Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-26
RIVALRY THAT :
CAME TO NAUGHT
Combatants In a Duel Placed
In Ridiculous Light.

dow. letting In q lot Of foggy night air.
There we're ~coughings and mutterlrgs,
and a man ~endeavored to raise the WIN
dow, but the boy hung on. Then the
coach stopped suddenly, the door was
thrown open and a voice said:
"Hey, doctori"
A man of professional appearance
started and looked uneasy.
you q d~octorg' asked the man.
81 am a surgeon"
"An the better. You're wanted"
As 1t appeared sure that the coach
had been stopped by road agents the
surgeon quickly %alighted.
"All right. Ytive on. Doctor. vow
git on to that critter and come along.
The doctor made a feeble protest,
which was not listened to, mounted
the horse referred to and. with q man
riding on either side, one of whom car
ried the doctors bag, proceeded by a
c%rossroad.
"W-w-hat are you going to do with
me?" asked the medical man.
ooh. don't be skeered. You're not
goin' to be hurt. Are your tools in the
o.
bagT"
az have some instruments there.
"Well, you're to be ready at a fight
to patch up one or both of two men
that is. IL they're not killed before the
fracas Is ended. Y see, Tom Biglow
and Abe Huchins, they got stuck on
the same gal. and there don't appear
no way to settle the matter except for
one of 'em to kill the other. They
bein' good friends and neither wantin'
an advantage, they want to hev the
fight conducted with all the fourishes
of an old fashioned duel. South Caro-
lima Jim, he arranged it all for 'em
and says they must hev a surgeon"
But hasn't the girl got anything to
say about itT
THE gal! Oh, she don't know that
either Of 'em want her. They tum-
bled to her only last week. Y see. out
yere in Arizony there haln't many wo-
men, and this one she come out with
her folks only a week ago lookin' as
purity as a leetle red wagon. Tom and
Abe both seen her to onct, and both
said they was goin' for her. But 1t
wouldn't be far for either OF 'em to
20 In ahead Of the other. 80 they made
II up to 6ght for her. Tomorrow
mornin' they're to walk. one up and
t'other down the road, and when they
get within shootin' distance they're to
begin frin'. South Carolina Jim want
ed 'em to stand still and fire when he
dropped his hat but they said there
mought be a chance OF n on 'em be-
In charged with shootin' before the
signal, and they preferred to do the
Job without any SIGH tomfool %restric-
tons. But they let Jim hev his way
about the surgeon. We KEEP Johnny
Croker on the stage every day for a
week to find out If there was a doctor
aboard, and II there was Johnny was
to let down the winder when he come
to the holler."
"And how far" asked the doctor,
"are you going to take me out Of my
way on this stupid ~businessT'
"Yere we are" was the reply. and
they pulled up at a cabin beside the
road. A nan appeared at the door.
lighted only by a candle within.
1--WE ketched him." said one Of the
men on horseback. Then to his fellow
horseman he said: You ride over and
tell Abe. There's the dawn comm
, now. Tell him soon's he sees the first
! speck Of the sun to start. Tom'N start
, from we're at the same time"
r The messenger went on, and the 9th
ers entered the hut. The owner drew
, a quart bottle from beneath his coat
@ and passed it to the doctor. but the doc
tor declined.
:, "Not drink this chilly mornin'!" ex
claimed his entertainer. "Why. what's
goin' to Study your hand when you're
, cuttin' out a bullet or tryin' to stop q
: flow Of blood?"
That's Just what would unsteady
me-" replied the doctor.
This statement was received with {
stare Of wonder. and the conversation
! turned upon other topics. Ton BigeloN
spoke Of his future with as much con
fdence as II he were not going within
an hour to be one Of two targets for /
dead shot. When that hour had passed
and the dawn had developed into broad
daylight. leaving Bigelow, the two 9th
ers mounted and cantered down tn,
road for a mile. when the doctors pilol
stopped.
They're to begin frin' when they'r,
on that and that crest" pointing in op
posite directions. You're to stay yere
where y'l be about even between EN-
both"
' After awhile they saw first one fig
ure standing on a crest and soon aftel
another OIL the opposite crest. Boti
advanced and when they thought they
were within range fred a couple O
shots each. but they were too far apar'
for execution. At that moment q mar
and q woman came riding ~furiouslJ
. across the plain.
stop this!" shouted the man.
= A signal WIS made to the combat
; ants, who ceased firing and came slow
~ up to see what was the matter.
what d'you fellers mean by inter
ruptin' a couple on the bridal night?
married the gal you two are dghtin
, about Yesterday. Bout dawn her dat
; came and told us y was goin' to agh,
; for her. She WAS bound to git up ani
. stop y. I'd like to shoot y both"
The rivals looked at each other sheep
ishly, then advanced and shook hands
r.