“He also begs,” said Ellerton, addressing DeVare, “that you will do him the honor to fire at him, as he dislikes to aim at one who preserves your peaceful attitude.”
“I shall do as I think best,” replied DeVare, with so much dignity that Ellerton withdrew in some confusion.
Again were the pistols loaded and placed in their hands, and again rang out those deadly words, “Fire!—one, two, three!”
Brazon, who had become very nervous and excited, fired while the word “one” was yet on Ellerton’s lips. DeVare gave a slight start, raised his pistol and aimed upward, then lowered his hand without firing, deliberately uncocked his weapon and dropped it beside him, then, closing his eyes with a sudden tightness, fell in a doubled-up heap to the ground. The heavy manner in which he fell, without regard to easing himself down, told me all.
I ran to him, and raised his head upon my arm; his eyes were still closed, and his face was pale as marble. He was drawing his breath in short gasps, at long intervals, while the blood was oozing from his lips, and trickling in little red streams down his chin and throat. The ball had entered below the right armpit, and ranged straight across toward the heart, and I supposed that internal hemorrhage caused the flow of blood from the mouth.
“Ramie! Ramie!” I called frantically, “are you hurt much? Speak to me, Ramie.”
His eyes opened feebly on mine, and with considerable effort he whispered:
“I am almost gone, Jack.”
The surgeon now approached with his case of instruments, and tearing open DeVare’s coat, vest and shirt, examined the wound. A round spot, closed up with blood and torn flesh, showed where the death messenger had entered, and rose and fell with every labored breath. He contracted his brow as if in pain as the surgeon ran his probing wire in, but otherwise remained quiet and passive. The surgeon, as he drew his wire out and wiped it, put his mouth close to my ear and whispered:
“He cannot possibly live more than ten minutes. If he wishes to speak, tell him to cough up the blood from his throat and take a swallow of this,” handing me a small vial that contained some powerful stimulant, “the ball has severed one of the large arteries directly at the heart, and he must soon bleed to death.”