Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-09-21

that if | took Daisy Nolan away from
him 1 would have to face sure death.
The witnesses urged me to go in and
hive something, but declined, saying
that 1 was anxious for a smoke and
would go upstairs for another pipe.
The truth is | wanted a chance to go
where | could, unobserved, give way
to my feelings for a few moments,
they having been controlled only by a
most desperate effort.
When l was alone | staggered to the
bed, fell on it and for a few minutes
trembled like a leaf. But when | be-
gan to recover l started to get mao at
the same time. Men will fight more
desperately for n woman than for II
other cause, and it occurred to me
that, Daisy being the bone of conten-
tioa, if she preferred me either Barker
or l must die. | spent some time con-
sidering what to do, then went to the
ranch, intending to offer myself to
Daisy. If she refused me | would
leave the field at once to all suitors.
If she accepted me | would have 1t out
with Barker.
| found Miss Daisy very much ex-
cited. She had heard of Barker's shoot
Ing ~escapade and had turned bitterly
against him. | told her that l want
ed her and If she wanted me / was
wiling to settle the matter between
Barker and myself. Her reply was all
l could have asked for. but she posi-
lively forbade my coming into COLI
sion with my rival. | told her frankly
that l believed he would kill me If |
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
Bankers shooting, as l was riding over
the country ON horseback, Huchins
came up behind me ard ambled along
side of me.
81 hearn about the shootin' O your
pine outen your mouth" he said. lit
tie Daisy was tellin' me about it."
"Oh, it was Miss Nolan who told
you, was itY'
Eyes. And, what's more, she asked
me to suggest some way o settlin' the
mattee without blood splllin'."
That's impossible" said L.
$50 / thort at Just, but arter awhile
l 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. l reckon he'd agree to settle
the matter by a trial O skill between
him and you"
give Miss Daisy to him, and she
doesn't want him"
@aNot so fast. You don't need to be
much O a shot. Could you hit a hens
EGG at twenty feet?"
81 might hit (one, perhaps, in two
or three shots"
We'll. I/give Daisy my plan, and
she's decided to try it. Here's a note
for you, and here's a 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 consent?" he added. draw
ing rein.
"Yes," l said. st consent to any
thing Daisy DESIRES"
Without waiting for more he turned
about and rode back in the direction
whence he came.
The mex day Uncle Jake informed
me that Barker had gladly agreed to
the terms.
On the appointed day l 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 a fine thread.
l Won the toss and with it 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 l could
not see why l had not lost. 1t would
be nothing for Barker to hit the eggs
every time.
A new egg was attached to he 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
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. 1t ap-
peared to me that nothing could be
more fair than the trial. | asked I'm
Gle Jake how he had managed to let
me. q poor shot. beat the best shot in