Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-02-06
A Romance of
The South Seas


"But what the devil do you want to
fight with me for" SheldOn's irrita'
ton was growing at the others Der
sistence. 1--WE no quarrel with you
And what quarrel can you have with
me? | have never interfered with you
You were my guest. Miss Lakeland is
my partner. II you saw fit to make
love to her and somehow failed to sue
ceed. why should you want to fight
with me? This is the twentieth cen
tury, my dear fellow. and dueling wen,
out of fashion before you and ! were
born"
"You began the row." Tudor dogged'
" asserted. "You fired me out Of your
house. 1t won't do, tell you. You
started 1t. and am going to see II
through"
Sheldon smiled tOlerantly and pro.
reeded to light cigarette.
"There isn't any row. 1t takes two
to make Il row. and |. for one. refuse
to have anything to do with such tom
foolery."
"She's not your WIFE" Tudor con.
tinued, as though the other had no,
spoken. "a fellow has the right to
make love to her unless she's your
well, perhaps It was an error, after all
due to ignorance, perfectly excusable
on my part. might have seen 1t with
half an eye II I'd listened to the gos'
sin on the beach. All Guvutu and Tu
lagi were laughing about 1t. The pair
Of you trapped me into making fool
of myself. How was I to know that
everything was not all right? You and
she acted as If everything were on the
square. But my eyes are open now,
Why. she played the outraged wife to
perfection. slapped the transgressol
and fed to you. Pretty good proof OF
what all the beach has been saying
Partners. eh? A business partnership
Cannon my eye, that's what 1t is."
Then It was that Sheldon struck out
coolly and deliberately. with all thu
strength of his arm. and Tudor
caught on the jaw. fell sideways
crumpling as he did so and crushing
chair to klndling wood beneath thu
weight Of his falling body. He pulled
himself slowly to his feet, but did moi
offer to rush.
Now. will you nghtT Tudor asked
grimly.
Sheldon made as II to repeat the
blow. but Tudor. white Of face. with
arms hanging resistlessly at his sides
offered no defense.
II don't mean a fight with 6sts," he
said slowly. II mean to finish. to thu
death. You're good shot with re
volver and rifle. So am |. That's the
way we'll settle it"
But men don't act this way In real
life." Sheldon remarked.
You'll find I'm pretty real before
you're done with ME. I'm going to Kill
you today. Speaking Of joan
"Ilease keep her name out OF It.
! Sheldon warned him.
"Oh. 20 ahead. knock me down. But
that won't close my mouth. You car
Knock me down all day. but as fast as
get to my feet Ill speak Of Joan
again. Now. will you fight? I'll give
you a fair chance to kill me. but III
kill you hefore the days out. This
isn't civilization. It's the Solomon Is
lands, and a pretty primitive PROPOSE
ton for all that. And two men AND
one woman Is an equally primitive
proposition. Well settle 1t In the good
old primitive way. | can't insult you
directly. | know. You are too easy 60
Ing or cowardly. or both. for that Blu,
can narrate for you the talk Of the
beach-ah. that grinds you. doesn't It.
can tell you what the beach has tt
say about you and this young girl run
ming a plantation under a business
lmrtnership.
"Stop. Sheldon cried. for the othe
was beginning again to vibrate ant
oscillate before his eyes. "You want
duel. I'll give 1t to you. But 1t Is ab
surd. What kind Of Il duel shall
he: There are no seconds. VIVA
weapons shall we user
1--we often thought that the Idea
duel should be somewhat dlheren
from the modern conventional one
No seconds. of course. and no onlook
ers. The two principals alone ar
necessary. They may use any wea
pons they please. from revolvers ant
rifles to machine guns and pompoms
They start a mile apart and advance
on each other. taking advantage o
cover. retreating. circling. felnting-
ANYTHING and everything permissible
In short, the principals shall hunt eacl
other
"Like couple Of wild lndians?"
"Precisely." cried Tudor. delighted
"You've got the idea. And Berand
is Just the place. and this Is just tn
right time. Miss Lakeland will b
taking her siesta. and she'll think W
are. We've got two hours for 1t be
fore she wakes. So hurry up and com
OH. You start out from the Balesuns
and ! start from the Berande. Thos
two rivers are the boundaries OF til
plantation. aren't they? Very wei
The field OF the duel will be the plar
tatIon. Neither principal must 90 out
side Its boundaries. Are you saut
hed"
"Quite."
Sheldon clapped his hands. and tn
running house boy hurried away .
hiring back Adamu Adam and No
Noah.
listen" Sheldon said to them. "shi
man and me we have one big hght tt
day. Maybe he die. Maybe ! die.
The die. all right. II ] die you two 100
after Missile Lackalanna. You tax
rife. and you look after her day tim
npa night time. II she want to tai
with Mr.. Tudor. all right. II she nc
want to talk. you make him kee
away. Savvee"
i They grunted and nodded. and eac
picked a rife. Tudor. cartridge belt
Tor rife and pistol strapped aroun
!, him. rife In hand. stood inpatient
waiting.
.Come on, hurry up, we're burnin
!, daylight" be urged. as Sheldon searcl
. ed after extra clips for bis automah
pistol. ).
Together they passed down II