boy heroes, and the former especially was voted the lion of the log
cabin school, for had he not "killed his man?"




CHAPTER III.

BILLY'S FIRST DUEL.


Near where Billy's father settled in Kansas, dwelt a farmer who had a
son and daughter, the former being fourteen, and the latter eighteen.

As is often the case with boys, Billy fell in love with Nannie Vennor,
which was the young lady's name, although she at eighteen was just seven
years older than he was.

But she had been over to call on the Cody girls with her brother, and a
deep attachment at once sprung up between the boys, and Billy became the
devoted slave of Nannie, making her a horse-hair bridle for her pony,
gathering her wild flowers whenever he went over to the Vennor farm, and
in fact being as devoted in his attentions as a young man of twenty-one
could have been.

But Nannie had another lover, in fact a score of them from among the
neighboring young settlers, but one in particular who bid fair to be
Billy's most dangerous rival. This one was a dashing young fellow from
Leavenworth, with a handsome face and fine form, and who always had
plenty of money.