The Wild Huntress Part 14

Look in my eye, an' see if I ain't! I gi' ye warnin' then, that ef ye're not out o' this clarin' in six jumps o' a squ'll, you'll niver go out o' it a livin' man. You see that ere stump? Its shadder's jest a creepin' up to the house: the minnit that shadder touches the wall, I'll shoot you down, as sure's my name's Hick Holt. Mind, I've gin ye warnin'!"

"And I give you warning, Mr Holt, that I am prepared to defend myself; and if you miss--"

"Miss!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed he with a contemptuous toss of the head--"miss, ye fool! thur's no fear o' that."

"If you miss," continued I, without heeding the interruption, "I shall show you no mercy. If you are going to take the cowardly advantage of having the the first shot, I have my advantage too. In self-defence, I shall be justified in killing you; and if you fire at me, I shall certainly do so. Be warned! I never spare a coward."

"Coward!" exclaimed the colossus, with an imprecation that was horrible to hear. "An' how ef I don't miss?" continued he, apparently calming his rage, and speaking with a significant sneer--intended to awe me, by insinuating the certainty of his aim. "How ef I don't miss, Mister Popgun?"

"You may, for all that. Don't be too sure of hitting--I've been shot at before now."

"You'll niver be shot at _arter_ now, 'ceptin' ye leave this clarin'.

One crack from my gun'll be enuf for ye, I reck'n."

"I'll take my chance. If it should go against me, _you_ won't gain by it. Remember, my good man, it's not a duel we're fighting! You have chosen to attack me; and if I should fall in the affair, I've faith enough in the law to believe it will avenge me."

I fancied that my speech produced some effect upon the fellow; and, seeing that he remained silent, I followed up it by words of similar import: "If it be my fate to fall, I leave behind me friends who will inquire into my death. Trust me, they will do so! If I kill _you_, it will be but justifiable homicide, and will be so adjudged; while your killing me will be regarded in a different light: it will be p.r.o.nounced _murder_!" I gave full emphasis to the last word.

On hearing it my antagonist showed signs of emotion. I fancied I saw him tremble, and turn slightly pale! With an unsteady voice he replied:

"Murder? No, no; I've gin ye warnin' to go. Ye've time enuf yet to save yerself. Git out o' the clarin', an' thur'll be no harm done ye!"

"I shall not go out of the clearing, until you've acknowledged my claim."

"Then you'll niver go out o' it alive--I swar by G.o.d! niver!"

"You are determined, then, to be my _murderer_?"

I again p.r.o.nounced the word in the most emphatic tone. I saw that it affected him in some singular way; whether through a fear of consequences; or that there still lingered in his heart some spark of humanity; or, perhaps--but least possible of all he was beginning to be ashamed of his foul play. By which of of these three motives, or by what other inspired, I could not guess; but he seemed to cower under the imputation.

"Murderer!" echoed he, after a moment of apparent reflection. "No, no; it's bad enuf to hev the blame o' that, 'ithout bein' guilty o't. I ain't agwine to _murder_ ye; but I ain't agwine neyther to let ye go. I mout a did so a minnit agone, but ye've lost yur chance. Ye've called _me_ a _coward_; an' by the Etarnal! no man 'll say that word o' Hick Holt, an' live to boast o't. No, mister! ye've got to die; an' ye may get yurself ready for't, 's soon's ye like. Coward indeed!"

"I repeat it--your act is cowardly."

"What act?"

"Your unprovoked attack upon me--especially since it gives you the first shot. What if I were to shoot you down now? With the pistol you see in my holster here, I could send six bullets through your body, before you could bring your rifle to your shoulder. What would you call that?

Sheer cowardice, would it not be; and murder too?"

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A DUEL WITHOUT SECONDS.

While I was speaking, I saw a change pa.s.s over the countenance of my gigantic antagonist--as if some new resolve was forming in his mind, that affected the programme he had already traced out. Was it possible I had touched him on a point of honour? It was this purpose I desired to effect; and, though hopeless it might appear, I continued the only kind of appeal that, with such a spirit, seemed to promise any chance of success.

"You _dare_ not play fair in this game?" I said, banteringly. "You _are_ a coward; and would murder me. You want the first shot: you know you do?"

"It's a lie!" cried the colossus, raising himself to his full height, and a.s.suming an air of chivalric grandeur I could not have deemed him capable of--"it's a lie! I don't wish to murder ye; an' I don't want the the first shot neyther."

"How?"

"I hain't so little confidence in my shootin' as to care for you an' yur jim-crack gun! Nor is Hick Holt in such consate wi' his life eyther, that he's afeerd to risk it. Tho' ye air a stuck-up critter, I won't gi' ye the opportunity to 'kuse me o' foul play. Thur's grit in ye, I reck'n; and seein' that's made me change my mind."

"What!" I exclaimed, taken by surprise at the speech, and fancying it promised an end to our altercation--"you have changed your mind? you mean to act justly then?"

"I mean, it shall be a _fair stan'-up fight_ atween us."

"Oh! a duel?"

"Duel, or whatever else ye may call it, mister."

"I agree to that. But how about seconds?"

"D'ye think two men can't fight fair 'ithout seconds? Ye see yander stump standin' nigh the bars?"

"Yes--I see it."

"Wal, mister, thur you'll take yur stand--ahine or afront o' it, whichsomever ye like best. Hyur's this other un, clost by the crib-- thur'll be my place. Thur's twenty yurds atween 'em, I reck'n. Is that yur distance?"

"It will do as well as any other," I replied mechanically--still under the influence of surprise, not unmingled with a sentiment of admiration.

"Dismount, then! Take your pouch an' flask along wi' ye--ye see I've got myen? One shot at ye's all _I'll_ want, I reck'n. But ef thur shed be a miss, look out for quick loadin'! an' mind, mister! thur's one o'

us'll niver leave this clarin' alive."

"About the first shot? Who is to give the signal?"

"I've thort o' that a'ready. It'll be all right, promise ye."

"In what way can you arrange it?"

"This way. Thur's a hunk o' deer-meat in the house: I mean to fetch that out, and chuck it over thur, into the middle o' the clarin'. Ye see them buzzarts up thur on the dead-woods?" I nodded in the affirmative. "Wal--it won't be long afore one or other o' them flops down to the meat; an' _the first o' 'em that touches ground, that'll be the signal_. That's fair enuf, I reck'n?"

"Perfectly fair," I replied, still speaking mechanically--for the very justness of the proposal rendered my astonishment continuous.

I was something more than astonished at the altered demeanour of the man. He was fast disarming me. His unexpected behaviour had subdued my ire; and, all consideration of consequences apart, I now felt a complete disinclination for the combat! Was it too late to stay our idle strife?

Such was my reflection the moment after; and, with an effort conquering my pride, I gave words to the thought.

"Yur too late, mister! 'twon't do now," was the reply to my pacific speech.

"And why not?" I continued to urge; though to my chagrin, I began to perceive that it _was_ an idle effort.

"Yuv riz my dander; an', by G.o.d! yuv got to fight for it!"

"But surely--"

"Stop yur palaver! By the tarnal airthquake, I'll 'gin to think _you_ air a coward! I thort ye'd show, the white feather afore 'twur all over!"