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Blue； but he wrung the hard； thin hand and hurried away in the darkness。
Once alone； his part of the business at hand rushed him into eager
thrilling action。 This was the sort of work he was fitted to do。
In this instance it was important； but it seemed to him that Blue
had coolly taken the perilous part。 And this cowboy with gray in his
thin hair was in reality the great King Fisher！ Jean marveled at the
fact。 And he shivered all over for Jorth。 In ten minutesfifteen；
more or less； Jorth would lie gasping bloody froth and sinking down。
Something in the dark； lonely； silent； oppressive summer night told
Jean this。 He strode on swiftly。 Crossing the road at a run； he kept
on over the ground he had traversed during the afternoon； and in a few
moments he stood breathing hard at the edge of the common behind
Greaves's store。
A pin point of light penetrated the blackness。 It made Jean's heart
leap。 The Jorth contingent were burning the big lamp that hung in the
center of Greaves's store。 Jean listened。 Loud voices and coarse
laughter sounded discord on the melancholy silence of the night。 What
Blue had called his instinct had surely guided him aright。 Death of
Gaston Isbel was being celebrated by revel。
In a few moments Jean had regained his breath。 Then all his faculties
set intensely to the action at hand。 He seemed to magnify his hearing
and his sight。 His movements made no sound。 He gained the wagon；
where he crouched a moment。
The ground seemed a pale； obscure medium； hardly more real than the
gloom above it。 Through this gloom of night； which looked thick like
a cloud； but was really clear； shone the thin； bright point of light；
accentuating the black square that was Greaves's store。 Above this
stood a gray line of tree foliage； and then the intensely dark…blue
sky studded with white； cold stars。
A hound bayed lonesomely somewhere in the distance。 Voices of men
sounded more distinctly； some deep and low； others loud； unguarded；
with the vacant note of thoughtlessness。
Jean gathered all his forces； until sense of sight and hearing were in
exquisite accord with the suppleness and lightness of his movements。
He glided on about ten short； swift steps before he halted。 That was
as far as his piercing eyes could penetrate。 If there had been a guard
stationed outside the store Jean would have seen him before being seen。
He saw the fence； reached it； entered the yard； glided in the dense
shadow of the barn until the black square began to loom graythe color
of stone at night。 Jean peered through the obscurity。 No dark figure
of a man showed against that gray wallonly a black patch； which must
be the hole in the foundation mentioned。 A ray of light now streaked
out from the little black window。 To the right showed the wide；
black door。
Farther on Jean glided silently。 Then he halted。 There was no guard
outside。 Jean heard the clink of a cap； the lazy drawl of a Texan；
and then a strong； harsh voiceJorth's。 It strung Jean's whole being
tight and vibrating。 Inside he was on fire while cold thrills rippled
over his skin。 It took tremendous effort of will to hold himself back
another instant to listen； to look； to feel； to make sure。 And that
instant charged him with a mighty current of hot blood； straining；
throbbing； damming。
When Jean leaped this current burst。 In a few swift bounds he gained
his point halfway between door and window。 He leaned his rifle against
the stone wall。 Then he swung the ax。 Crash！ The window shutter split
and rattled to the floor inside。 The silence then broke with a hoarse；
〃What's thet？〃
With all his might Jean swung the heavy ax on the door。 Smash！ The
lower half caved in and banged to the floor。 Bright light flared out
the hole。
〃Look out！〃 yelled a man； in loud alarm。 〃They're batterin' the
back door！〃
Jean swung again； high on the splintered door。 Crash！ Pieces flew inside。
〃They've got axes；〃 hoarsely shouted another voice。 〃Shove the counter
ag'in' the door。〃
〃No！〃 thundered a voice of authority that denoted terror as well。
〃Let them come in。 Pull your guns an' take to cover！〃
〃They ain't comin' in；〃 was the hoarse reply。 〃They'll shoot in
on us from the dark。〃
〃Put out the lamp！〃 yelled another。
Jean's third heavy swing caved in part of the upper half of the door。
Shouts and curses intermingled with the sliding of benches across the
floor and the hard shuffle of boots。 This confusion seemed to be split
and silenced by a piercing yell； of different caliber； of terrible
meaning。 It stayed Jean's swingcaused him to drop the ax and snatch
up his rifle。
〃DON'T ANYBODY MOVE！〃
Like a steel whip this voice cut the silence。 It belonged to Blue。
Jean swiftly bent to put his eye to a crack in the door。 Most of those
visible seemed to have been frozen into unnatural positions。 Jorth stood
rather in front of his men； hatless and coatless； one arm outstretched；
and his dark profile set toward a little man just inside the door。 This
man was Blue。 Jean needed only one flashing look at Blue's face； at his
leveled； quivering guns； to understand why he had chosen this trick。
〃Who're…you？〃 demanded Jorth； in husky pants。
〃Reckon I'm Isbel's right…hand man；〃 came the biting reply。
〃Once tolerable well known in Texas。 。 。 。 KING FISHER！〃
The name must have been a guarantee of death。 Jorth recognized this
outlaw and realized his own fate。 In the lamplight his face turned
a pale greenish white。 His outstretched hand began to quiver down。
Blue's left gun seemed to leap up and flash red and explode。 Several
heavy reports merged almost as one。 Jorth's arm jerked limply； flinging
his gun。 And his body sagged in the middle。 His hands fluttered like
crippled wings and found their way to his abdomen。 His death…pale face
never changed its set look nor position toward Blue。 But his gasping
utterance was one of horrible mortal fury and terror。 Then he began
to sway； still with that strange； rigid set of his face toward his
slayer； until he fell。
His fall broke the spell。 Even Blue； like the gunman he was； had paused
to watch Jorth in his last mortal action。 Jorth's followers began to
draw and shoot。 Jean saw Blue's return fire bring down a huge man；
who fell across Jorth's body。 Then Jean； quick as the thought that
actuated him； raised his rifle and shot at the big lamp。 It burst in
a flare。 It crashed to the floor。 Darkness followeda blank； thick；
enveloping mantle。 Then red flashes of guns emphasized the blackness。
Inside the store there broke loose a pandemonium of shots； yells； curses；
and thudding boots。 Jean shoved his rifle barrel inside the door and；
holding it low down； he moved it to and fro while he worked lever and
trigger until the magazine was empty。 Then； drawing his six…shooter；
he emptied that。 A roar of rifles from the front of the store told
Jean that his comrades had entered the fray。 Bullets zipped through
the door he had broken。 Jean ran swiftly round the corner； taking care
to sheer off a little to the left； and when he got clear of the building
he saw a line of flashes in the m