The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-04-28

THEN IT WAS THAT SHELDON STRUCK OUT.
death. You're a good shot with re-
volver and rife. So am |. That's the
way wen 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
please keep her name out OF 1t"
Sheldon warned him.
.'Oh, go ahead. knock me down. But
that won't close my mouth. You can
knock me down all day: but as fast as
/ get to my feet I'll speak OF Joan
again. Now, viii you fight? III give
you d fair chance to kill me. but Eli
kill you before 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. Wen settle it in the good
old primitive way. 1 can't insult you
directly, know. You are too easy go
Ing or cowardly, or both. for that. But
l can narrate for you the talk Of the
beach-ah. that grinds you, doesn't It?
l can tell you what the beach has to
say about you and this young girl run
ming a plantation under a business
partnership"
'Stopr' Sheldon cried, for the other
was beginning again to vibrate and
oscillate before his eyes. you want
duel. I'll give it to you. But 1t is alb
surd What kind of a duel shall it
be? There are no seconds. What
weapons shall we user
''I've often thought that the ideal
duel should be somewhat different
from the modern conventional one.
No seconds, of course, and no onlook-
ers. The two principals alone are
necessary. They may use any wea-
pons they please, from reyolvers and
rifles to machine guns and pompoms.
They start q mile apart and advance
on each other, taking advantage of
cover. retreating. circling, feinting-
anything Snd everything permissible.
In short, the principals shall hunt each
other
Like a couple OF Wild IndiansT'
PRECISELY cried Tudor. delighted.
''You,ye got the idea. And Berande
is just the place, and this is just the
right time. Miss Lakeland will be
taking her siesta. and she'll think we
are. We've got two hours for it be
fore she wakes. So hurry up and come
on. You start out from the Balesuna.
and / start from the Berande. Those
| two rivers are the boundaries of the
! plantation. aren't they? Very we'll
The field of the duel will be the plan
tation. Neither principal must so out
side its boundaries. Are you salts
! fedT'
quite"
| Sheldon clapped his hands, and the
running house boy hurried away to
bring back Adamu Adam and Noa
Noah.
"Listen," Sheldon said to them. ''this
man and me We have one big fight to-
day. Maybe he die. Maybe | die. If
he die, all right If die you two look
after Missile Lackalanna. You take
rifles and you look after her day time
and night time II she want to talk
with Mr.. Tudor, all right. II she not
want to talk. you make him keep
away. Savvee"
They grunted and nodded, and each
| picked a rife. Tudor, cartridge belts
| for rife and pistol strapped around
him. rife In hand. stood impatiently
! waiting.
"Come on, hurry up. we're burning
daylight" he urged, as Sheldon search
ed after extra clips for his automatic
| pistol
Together they passed down the
| steps and out OF the compound to the
beach. where they turned their backs
to each other. and each proceeded to-
ward his destination. their rifles in
the hollows of their arms. Tudor walk
ing toward the Berande and Sheldon
toward the Balesuna.
1