Year: 1877

"Don't be too sure of thatl" said
voice behind him.


Robert Craig turned with start, and
saw tall man standing at the opposite
side of the bridge, leveling a rifle upon
him. He seemed very cool and deliber-
ate in his manner, and he spoke in a
tone that was hard and icy.


AT the first glance, Robert Craig saw
his danger, for he recognized in the in
truder Ralph More, who, he was well
aware, regarded him with the bitterest
hatred, for the reason that both had been
suitors for the hand of Mary Lane, and
Ralph had, of course, been rejected. He
was noted as a man of desperate charac-
ter-although belonging to good fami-
ly-and he was, moreover, known to be
the best marksman in the community.
Robert Craig thought of these facts,as
he found himself standing there in the
cold moonlight, with that unerring rifle
pointed at his head.


He himself was unarmed; there was
no hope for succor, on that lonely bridge
at that time of night retreat was inn
possible, as well as unmanly; resistance
was equally out of the question. His enc
my meant deliberately to take his life,.
and he had the power to do it. Robert
Craig realized all this, and felt that GER
tain death awaited him. The terrible
exigency-the very hopelessness of the
case-made him calm.


" Ralph More," he said, in voice
that betrayed no emotion, shave you
come here to waylay and murder me ?"


"Robert Craig" replied Ralph coldly,
still keeping the deadly rifle at an aim,
did you suppose you could trample over
me and live?"


His finger was on the trigger, and the
fierce look on his face denoted that the
life he held in his hands was not worth
much now.


"But surely" said Robert Craig, ''you
are not wicked enough to commit such
crime as l see you contemplated anu
unarmed and at your mercy. While 1
do not like you, Ralph, never thought
you capable of a cowardly act. 1t would
be cowardly to shoot down an unarmed
man, and you know it. You are q good
marksman, but am willing to fight
you fairly, if you think that mortal
enmity must necessarily exist between
us.n


Bosh Do you think am fool
Do you think I can be cajoled by your
smooth talkp No; I've got you, Robert
Craig, and you shall never live to enjoy
your triumph over me. You are within
just five minutes of your death. I will
grant you that time to pray-if you want
to. Nothing can save you There is
not soul within half mile to hear you
if you should yell. You'll be floating
down the river miles below this by
morning."


: " But what do you say to being hang
ed for murder Y''


" There is no witness near. 1t can
never be proved against me-"


Robert Craig was silent. His enemy,
who plainly meant murder, stood like
statue, with the rifle still pointed at his
head, and watching him like cat.
There was an expression of savage exul-
tation in his face, plainly visible in the
moonlight; and Robert Craig saw that
it was idle to think of asking for mercy.


Various ideas went whirling through
his brain. He thought of running away
and trusting to flight, but he dismissed
the thought, for he could not escape the
unerring aim of the relentless man con-
fronting him. He thought of rushing
upon Ralph, and engaging in desper
ate struggle for the possession of the
rifle; but he knew that it would be hope
less. He was twenty feet distant, and
his enemy could shoot him down before
he could reach him.


AS If divining his very thoughts,
Ralph said, with demoniac laugh:


Oh, there's no chance for you Run
which way you will, can bring you
down before you can take three steps.
Come, to prayer You have only about
four minutes left.''


Robert Craig stood motionless, with
the same coolness he had displayed from
the beginning, he said


Ralph More, l see that you are in
earnest ~


Certainly am. Ha hal You
know me well enough to know that I
did not come here for nothing.p


Yet you will not kill me,'' said Rob-
ert Craig, in quiet firm tone ~ can