Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-12-04

SOWooJ 10 eeHu pullel lnrougn my
heart"
$50 be it," said the bandit bowling
1t is easily done"
"You are center shot," said Bruce,
"but wish him to be specially certain
Have you deck of cards about you ?"
Certainly"
"Then suppose you pin one of the
pasteboards on my left breast in order
10 make your aim surer:'
LAS you say, sir" coldly responded
the ruffian, as he drew a card deck from
his coat and begah shuflii1g 1t through
his fingers. "Would you prefer any par
ticular cardl"
mo, I guess Well, you might make
It the tray of diamonds"
And Pistol Gabe, saying nothing, sill
emily shifted the cards until he found
the selected one.
Then advancing to the cowboy he
pinned the three apots squarely over his
heart, where they showed plainly on
the white, moonIit card
Ned Bruce did not waver. even as the
outlaw backed away the distance Of ter
PAGES and deliberately drew his weapon
~ had rather YOU would come little
nearer, Gabe," he said calmly, sand try
to cleave the middle diamond"
The bandit disdained doing this, how
ever. He was too thoroughly confident
of striking the mark to go TO any fur
ther trouble about the affair.
Slowly then, with fndish satisfac-
ton In his eyes,he lifted his revolver and
leveled 1t at that human breast, while
Ned Bruce threw his shoulders back and
expanded his chest to the utmost
Bing!
AS the blue smoke from that murder
GUS tube curled up toward the moon the
hapless cowboy tottered, swayed little
and dropped heavily upon his side.
The ordeal was over-Ned Bruce had
had his wishes fulfilled.
With chuckle of pleasure Pistol Gabe
Approached the body and turned the bl-
som toward the sky. The center dia-
mond had been bored through!
"Good shot," captain" said one of the
other bandits, and they al laughed in
british enjoyment of The murner.
Pistol Gabe then stopped and cut the
cord which held the cowboys wrists.
1--WE might as we'll leave him comfort
able" he grinned, and they each chuck
eled again at the excellent joke,
Then, minute later, without any fur
Their attention to the body of Their vic
tim, they strobe away from there, tax
Ing the cowboys horse with them.
Which left the spot wiered one now,
with It's only inhabitant that dismal fig
ure which lay so still In the shadows OF
that lonely glade. The moon rose
higher and slanted brighter down On the
rocky ledge, and the one CHASTITY form
still lay undisturbed.
After awhile, however, something oc.
Cured which would have startled any
one who might have passed that way al
the time.
The fure lying there moved!
Ned Bruce sat slowly up and felt OF
his head, which was dizzy, and of his
heart, which was still somewhat numb
ed. Then he slipped his fingers beneath
his blouse and felt of square of steel
nearly an inch thick which hung over
his heart by cord. There was a dent
in the metal-the imprint of bullet.
dwell done" mumbled the cowboy
ale shot true, and no mistake, and he
laid me out for several hours, guess
but all the same I'm still kickin'm
With that he stood up, stretched ou
his arms and, after walking about briei
period, found himself almost as sount
as ever. The blow of the bullet hac
simply stunned his nerves and deadened
him for time, without resulting ia.
tally.
Half an hour later he descended into
the valley below and safely reached the
cabin of friend.
And it might be added hat in day,
following it fell to his lot to at last strike
the trail of Pistol Gabe's headquarters
where, with bold men behind him, anc
in bitter remembrance of that night or
Blocker Bluff, he led the charge which
exterminated the outlaw chief and his
band.-Golden Hours.
1