“That’s what it is going to end in—perhaps more than one tragedy. When Haley and the other fellow wind up you will see more lively work, and—”
“Hippy! Oh, where is my Hippy?” cried Nora.
“Don’t worry. He has gone to join some of the men who are backing Haley,” replied Tom.
Neither Haley nor his opponent ducked after that and to the Overland girls, terrible as it was, it was a wonderful thing to see the two men standing up in the meadow shooting at each other as calmly as though they were firing at targets.
Emma Dean’s face was pale, and her whole body was trembling with excitement.
A little cry from one of the girls greeted a new move on the part of Haley’s antagonist. The fellow suddenly whipped out another revolver, and began shooting with both guns at the same time.
Jim Haley demonstrated that he, too, could do that, and he did, and the bullets flew thick and fast. Then suddenly they saw Haley’s enemy spin half way around.
“He’s hit!” cried Nora.
The man was hit, and Haley held his fire. But the Peanut Man’s adversary came back with two more shots, both of which grazed Haley’s body. Then, like a flash, Jim Haley fired two shots at the same instant. His adversary turned slowly and then pitched sideways to the ground.
Haley himself went down almost as suddenly, the difference being that Haley was not hurt, but he knew what to expect after his adversary had fallen seriously wounded.