, 1908-09-10

life, Buck, I'll throw up my hands.
But 1 prefer a bullet to q mob"
The little marshal was sandy-haired,
frackle-faced, n all nerve. The
crowd jammed within the Occidental
had already turned and were surging
toward the door. Hampton knew from
long experience what this meant;
these were the quickly inaamed CO
horts Of Judge Lynch-they would act
first, and reflect later. His square
jaws set like a trap.
"All right, Bob" said the marshal.
You're my prisoner, and therem be
one hell of q fight afore them lads
git ye. There's q chance left-leg it
after me-"
Just az the mob surged out of the
Occidental, cursing and struggling,
the two sprang forward and dashed
into the narrow space between the
livery stable and the hotel. Moffat
CHANGED to be in the passageway, and
pausing to ask no questions, Mason
promptly landed hat gentleman on
the back Of his head in a pile OF dis
carded tin cans, and kicked viciously
at q yellow dog which ventured to
snap at them as they swept past. Be
hind arose a volley Of curses, the thud
Of feet, an occasional voice roaring
out orders, and a sharp spat Of re-
volver shots. One ball plugged into
the siding of the hotel, and a second
threw a spit of sand into their lower
ed faces, but neither man glanced
back. They were running for their
lives now. racing for q fair chance to
turn at bay and fight, their sole hope
the steep, rugged hill in their front.
Hampton began to understand the
pusbose Of his companion, the quick.
unerring instinct which had led him
to select the one suitable spot where
the successful waging of battle
against such odds was possible-the
deserted dump of the Shasta mine.
With every nerve strained to the
uttermost, the two men raced side by
side down the steep slope, %ploughed
through the tangled underbrush, and
toiled up the sharp ascent beyond.
At the summit of the ore dump the
two men flung themselves painting
down, for the first time able to realize
"ho ~ al hCah AhSJ Nouiu pei
ceive the figures of their p%Ursuers
among the shadows of the bushes De-
low, but these were not v%entur.ng out
into the open-the first mad, needless
rush had evidently ended. There were
some cool heads among the mol lead
ers, and it was highly probable that
negotiations would be tried before
that crowd hurled itself against two
desperate men, armed and entrench-
ed. Both fu"itives realized this, and
lay there coolly w%atchful, their breath
growing more regular, their eyes soft
ening.
"Whut is all this fuss about, any
how" questioned the marshall, evi-
IDENTIFY somewhat aggrieved. Il wus
just eatin' dinner when a Teller stuck
his head In an yelled ye'd killed
somebody over at the Occidental
Hampton turned his face gravely
toward him. Buck, I don't know
whether you'll believe me or not, but
l guess you never heard me tell a lie,
or knew of my trying to dodge out OF
a bad scrape. Besides, I haven't any
thing 20 gain now. for | reckon you're
planning to stay with me, guilty or
o guilty, but I did not kill that fell
low. I don't exactly see how l can
prove it, the way it all happened, but
| give you my word as a man, 1 did
o kill him"
Mason looked him squarely in the
eyes, his teeth showing behind his
stin. closely clipped mustache. Then
he deliberately extended his hand, and
gripped Hampton's. "Of course I be-
lieve ye. Not that you're any too
blame good, Bob, but o amt the
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