ring this temporary distraction; but within five minutes more they had
exchanged chest wounds, but too slight to be dangerous.

Betting became furious--each man fought so splendidly, that the boys
were wild with delight and enthusiasm. Bets were roared back and forth,
and when Pentecost, by virtue of his universally conceded authority,
commanded silence, there was a great deal of finger-telegraphy across
the circle, and head-shaking in return.

Such exquisite carving had never before been seen at Hanney's--that was
freely admitted by all. Men pitied absent miners all over the State, and
wondered why this delightful lingering, long-drawn-out system of
slaughter was not more popular than the brief and commonplace method of
the revolver. The Webfoot rapturously and softly quoted the good Doctor
Watt's:

"My willing soul would stay
In such a place as this,
And--"

when suddenly his cup of bliss was clashed to the ground, for Billy,
stumbling, fell upon his own knife, and received a severe cut in the
abdomen.

Wounds of this sort are generally fatal, and the boys had experience
enough in such matters to know it. In an instant the men who had been
calmly viewing a life-and-death conflict bestirred themselves to help
the sufferer. Pentecost passed the bottle of brandy over the counter;
half a dozen men ran to the spring for cold water; others hastily tore
off coats, and even shirts, with which to soften a bench for the wounded
man. No one went for the Doctor, for that worthy had been viewing the
fight professionally from the first, and had knelt beside the wounded
man at exactly the right moment. After a brief examination, he gave his
opinion in the following professional style:

"No go, Billy; you're done for."

"Good God!" exclaimed the Judge, who had watched the Doctor with
breathless interest; "ain't ther' no chance?"

"Nary," replied the Doctor, decidedly.

"I'm a ruined man--I'm a used-up cuss," said the Judge, with a look of
bitter anguish. "I wish I'd gone under, too."

"Easy, old hoss," suggested one of the boys; "_you_ didn't do him, yer
know."

"That's what's the matter!" roared the Judge, savagely; "nobody'll ever
know which of us whipped."

And the Judge sorrowfully took himself off, declining most resolutely to
drink.

Many hearts were full of sympathy for the Judge; but the poor fellow on
the bench seemed to need most just then. He had asked for some one who
could write, and was dictat