The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-02-14

down the dnc1ine. peerinr warilv and
Esloading their rfiess 40 they went. He
could hear the dun thuds 81 the wood
on ramrod1 and the click Of the locks
OF the weapons as the murierers
brushed on the exploded cans. His
tide was lying about three PAGES from
him, and no tried TO drag himself to-
ward 1t, but the pain Of his shoulder
was intense, and he seemed powerless
TO move % 4Ar With an effort of des-
pair he raised himself on his unin-
5ured arm and ut the same time pulled
nils double-barrelled pistol from his
nelt. HeacOcked the weapon and laid
1t down ON the ground by his side,
within reach OF his hand. In the same
manner he drew his knife from its
sheath and placed 1t within easy dis
lance, keeping his eyes upon the Mac
lanes all the while.
Cowards" he muttered between his
teeth. Cut-throats! wish I had the
use of my arm to defend myself"
The two Machines had reached the
bottom, the taller, elder man. creeping
along with Blended knees and STOPPING
shoulders, head foremost, like an Ara
pahoe savage.
Herbert lay without moving, his eyes
furiously gdevouring the two rufiians.
I reckon ] hit him square," George
said. He amt only Jest skeered that
he ainA He won't want no more gold
this side Of Jordan. Let's make no
punkinB about it. Dead men tell no
tales and We'll jest make cock-sure 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 rifle, knelt down, and, with
both arms, turned the body on its
back. The impulse of the movement
madesit roll little further down the
incline on which 1t lay, with nearly
.grotesque motion AS If with each turn
. new swing had been given it. 1t
rolled until its feet were stopped by a
little boulder of rock land then it lay,
with CHASTITY eyes turned skyward and
with hands clenched as If in agony.
Dave had pulled his big butchers
knife from it's sheath, and in the
Ereenish-white light of the big
moon. Herbert could see him
drawing 1t, with 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- fingers of
his left hand gripped the pistol, and,
lying as he was he directed his weap-
on and fred. A yell of pain answered
the reverberation Of the shot, and
George Maclane, who had been stand
Ing, an approving witness Of his neph-
.-ow's murderous act, with an avalanche
of oaths and curses drew out his peck
yet handkerchief and hastily pushed it
underneath his hunting shirt.
Hes shot me!' he cried. "Kill the
sBwine! Kill him.
The younger man had risen. and
crept toward Chauncey, knife in hand.
A second shot startled the midnight
silence, and David Maclane's glittering
weapon flew into dozen fragments
out Of his grasp. One of the pieces,
glancing against the young ruffian's
wrist made deep cut, from which
the blood hewed freely. With saw
4. age. whoop, more like beasts than a
hunan beings, the assassin threw
himself upon the PROSTATE man and
wrenched the pistol from his grasp. A
blind fury seemed to possess him. He
.clutched Chauncey by the throat, dig
yging his long, irony nails into his flesh.
land rained blow after blow of the
heavy weapon upon Chaumcey's head.
The young Englishman felt crash upon
crash against his skull; he felt the
grating Of the injured bone as the
blows rained more fiercely. The blood
started in his eyes, and everything
seemed to become black to him. In
that awful moment just one fash, one
Ahougl t of home, crossed his mind, and
vanished las; the blows suddenly
eceased, and he heard bright female
voice shouting: ..Stop! stopv' Then
b all was dead and dark.
what the damnation brings you
1here?" yelled George Mclane. '"This
Jest tops 1t all, reckon"
Dave M2clane was on his feet again,
and still holding the pistol by the bar
4 rel. His glances were as furious as
those of his uncle, and he CRASHED his
teeth in hot rage.
'Yew've killed him! Yew've killed
himy' the girl cried. "What has he
done to yew?"
'sI amt quite done it yet" replied
Dave, grasping the knife which his un-
Gle held out to him; ''but mean to-"
Lucy drew herself up to her full
height, with her head set back like a
defied empress. She stretched out q
warning hand.
Ri "Dad. she exclaimed. "Dave! i,
jew touch him again I'll tell on yewv
The two men stood aghast, as II
struck speeehless by that threat.
"Yew'1l tell on us?" George Maclant
missed between his teeth, "Yew'll tel
on us? Don't you take no notice OF
her, Dave" he continued. "Give hin
one, two, between the ribs-that's
what yew'ye got to do
ssDadw Lucy cried, as solemnly al
Y before, 'tas sure as thar is God above
4 us, if yew touch him again I'll tell OF
tx yew." "
4 furious yell sounded in reply. The
guilty father stood for a second
B 1bashed before his accusing an(
threatening child.
"What do yew mean?" he shouted a
last.
}A q mean what I'VE said, dad" Luc.
answered, quietly, IAN l mean 1t true
IL If you lay another finger on him III
5 tell ON yew both. I'll raise the plains