The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-02-29

CHAPTER xxn
MODERN pUELINo.

80
tant rife and knew 1t was
the signal of Tudor, giving notice
that he had reached the Berande,
turned about. aud was coming back
Sheldon fired his rife into the air in
answer. and In turn proceeded to ad-
vance. He moved as In a dream, alb
sent mindedly keeping to the open
beach. The thing was so preposterous
that be had to struggle to realize it.
and be reviewed In his mind the con
versation with Tudor. trying 10 find
some clew to the common sense OF
what be was dong. He did not want
to kill Tudor. Because that man had
Numbered In his love making was no
reason that be, Sheldon. should take
his life. Then what was it all about
True, the fellow had insulted Joan by
his subsequent remarks and been
knocked down for 1t. but because he
had knocked him down was no rea.
son that be should now try TO XIII MIN.
In this fashion he covered a quarter
Of the distance between the TWO riv-
ers, when II dawned upon him that
Tudor was not on the beach az all OF
course not. He was advancing, ac-
cording to the terms OF the agreement.
In the shelter of the cocoanut trees.
Sheldon promptly swerved to the left
to seek similar shelter. when the faint
crack OF rifle came TO his ears. and
almost Immediately the bullet. strfk-
ing the hard sand a hundred feet be
yond him, ricochetted and whined on
ward in a second fight. convincing
him that preposterous and unreal as
II was, 1t was. nevertheless. a sober
fact II had been intended for him.
Yet even then 1t was hard to believe
Keeping now to the shelter of the
trees. be went forward another quar-
ter of mile. II Tudor had advanced
with equal speed they should have
rome together at 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 on 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 shel-
For nd laee a.
stepping out pace. a rife cracked to
his right, and. though be did not hear
the bullet 10 passing. the thud OF 1t
came 10 bis ears when 1t struck palm
trunk farther on.
He sprang back into the protection OF
the larger trees. Twice be had ex-
posed himself and been fired at while
he had failed 70 catch a single glimpse
of his antagonist A slow anger be.
gan to burn In him. II was deucedlg
unpleasant. he decided this being pep
pered at and, nOnsenscal as It rea lily
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 It, as In the old fashioned
duel. This mutual man hunt must
keep up until one got the other. And
IL one neglected a chance TO get the
other that increased the others chance
to get him. There could be no false
sentiment about It. Tudor had been a
cunning devil when he proposed this
sort of duel. Sheldon concluded, as b.
began to 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 be had
taken into the depths of the planta.
ton. Once. ten minutes later. be
caught glimpse of Tudor, a hundred
yards away. crossing the same avenue
as himself, but going in the opposite
direction. His rife half leaped to his
shoulder. but the other was gone.
More in within than in hope Of result
grinning TO 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-
ton in which Tudor had disappeared.
Wishing be had a shotgun. Sheldon
dropped TO the ground behind tree.
slipped fresh clip up the hollow butt
of the pistol. threw a cartridge into
the chamber showed the safety catch
Into place and reloaded the empty clip.
1t was but a short time after that
that Tudor tried the same trick on
him, the bullets pattering about bin
like spitefuI rain. thudding into the
palm trunks or CHANGING OFF in whining
ricochets The last bullet Of all. max
ing double ricochet from two diff.
ferent trees and losing most OF It's mo
mentum, struck Sheldon a sharp blow
on the forehead and dropped az his
feet. He was partly srunned for the
moment, but on investigation found no
greater harm than a misty lump that
soon rose to the size OF pigeons egg
firing OF the endless circling. Shei
don tried once more to advance direct
ly on bis zoe, but the latter was too
crafty. taking advantage OF his ooh'
ness 10 Gre couple OF shots az hlia
and slipping away on some changed
and continually changing course fel
an hour they lodged and furaf iaq
twisted back and forth and aroun1 ana
hunted each other among the HfffFt
palms They canght heetne einl
Of each other and Glanced fffnr rft