The citizen., 1913-09-19
CORyRlohI ts1o RY A-c neclnnc o =

was powerful man, and desperate
enough to accept any chance. Some
thlng in the sullen, glowing face CON
fronting him awoke the Sergeant to
caution. He seemed to sense the plan
OF the other. and stopped suddenly.
slipping the rope through his fingers.
He swung the coil about his head,
measuring the distance, every faculty
! concentrated on the toss. He had for.
gotten Hughes lying in the snow be.
hind; he neither saw nor heard the
fellow scramble weakly to his knees,
revolver outsretched in a half-frozen
hand. And Hughes, his eyes already
glazing in death saw only the two fig
ures. In that moment hate triumphed
over cowardice; he could not distin.
guish which was Dupont, which Ham.
lin. In the madness of despair he
cared little-only he would kill some
one before he died. His weapon
wavered frantiCally as he sought to
aim, the man holding himself up by
one hand. Dupont. facing that way,
saw this apparition, and leaped aside
stumbling over the dead pony. Hughes
weapon belched, and Hamlin. the las
so whirling above him in the air,
pitched forward, and came crashing
down into the snow.
1t was all the work of an instant. a
wild, confused bit, so rapidly enacted
as to seem unreal even to the partici
pants. Hamlin lay motionless. bare
ly conscious of living. yet unable to
stir muscle. Hughes, screaming out
one oath, sank back into heap, his
frozen fingers still gripping his smok-
ing weapon. Then Dupont rose eau
tiously to his knees, peering forth
across the dead body of the pony. The
man was unnerved, unable at first to
comprehend what had occurred. He
was saved as by a miracle, and his
great form shook from head to foot
Then as his eyes rested on the out
stretched body of the Sergeant. hate
conquered every other feeling: he
staggered to his feet, picked I'D the
gun lying in the snow, walked across
and brutally kicked the PROSTATE
form. There was no response, no
movement.
"All | wish is that I'd been the one
to kill yer" he growled savagely, grin.
ming down. Hell OF a good shot
though l reckon the blame fool
meant 1t for me-" He threw the rifle
forward, in readiness, and moved eau
tiously over toward Hughes.
"Deader than a door-nail," he NUT.
tered, pressing back the buffalo coat
and staring contemptuously down into
the white. staring face. Il wonder how
that coward ever happened to be here
laying out for me, | reckonu"
He Strengthened up and laughed
glancing furtively about.
Some good joke that The whole
outfit cleaned out, and me twenty
thousand to the good" feeling inside
his coat to make sure. Its there all
right. Well, goodbye, boys, there
don't seem to be nothing here for me
to stay for"
He caught the straying pony and
swung up into the saddle, glanced
about once more at the motionless
figures, and finally rode off up the
ridge, unconsciously following the
tracks left by the fleeing Indian. If
the girl ever occurred to him, he gave
no sign Of remembrance, and she ut
tered no word. Lying on her side, her
eyes wide open. she watched him ride
away. across the barren space. until
the slow-moving pony topped the
ridge, and disappeared on the other
side. Twice the man turned and
glanced back into the valley, but saw
nothing except the black blotches on
the snow. Molly made no motion. no
outcry. She preferred death there
alone, rather than rescue at his hands
Scarcely conscious, feeling no strength
in her limbs, no hope pulsing at her
heart, she closed her eyes and lay
still. Yet wrapped about as she was
her young body remained warm, and
the very disappearance of Dupont
yielded a sense of freedom, awoke q
strong desire to live. Her eyes opened
again. despairingly. and gazed across
the barren expanse. She could see
Hamlin lying face downward, the yell
low lining of his cavalry cape over his
head 1t seemed to her the mans
foot moved. Could she be dreaming? :?
No! He actually drew up one limb.
This evidence that the Sergeant