Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-09-12

AhS something which he actually saW2
lie could not tell. he could not be
sure, yet he Strengthened up EXPECT
anty, shading his eyes, and never
losing sight of the object. 1t moved.
grew larger, darker, more real-yet
now II crawled, crawled, crawled to-
ward him. 1t seemed as il the vague,
shapeless thing would never take
form, never stand out revealed against
the sky so he could determine the
truth. He had forgotten all else-the
Silent desert, the blazing sun, the
burning wind-all his soul concen-
rated on that speck yonder. Sudden
~ IL dlSappeared-a swale in the sand
probably-and, when it rose into view
again, he uttered cry of joy-it was
horse and rideri
Little by little they drew nearer
one another, two black specks in that
vast ocean of sand, the only moving.
living things under the brazen circle
OF the sky Keith was ready now, his
eyes bright, the cooked revolver
gripped hard in his hand The space
between them narrowed, and Hawley
saw him, caught glimpse OF the face
under the broad hat brim. the burn
ing eyes surveying him. With an oath
he stopped his horse. dragging at his
gun, surprised, dazed, yet instantly
understanding. Keith also halted. and
across the intervening desert the eyes
OF the two men met in grim defiance.
The latter wet his dry lips, and spoke
shortly:
1 reckon you know what this
means, Hawley, and why am here.
We're Southerners both of us. and
we settle our own personal affairs.
You've got to fight me now, man to
man"
The gambler glanced about him, and
down at his horse. If he thought OF
fight it was useless. His lip curled
with contempt
Damn your talking. Keith" he re-
turned savagely. Let's have it over
with and spurred his horse. The
gun of the other came up.
Watt" and Hawley paused. drag
ging at his rein. "One of us most like
iy is going to die here; perhaps both
But If either survives he'll need
horse to get out OF this alive. Dis
mount; I'll do the same: step away
so the horses are out of range. and
then we'll fight it QUITS that
square?"
Without word. his eyes cleaning
with cunning hatred, the gambler
swung down from his saddle onto the
sand. his horse interposed between
him and the other. Keith did the
same. his eyes peering across the
back of his animal
Nov" he said steadily, when |
count three drive your horse aside,
and let go-are you ready?"
Damn you-yes!"
Then look out-one! twol three.'.
The plainsman struck his horse
with the quiIt in his left hand and
sprang swiftly aside so as to clear the
flank of the animal, his shooting arm
flung out. There was e fash of flame
cross Hawley's saddle, a sharp re
port, and Keith reeled backward
dropping to his knees, one hand clutch
ing at the sand. Again Hawley fired.
but the horse, startled by the double
report, leaped aside, and the ball went
Wild. Keith wheeled about. steadying
himself with his oUtstretched ,hand
and let drive, pressing the trigger, I'M
til, through the haze over his eyes. ne
saw Hawley go stumbling down, shoot
ing wildly as he fell The man never
moved, and Keith endeavored to get
up. his gun still held ready, the smoke
circling about them. He had been
shot treacherously, as a cowardly cur
might shoot, and he could not clear
his mind of the thought that this last
act hid treachery also But he could
not raise himself, could not stand red
and black shadows danced before his
eyes; he believed he saw the arm OF
the other move. Like q snake he
crept forward, holding himself up with
one hand, his head dizzily reeling, but
his gun held steadily on that black.
shapeless object lying on the sand.
Then the revolver hand began to
culver. to shake to make odd circles:
he couldn't see; it was all black. all
nothineness. Suddenly he went down
face first into the sand
They both lay motionless. the thirs-
ty sand drinking III their life blood.
Hawley huddied upon his left side. his
hat still shading the glazing eye
Keith lying fiat, his face in the crook
of an arm whose hand still gripped a
revolver. There was a grim smile on
his lips, as il. as he pitched forward
he knew that. after he had been shot
to death, he had gotten his man. The
riderless horses gazed at the two fig
ures, and drifted away, slowly, fear
fully, still held IN mute subsection to
their dead masters by dangling reins
The sun b'azed down from directly
overhead, the heat waves rising and
falling, the dead. desolate descr:
stretching to the Sky. An hour. two
passed. The horses were now a hun
dred yards away, nose to nose: I'll
else was changeless. Then into the
Tar northern sky there rose a black
speck, growing larger and larger; 9TH
ers came from the east and west, beat
ing the air with widely outspread
wings, great bcaks stretched forward