THE DUEL AND ITS RESULT.
Belligerent were the glances exchanged between the two, as they sat
there facing each other, each with a hand closed over the butt of a
pistol; each as motionless as a carved statue.
Alice Terry had grown pale, too. She saw that friend and protector and
the stranger were enemies,--that this meeting though purely accidental
was not to end without trouble. Her lips grew set, her eyes flashed,
and she reined her horse closer to that of the Scarlet Boy.
Ned Harris let a faint smile, of contempt and pity combined, come into
relief on his lips, as he saw this action. Better ten male enemies
than one female, he thought; but, then, women must not stand in the
way, now. No! nothing must block the path intervening between enmity
and vengeance.
Harris was, if anything, the coolest of the three; but, after all, why
should he not be? He had spent several years in society that seemed
callous to fear,--that knew not what it was to be a Christian; where
the utmost coolness was necessary to the preservation of life; where
bravery was all and education a dead letter. Fearless Frank, too, had
seen all phases of rough western life, probably, but his temperament
was more nervous and excitable, his passions tenfold harder to
restrain. Still, he managed to exercise a cool exterior now, that
equaled that of his opposite--his hated enemy. Mystery, as Frank
habitually called the girl, did not offer to conceal her feelings. It
was but natural that she should side with him to whom she owed her
life, and the glances of scorn and indignation she shot at the young
miner might have driven another man than him into a retreat.
Fearless Frank made no motion toward speech; he was determined that
the young miner should open the quarrel, if a quarrel it was to be.
But beneath his firm-set lips were clenched two rows of teeth,
tightly, fiercely; while every nerve in the youth's body was drawn to
its utmost tension.
Harris was wonderfully calm and at ease; only a gray pallor on his
handsome face and a menacing fire in his piercing eyes told that he
was in the least agitated.
"Justin McKenzie!"
Sternly rung out the words on the clear mountain air. Ned Harris had
spoken, and the grayish pallor deepened on his countenance while the
fire of rancor burned with stronger gleam in his eagle eye.
The effect on the scarlet youth was scarcely noticeable, more than
that the lips grew more rigid and compressed, and the right hand
clutched the pistol-butt more tightly. But no answer to the other's
summons.
"Justin McKenzie!" again said the young miner, calmly, "do you
recognize me?"
The Scarlet Boy bows his head slowly, his eyes watchful lest the other
shall catch the drop on him.
"Justin McKenzie, you _do_ recognize me, even after the elapse of two
long weary years, during which I have sought for you faithfully, but
failed to find you until this hour. We have at last met, and the time
for settlement between you and me, Justin McKenzie, has arrived. Here
in this out-of-the-way gorge, we will settle the grudge I hold against
you--we will see who shall live and who shall die!"
Alice Terry uttered a terrified cry.
"Oh! no! no! you must not fight--you _must_ not. It is bad--oh! so
awful wicked!"
"Excuse me, lady, but you will have no voice in this matter;" and the
miner's tone grew a trifle more severe. "Knew you the bitter wrong
done me by this young devil with the smooth face and oily tongue--if
you knew what a righteous cause I have to defend, you would say 'let
the battle proceed.' I am not one to thirst for the blood of my
fellow-men, but I _am_ one that is ever ready to raise my hand and
strike in the defense of women!"
Alice Terry secretly admired the stalwart young miner for this gallant
speech.
Fearless Frank, his face paler than before, an expression of remorse
combined with anguish about his countenance, and moisture standing in
either eye, assumed his quasi-erect attitude as he answered:
"Edward Harris, if you will listen, I will say all I have to say in a
very few words. You hate me because of a wrong I did you and yours,
and you want my life for the forfeit. I shall not hinder you longer to
your purpose. For two long years you have trailed and tracked me with
the determination of a bloodhound, and I have evaded you, not that I
was at all afraid of you, but because I did not wish to make you a
murderer. I have come across your path at last; here let us settle, as
you have said. See! I fold my arms across my breast. Take out your
pistol, aim steadily, and fire twice at my breast. I have heard enough
concerning your skill as a marksman to feel confident that you can
kill me in two shots!"
Ned Harris flushed, angrily. He was surprised at the cool indifference
and recklessness of the youth; he was angered that McKenzie should
think _him_ mean enough to take such a preposterous advantage.
"You are a fool!" he sneered, biting his lip with vexation. "Do you
calculate I am a _murderer_?"
"I have no proof that you are or that you are _not_!" replied Fearless
Frank, controlling his temper by a master effort. "You remember I have
not kept a watch upon your actions."
"Be that as it may, I would be an accursed dog to take advantage of
your insulting proposal. You must fight me the same as I shall fight
you!"
"No, Ned Harris, I will do nothing of the kind. It is I who have
wronged you and yours; you must take the offensive; I will play a
silent hand."
"You refuse to fight me?"
"I _do_ refuse to fight you, but do _not_ refuse to give you
satisfaction for what wrong you have suffered. Take my life, if you
choose; it is yours. Take it, or forever after this consider our debt
of hatred canceled, and let us be--"
"Friends? Never, Justin McKenzie, _never_! You forget the stain dyed
by your hand that will never washout!"
"No! no! God knows I do not forget!" and the youth's voice was hoarse
with anguish. "Could it be undone, I would gladly undo the deed. But,
tell me, Harris about _her_. Does she still live?"
"_Live_? We-l-l, yes, if you can call staying living. Life is but a
blank; better she had died ere she ever met you!"
"You speak truly; better she had died ere she met me."
Unconsciously the two had ridden closer to each other; had they
forgotten themselves in recalling the past?
"She lives--may live on her lonely life for years to come," Harris
resumed, thoughtfully, "but her life will be merely endurance."
"Will you tell me where--where I can go in secret and take but one
look at her? If you will do this, I will agree to meet you and give
you your chance for satis--"
"No!" thundered Harris, growing suddenly furious, "_no_! a thousand
times! I'd sooner see her in the burning depths of the bottomless pit
than have you get within a hundred miles of her with your
contaminating presence. She is safely hidden away, and that forever,
from the companionship of our sex. So let her be till death claims
her!"
"You are too hard on her!"
"And not hard enough on you, base villain that your are! Who is this
young lady you have to your company--another of your victims?"
"Hold! Edward Harris; enough of your vile insinuations. This lady is
one whom I rescued from Sitting Bull, the Sioux, and I am helping her
to hunt a father who she says is somewhere in the Black Hills. Your
language should at least be respectful!"
The rebuke stung young Harris to the quick, but he reined in his
passion to a moment, and doffed his hat.
"Pardon me; miss, pardon me. It was ungentlemanly for me to speak as I
did, but I was surprised at seeing one of your sex in company with
this accomplished scamp, Justin McKenzie."
"My presence with him is, as he said, for the purpose of finding my
father. He rescued me from the Indians, and has volunteered his
services, for which I am very thankful. So far, sir, he has acted in a
courteous and gentlemanly manner toward me!" said Alice Terry. "What
he may have been heretofore concerns me not, as you must know."
"He is always that--smooth-tongued, until he has lured his victim to
ruin!" retorted Ned, bitterly. "Beware of him, lady, for he is a
rattlesnake in the disguise of a bright-winged butterfly."
Fearless Frank grew livid at this last thrust. Forbearance is virtue,
sometimes, but not always. In his case the Scarlet Boy felt that he
could bear the taunts of the miner no longer.
"You are a liar and a dastard!" he cried, fiercely. "Come on if you
wish satisfaction, and I'll give it to you!"
"I am ready, always, sir. I challenged you first; you have the
choice!" retorted Ned, as cool as ever, while his enemy was all
trembling with excitement.
"Pistols, at fifty yards; to be fired until one or the other is dead!"
was the prompt decision.
"Good! Young lady, you will necessarily have to act as second for both
of us. If I drop, leave my body where I fall, and it will be picked up
by friends. If he falls, I will ride on to Deadwood, and send you out
help to carry him in."
Without delay the distance was guessed at, and each of the young men
rode to position. Miss Terry, the beautiful second, took her place at
one side of the gulch, midway between the antagonists, and when all
was to readiness she counted:
"One!"
The right hands of the two youths were raised on a level, and the
gleaming barrel of a pistol shone from each.
"Two!"
There was a sharp click! click! as the hammers of the weapons were
pulled back at full cock. Each click meant danger or death.
Harris was very white; so was Fearless Frank, but not so much so as
the young woman who was to give the signal.
"Three! _Fire!_" cried Alice, quickly; then, there was a flash, the
report of two pistols, and Ned Harris fell to the ground without a
groan.
McKenzie ran to his side, and bent over him.
"Poor fellow!" he murmured, rising, a few moments later--"poor Ned.
_He is dead!_"
It was Harris' request to be left where he fell. Accordingly he was
laid on the grass by the roadside, his horse tethered near by, and
then, accompanied by Alice, Justin McKenzie set out to Deadwood.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote C: Living characters]