The daily Alaskan., 1917-06-14

him I. would have to face sure death. The witnesses urged me to go in and have something, but ], declined, saying that was anxious for a smoke and would go upstairs for another pipe. The truth is I wanted chance to 90 where could, unobseFved, give way to my feelings for a few, momentss they having been controlled only by a. most desperate effort
 When was alone staggered to the bed, fell on 1t and for a few minutes trembled like a leaf. But when I be- gan to recover started to get mad at the same time. Men Wil fight more desperately for a woman than for any other cause, and # occurred to mo that, Daisy being the bone of conten- ton, if she preferred mo either Barker or must die. I spent some time con- sidering what to do, then went to the ranch, intending to ofTsF myself to Daisy. If she refused ne I would leave the field at once to nl Bu1tors. If she accepted me would have 1t out with Barker.
 I found Miss Daisy very much ez- cited. She had heard of Barker's shoot ing escapade and had turned bitterly against him. told her that I want ed her and if she wanted me was willing to settle the matter between, Barker and myself. Her reply WAS sll could have asked for, but she pod- lively forbade my coming into colh- sion with my rival. told her frankly that believed he would kill me if l 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 CT called Jake Huchins. To her he was Uncle Jake" A day or two after Barker's shooting, as l was riding over the country on horseback, Huchins came up behind me and ambled along side of me.
 "I hearu about the Bhootin' O your pipe outen your mouth" he said. "Lit- tic Daisy was tellin' me about iG"
 "Oh, it was Miss Nolan who Gold you, was it?"
 "Yes. And, what's more, Bho asked me to suggest some way O settlin' tho matter without blood spillin'."
 "Thats impossible" said I.
 "So thort at fust, but arter awhile thort of a plan. Barker's mighty proud O his saootin, and he's pretty much made up his mind that he's lost Daisy. I reckon he'd agree to settle the matter by a trial O skin between him and you"
 "I'm no shot. Such a contest would give Miss Daisy to him, and she doesn't want him"
 Not so fast. You don't need to be much O a shot. Could you hit hens egg at twenty feetF"
 "I might hit one, perhaps, in two or three shots"
 "Well, I give Daisy my plan, and she's decided to try it Here's note for you, and here's a note for Barker. Whichever hits a hens egg with q forty-two the most outen hYo shots she'll marry"
 He handed me a note to that effect from Daisy and showed ne another be was commissioned to deliver to Barker. ....
 Do you consentT" he added, draw Ing rein.
 "Yes," I said. 'T consent to any thing Daisy desires"
 Without waiting for more be 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 made my appearance at the barn, wondering what was to be the upshot of this ain- gular contest. l found an egg sus- pended over a basket by a 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 I could not see why I 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 fired with apparent carelessness. He was surprised to see the egg oscillate violently, but the shell was not broken. The next time he fired he took careful aim, but with no better success. He was thunderstruck. Since l had hit the egg three times he could now only tie me.
 Barker aimed long and carefully at the center and sent the egg bobbinS, but still the shell was unbroken. Fling ing his revolver on the barn floor, he strode away.
 knew that Barker had been trtcked, but could not conceive how. It sp- peared to me that nothing could be more fair than the trial. I asked Un- cle Jake how he had managed to let me, a poor shot, beat the best shot in | the territory. He would not tell mo