The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-02-13
CHAPTER III,

reloading their rifles as they went. He
could hear the duh thuds of the wood
en- ramrOdS and the click of the locks
of the weapons as the murdererS
brushed off the exploded caps. His
rifle was lying about three PAGES from
him. and he tried to drag himself to-
ward ii. but the pain of his shoulder
was intense, and he seemed p0werless
to move so far. With an effort of DIES
pair he raised himself on his unin-
jured arm and at the same time pulled
his double-barrelled pistol from his
belt. He cooked the weapon and laid
it down on the ground by his side.
within reach Of his hand. In the same
manner he GrNW his knife from its
sheath ana placed it within easy dis
lance, keeping his eyes upon the Mae
lanes all the while.
"CoWardS'" he muttored between his
teeth. "Cut-thrOatS. | wish had the
use of my arm to defend myself"
Tile two Maclancs had reached tn"
bottom, the taller. elder man. creeping
along with henGcd knees and STOPPING
shoulders. head-fOrcmost, like an Ara
pahoe savage.
Herbert lay without moving. his yes
furiously devOuring the two rutiians.
II reckon | hit him square" George
said. HE amt only jest Skeered that
he amt. He won't want no gold
this side of Jordan. Let's make 40
punkinS about it. Dead men tel no
tales and We'll jest make cock-srTe OF
it."
Dick Ashland was lying some six or
eight PAGES nearer to them than
Chauncey. The two men strobe up to
the fallen yeoman. and George, drop
ping his rife, knelt down. and. with
both arms, turned the body on it's
back. The impulse of the movement
made it roll Il little further down the
incline on which it lay. with Il nearly
grOtesque motion as if with each turn
n new swing had been given it. 1t
rolled until its feet were stopped by a
little boulder of rock and then it lay.
with CHASTITY yes turned skyward and
with hands clenched as If in agony.
Dave had pulled his big butchers
knife from it's sheath. and in the
greenish-white light of the big
Don Herbert could see him
drawing it, with Il swift. downward
motion, across Dick Ashland's throat.
He could see the hot blood squirting all
over the murderer's hands, face and
breast. and. hardly knowing what he
did, the nervously-tWitching fingers Of
his left hand grippcd the pistol, and.
lying as he was he directed his weap-
on and fired. A yell of pain answered
the reyerberation Of the shot. and
George Maclane. who had been stand
ing, an approving witness Of his ngph-
cw's murderous act. with an avalanche
of oaths and curses drew out his peck
eft handkerchief and hastily pushed it
underneath his hunting shirt.
He's shot mrI' he cried. xiii the
swine! Kill him."
The younger man had risen. and
crept toward Chauucey. knife in hand.
A second shot startled the midnight
silence. and David Maclanc'S ~glittoring
weapon flew into Il dozen fragments
ont of his grasp. one Of the pieces.
glancinG against the young ruiiiau's
wrist made n dceD cut, from which
the blood flewed freely. With a say
age whoop. more like Il beasts than a
human beings. the assassin threw
himself upon the prcStratc man and
wrenchcd the pistol from his grasp. \
blind fury seemed to possess him. He
clutched Chauncey by the throat. dig
ging his long. irony nails into his flesh.
and raincd blow after blow Of the
heavy weHp0n upon ChaunCcy's head.
The yOung EngliShman felt crash upOn
crash against his skull: he felt the
grating Of the injured bone rs the
blows rained more fercely. The blood
started in his eyes. and everything
seemed to become black TO him. In
that awful moment Just one flash. n
thought Of home. crossed his mind. and
vanished as the blows suddenly
ceased and he heard n bright female
voice shouting: stop, stoD," Then
all was dead and dark,
.'What the damnation brings YOU
boro9 -, ,,oIIod Coorga Ncl,n, ..Tbis