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after a while I seen young Evarts slip out the back way。 Mebbe half an
hour I seen a bare…legged kid cross； the road an' go into Greaves's
store。 。 。 。 Then shore I tumbled to your dad。 He'd sent a note to
Jorth to come out an' meet him face to face； man to man！ 。 。 。
Shore it was like readin' what your dad had wrote。 But I didn't say
nothin' to Blaisdell。 I jest watched。〃
Blue drawled these last words； as if he enjoyed remembrance of his keen
reasoning。 A smile wreathed his thin lips。 He drew twice on the
cigarette and emitted another cloud of smoke。 Quite suddenly then
he changed。 He made a rapid gesturethe whip of a hand； significant
and passionate。 And swift words followed：
〃Colonel Lee Jorth stalked out of the storeout into the roadmebbe
a hundred steps。 Then he halted。 He wore his long black coat an' his
wide black hat； an' he stood like a stone。
〃'What the hell！' burst out Blaisdell； comin' out of his trance。
〃The rest of us jest looked。 I'd forgot your dad； for the minnit。
So had all of us。 But we remembered soon enough when we seen him
stalk out。 Everybody had a hunch then。 I called him。 Blaisdell
begged him to come back。 All the fellars； had a say。 No use！
Then I shore cussed him an' told him it was plain as day thet Jorth
didn't hit me like an honest man。 I can sense such things。 I knew
Jorth had trick up his sleeve。 I've not been a gun fighter fer nothin'。
〃Your dad had no rifle。 He packed his gun at his hip。 He jest stalked
down thet road like a giant； goin' faster an' faster； holdin' his head
high。 It shore was fine to see him。 But I was sick。 I heerd Blaisdell
groan； an' Fredericks thar cussed somethin' fierce。 。 。 。 When your dad
haltedI reckon aboot fifty steps from Jorththen we all went numb。
I heerd your dad's voicethen Jorth's。 They cut like knives。
Y'u could shore heah the hate they hed fer each other。〃
Blue had become a little husky。 His speech had grown gradually to
denote his feeling。 Underneath his serenity there was a different
order of man。
〃I reckon both your dad an' Jorth went fer their guns at the same time
an even break。 But jest as they drew； some one shot a rifle from the
store。 Must hev been a forty…five seventy。 A big gun！ The bullet must
have hit your dad low down； aboot the middle。 He acted thet way； sinkin'
to his knees。 An' he was wild in shootin'so wild thet he must hev
missed。 Then he wabbledan' Jorth run in a dozen steps； shootin' fast；
till your dad fell over。 。 。 。 Jorth run closer； bent over him； an' then
straightened up with an Apache yell； if I ever heerd one。 。 。 。 An' then
Jorth backed slowlookin' all the timebacked to the store； an' went in。〃
Blue's voice ceased。 Jean seemed suddenly released from an impelling
magnet that now dropped him to some numb； dizzy depth。 Blue's lean
face grew hazy。 Then Jean bowed his head in his hands； and sat there；
while a slight tremor shook all his muscles at once。 He grew deathly
cold and deathly sick。 This paroxysm slowly wore away； and Jean grew
conscious of a dull amaze at the apparent deadness of his spirit。
Blaisdell placed a huge； kindly hand on his shoulder。
〃Brace up； son！〃 he said； with voice now clear and resonant。 〃Shore
it's what your dad expectedan' what we all must look for。 。 。 。
If yu was goin' to kill Jorth beforethink how shore y'u're goin'
to kill him now。〃
〃Blaisdell's talkin'；〃 put in Blue； and his voice had a cold ring。
〃Lee Jorth will never see the sun rise ag'in！〃
These calls to the primitive in Jean； to the Indian； were not in vain。
But even so； when the dark tide rose in him； there was still a haunting
consciousness of the cruelty of this singular doom imposed upon him。
Strangely Ellen Jorth's face floated back in the depths of his vision；
pale； fading； like the face of a spirit floating by。
〃Blue；〃 said Blaisdell； 〃let's get Isbel's body soon as we dare；
an' bury it。 Reckon we can； right after dark。〃
〃Shore；〃 replied Blue。 〃But y'u fellars figger thet out。 I'm thinkin'
hard。 I've got somethin' on my mind。〃
Jean grew fascinated by the looks and speech and action of the little
gunman。 Blue； indeed； had something on his mind。 And it boded ill to
the men in that dark square stone house down the road。 He paced to and
fro in the yard； back and forth on the path to the gate； and then he
entered the cabin to stalk up and down； faster and faster； until all
at once he halted as if struck； to upfling his right arm in a singular
fierce gesture。
〃Jean； call the men in；〃 he said； tersely。
They all filed in； sinister and silent； with eager faces turned to the
little Texan。 His dominance showed markedly。
Gordon； y'u stand in the door an' keep your eye peeled；〃 went on Blue。
。 。 。 Now； boys； listen！ I've thought it all out。 This game of man
huntin' is the same to me as cattle raisin' is to y'u。 An' my life in
Texas all comes back to me； I reckon； in good stead fer us now。 I'm
goin' to kill Lee Jorth！ Him first； an' mebbe his brothers。 I had
to think of a good many ways before I hit on one I reckon will be shore。
It's got to be SHORE。 Jorth has got to die！ Wal； heah's my plan。 。 。 。
Thet Jorth outfit is drinkin' some； we can gamble on it。 They're not
goin' to leave thet store。 An' of course they'll be expectin' us to
start a fight。 I reckon they'll look fer some such siege as they held
round Isbel's ranch。 But we shore ain't goin' to do thet。 I'm goin'
to surprise thet outfit。 There's only one man among them who is
dangerous； an' thet's Queen。 I know Queen。 But he doesn't know me。
An' I'm goin' to finish my job before he gets acquainted with me。
After thet； all right！〃
Blue paused a moment； his eyes narrowing down； his whole face setting
in hard cast of intense preoccupation； as if he visualized a scene of
extraordinary nature。
〃Wal； what's your trick？〃 demanded Blaisdell。
〃Y'u all know Greaves's store；〃 continued Blue。 〃How them winders have
wooden shutters thet keep a light from showin' outside？ Wal； I'm gamblin'
thet as soon as it's dark Jorth's gang will be celebratin。 They'll be
drinkin' an' they'll have a light； an' the winders will be shut。 They're
not goin' to worry none aboot us。 Thet store is like a fort。 It won't
burn。 An' shore they'd never think of us chargin' them in there。 Wal；
as soon as it's dark； we'll go round behind the lots an' come up jest
acrost the road from Greaves's。 I reckon we'd better leave Isbel where
he lays till this fight's over。 Mebbe y'u 'll have more 'n him to bury。
We'll crawl behind them bushes in front of Coleman's yard。 An' heah's
where Jean comes in。 He'll take an ax； an' his guns； of course； an' do
some of his Injun sneakin' round to the back of Greaves's store。 。 。 。
An'； Jean； y'u must do a slick job of this。 But I reckon it 'll be easy
fer you。 Back there it 'll be dark as pitch； fer anyone lookin' out of
the store。 An' I'm figgerin' y'u can take your time an' crawl right up。
Now if y'u don't remember how Greaves's back yard looks I'll tell y'u。〃
Here Blue dropped on one knee to the floor and with a finger he traced
a map of Greaves's barn and fence； the back door