report of dis
tant rife and knew It was
the signal of Tudor. giving notice
that he had reached the Berande
turned about, and was coming back
Sheldon fired his rife into the air In
answer. and In turn proceeded to ad
vance. He moved as In dream. alb
beach. The thing was so preposterous
that he had To struggle to realize It.
and he reviewed in his mind the con-
versation with Tudor. trying to find
some clew to the common sense OF
what be was dong. lie did not want
to kill Tudor. Because that man had
blundered in his love making was no
reason that he. Sheldon. should take
his life Then what was 1t all about?
True. the fellow had insuted Joan by
his subsequent remarks and been
knocked down for it. but because he
had Knocked him down was no rea-
son that he should now try to kill him.
In this fashion he covered a quarter
OF the distance between the two riv-
efs, when Il dawned upon him that
Tudor was not on the beach at all. OF
course not lie was advancing, ac-
cording to the terms of the agreement,
IN the shelter of the cocoanut trees.
Sheldon promptly swerved to the left
10 seek. similar shelter. when the faint
crack of rifle came to his ears. and
almost Immediately the bullet. strik-
ing the hard sand hundred feet be-
yond him. ricochetted and whined on.
ward in a second fight. convincing
him that preposterous and unreal as
1t was, 1t was. nevertheless. sober
fact. 1t had been intended for him.
Yet even then ii was hard to believe.
Keeping now to the shelter of the
trees. he went forward another quar-
ter of n mile. If Tudor had advanced
with equal speed they should have
come together mt that point. and Shell.
don concluded that the other was cir
cling. The difficulty was to locate
him. The rows of trees. running at
right angles. enabled him to see along
only one narrow avenue at time. His
enemy might be coming along the next
avenue or the next to right or left He
might be hundred feet away or half
mile. Sheldon plodded Oh and de.
cided that the old stereotyped duel was
far simpler and easier than this pro-
tracted hide and seek affair. He. too,
tried circllng. in the hope of cutting the
others circle; but, without catching a
glimpse of him. he finally emerged
upon fresh clearing where the young
trees, waist high. afforded little shell
ter and less hiding. Just as he emerged.
stepping out n pace. rifle cracked to
his right, and. though he did not hear
the bullet in passing. the thud of it
came to his ears when it struck a palm
trunk farther on.
He sprang back into the protection of
the larger trees. Twice he had ex-
posed himself and been fired at. while
he had failed 20 catch single glimpse
or his antagonist. A slow anger be-
gan to burn in him. 1t was deucedly
unpleasant. he decided. this being pep
pered at and. nOnSensical as il really
was, Ii was none the less deadly seri-
Gus. There was no avoiding the is
sue, no firing in the air and getting
over with il, aS in the old fashioned
duel. This mutual man hunt must
keep up until one got the other. And
II one neglected chance TO get the
other that increased the others chance
TO get him. There could be no false
sentiment about it. Tudor had been
cunning devil when he proposed this
sort of duel. Sheldon concluded. as he
began 10 work along cautiously in the
direction Of the last shot.
When he arrived at the spot Tudor
was gone. and only his footprints re-
manned, pointing out the course he had
taken into the depths of the planta.
ton. Once. ten minutes later. he
caught glimpse of Tudor. hundred
yards away. crossing the same avenue
as himself, but going in the opposite
direction. His rife half leaped 10 his
shoulder. but the other was gone.
More In within than in hope OF result,
grinning 10 himself as he did so, Shell
don raised his automatic pistol and
in two seconds sent eight shots scat.
tering through the trees in the direc.
tion in which Tudor had disappeared.
Wishing be had shotgun. Sheldon
dropped TO the ground behind a tree.
slipped fresh clip up the hollow butt
OF the pistol. threw cartridge into
the chamber. showed the safety catch
into place aud reloaded the empty clip.
IL was but short time after that
that Tudor tried the same trick on
him. the bullets pattering about him
ike spiteful rain. thudding into the
palm trunks or glancing OF In whining
ricochets. The last bullet Of all. max.
ing a double ricochet from two dif
ferent trees and losing most OF its mo
struck Sheldon a sharp blow
IN the forehead and dropped at his
feet He was partly stunned for the
but on Investigation found no
.reater harm than "A NASTY. mmn that