Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-06-19
If she accepted me I would have 1t out

cited. She had heard of Barker's shoot
ing escapade and had turned bitterly
against him. I told her that I want
ed her and Il she wanted me was
willing to settle the matter between
Barker and myself. Her reply was all
could have asked for, but she posi-
lively forbade my coming into COLI.
sion with my rival. I told her frankly
that I believed he would kill me II
married her and that the matter had
better be settled before the wedding.
Being a woman, she wished to get
round the matter by subterfuge and
for the time being would consent to
nothing definite.
Daisy was very fond Of an old ranch
er called Jake Huchins. To her he
was Uncle Jake" A day or two after
Barker's shooting, as was riding over
the country on horseback, Huchins
came up behind me and ambled along
side of me.
81 hearn about the shootin' o your
pipe outen your mouth" he said. Lit
tie Daisy was tellin' me about It."
"Oh, 1t was Miss Nolan who told
you, was itT
"Yes. And, what's more, she asked
me to suggest some way o settlin' the
matter without blood spillin'."
That's impossible" said 1.
$50 I thort at fust, but arter awhile
I thort Of a plan. Barker's mighty
proud O his shootin', and he's pretty
much made up his mind that he's lost
Daisy. I reckon he'd agree to settle
the matter by trial o skill between
him and you"
"Tm no shot. Such contest would
give Miss Daisy to him, and she
doesn't want him."
"Not SO fast. You don't need to be
much O shot. Could you hit hens
egg at twenty feet|'
II might hit one, perhaps, In two
or three Shots"
well. l give Daisy my plan, and
she's decided to try it. Here's note
for you, and here's note for Barker.
Whichever hits a hens egg with a
forty-two the most outen FIVE shots
she'll marry"
He handed me a note to that effect
from Daisy and showed me another
he was commissioned to deliver to
Barker.
DO you consentT he added, draw
ing rein.
"Yes," l said. II consent to any
thing Daisy desires"
Without waiting for more he turned
about and rode back In the direction
whence he came.
The next day Uncle Jake informed
me that Barker had gladly agreed to
the terms.
On the appointed day I made my
appearance at the barn, wondering
what was to be the upshot Of this sin
gular contest. l found an egg sus-
pended over a basket by fine thread
won the toss and with 1t the right to
fire FIVE consecutive shots at the eggs
I missed the first and the fourth, but
smashed the eggs on the second,
third and fifth. For my life / could
not see why 1 had not lost It would
be nothing for Barker to hit the eggs
every time.
A new egg was attached to the thread
for him to shoot at, and, whipping out
his revolver, he fred with apparent
carelessness. He was surprised to see
the egg oscillate violently, but the shell
was not broken. The next time he
fred he took careful aim, but with no
better success. He was thunderstruck.
Since had hit the egg three times he
could now only tie me.
Barker aimed long and carefully at
the center and sent the egg bobbing,
but still the shell was unbroken. Fling
Ing his revolver on the barn floor, he
strobe away.
knew that Barker had been tricked,
but could not conceive how. It ap-
peared to me that nothing could be
more fair than the trial. asked On
Gle Jake how he had managed to let
me, a poor shot, beat the best shot In
the territory. he would not tell me
how It was done
Barker was never seen there again.
Daisy had induced him to sign prom
ise that y I beat him he would leave
the field clear for me.
I married Daisy and took her east
with me. She said she had had enough
Of the Wild west and had no further
use for cowboys, not considering them
the romantic creatures she had thought
them when she first went to the coun-
try. She learned the secret OF the
shooting match from Uncle Jake the
day We were married and told It to me
on our wedding journey. The meat
had been taken from the egg Barker
shot at, and the featherweight shell
had been moved aside each time BY
the wind Of the ball. To hit It was i'm
possible.
Uncle Jake had learned the trick
from q prestidigitator who had passed
through the locality with travelling
circus.