Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-31

| know. And Ill tell you how you knew.
And III tell the others here, so they II know.
found letter on the bunkhouse floor last
night. and it showed that you'd bribed
man in our camp, and paid him part of the
money, to keep you informed / reckon we'll
probably hang that man within the next few
minutes. 1t was one Bill Ridley!'
With an oath, his brows scowling, and his
face Ivid with rage, Ridley took a step for
ward, and his companions, the men of the
claim, stepped back from him as if from
something poisonous.
$50 we had a Judas with us, did we?"
growled Hank, glaring at Ridley; but the
latter had eyes only for Frenchy.
Il said I'd settle scores with you before l
left this claim" Ridley shouted, suddenly
osing all control of himself, aand I'll settle
Ii this way, for keeps!'
Almost as his last words came, and with
extreme swiftness, his hand flew to his side
and he whipped gun up and fired; but even
as he did SO Frenchy made the side leap that
is known to men of the frontier as buck
jumping ,-that quick and battling move
and at the same instant, SO closely that the
two reports blended into one, he also fired,
shooting from the hip with absolute pre-
cision. He stood poised on the balls of his
feet, crouched to jump again, if necessary,
and with the gun still in position for second
shot; but it was not necessary.
Ridleys mouth opened as if to gasp out
another oath, his head appeared to drop, his
knees to waver, the gun pitched from his
hand and fell forward, even as he plunged
headlong to the earth. For fraction of an
instant he quivered there, and then slowly
turned over on his back and stiffened his
legs, the fingers of his opened hand twitching,
and then was still. Frenchy still held his
ccf;n co1r he hod
and his face expressed no emotion whatever
save steady watchfulness.
TT was as if the tragedy had bound everyone
in spell, so incredibly quick had been its
consummation, so deadly its certainty, SO
irremediable its result Then, as if released
from action Harjes swore single great oath.
man back of him threw up an arm; but
quicker than his motion came the sound of
another shot, and the harsh voice of old
Hardpan as he fired, @None of that!'
The man uttered howl of pain, the pistol
he had clutched went gathering out on a
bare rock, he whirled half round and it was
seen that his pistol arm was dangling at the
gun had broken it as if it was straw.
@Up with your hands there, all of you'll
Jim shouted, his voice rising above the
echoes of the shot and the cry. "Up with
your hands, or we'll make this shambles,
now that we've started"
Hank, the miner who had called Ridley
Judas, was now standing above the supine
body, and he also had produced gun,
which was leveled directly at Harjes head.
Frenchy had pivoted on his feet with the
deadly and still smoking Colts turned to-
ward the group, Jim was holding rifle for
action, and Hardpan was standing stock
still in the attitude he had assumed when
firing on the gunman near Harjes. There
was no mistaking the "reminiscences of their
attitude, their readiness to shoot, and their
ability to kill Harjes, evidently taken by
surprise, shocked by the killing he had seen,
and the quickness to check any move of his
own desperados, had paled and seemed half
paralyzed with fear.
aUp with your hands there, you'll" shouted
the miner whose revolver was in line with
Harjes' face I'D rather kill you than any
man know of"
The promoters hands went up with
ridiculous alacrity.
osborne, 60 among those fellows and get
their shooting IRONS commanded Hardpan
to the miner who had taken no part in the
gunplay. ave amt going to kill any more
than we have to to keep the peace"
The man slipped behind Harjes and his
men, to find that everyone was heavily
armed, the promoter included. There was
a minutes intense silence while this search