Part 29 (1/2)

We'll just change places, that's all. You take them and go back to her and I'll stay here.”

d.i.c.k walked toward the spring, but, a spell of weakness came over him and he almost sank to the ground. Jack caught him and held him up.

”It would be justice,” muttered d.i.c.k, as if apologizing for his acceptance of Jack's renunciation.

Leaning over his shoulder, Jack said: ”Sure, that's it, justice. Just tell her I tried to work it out according to my lights--ask her to--forgive, to forgive, that's all.”

Jack took off his canteen and threw the strap around d.i.c.k's neck. As Lane weakly staggered toward the mouth of the canon, where the horse had been staked out, Jack halted him with a request:

”There's another thing; I left home under a cloud. Buck McKee charged me with holding up and killing 'Ole Man' Terrill for three thousand dollars. Tell Slim Hoover how you paid me just that sum of money.”

”I will, and I'll fix the murder where it belongs, and then fix the real murderer.”

Jack stepped to Lane's side and, holding out his hand, said: ”Thank you. I don't allow you can forgive me?”

”I don't know that I could,” coldly answered d.i.c.k.

”You'd better be going.”

Again d.i.c.k started for the horse, but a new thought came to him.

Pausing, he said. ”She can't marry again until--”

”Well?” asked Jack; his voice was full of sinister meaning, and he fingered his gun as he spoke.

d.i.c.k realized at once that Jack's plan was to end his life in the desert with a revolver-shot.

”You mean to--” he shuddered.

Jack drew his gun. ”Do you want me to do it here and now?” he cried.

Staggering over to him the weakened man grappled with his old friend, trying to disarm him. ”No, no, you sha'n't!” he shouted, as Jack shook him free.

”Why not?” demanded Jack. ”Go. There's my horse--he's yours--go! When you get to the head of the canon, you'll hear and know--know that she is free and I have made atonement.”

”Why should I hesitate?” argued d.i.c.k with himself. ”I wanted to die. I came here in the desert to make an end of it all, but when I met death face to face, the old spirit of battle came over me, and fought it back, step by step. Now--now you come and offer me more than life--you offer to restore to me all that made life dear, all that you have stolen from me by treachery and fraud. Why should I hesitate? She is mine, mine in heart, mine by all the ties of love--mine by all its vows--I will go back, I will take your place and leave you here--here in this land of dead things, to make your peace with G.o.d!”

Beads of sweat broke out on Jack's forehead as he listened. He bit his lips until they bled. Clenching his fingers until the nails sank into the palms of his hands, he cried warningly in his agony: ”I wouldn't say no more, if I was you. Go--for G.o.d's sake, go!”

d.i.c.k slowly moved toward the mouth of the canon, still hesitating.

From the hillside a rifle-shot rang out. The ball struck d.i.c.k in the leg. He fell, and lay motionless.

Pulling his revolver, Jack stooped and ran under the overhanging ledge, peering about to see where the shot had come from. He raised his gun to fire, when a volley of rifle-shots rang through the canon, the bullets kicking up little spurts of dust about him and chipping edges off the rocks. Jack dropped on his knees and crept to his rifle, clipping his revolver back into his holster.

Crouching behind a rock with his rifle to his shoulder, he waited for the attackers to show themselves.

Experience on the plains taught them that the fight would be a slow one, unless the Apaches sought only to divert attention for the time being to cover their flight southward. After the one shot, which struck d.i.c.k, and the volley directed at Jack, not a rifle had been fired. Peering over the boulder, Jack could see nothing.

The Lava Beds danced before his eyes in the swelter of the glaring suns.h.i.+ne. Far off the snow-capped mountains mockingly reared their peaks into the intense blue of the heavens. Since the attackers were covered with alkali-dust from the long ride, a color which would merge into the desert floor when a man lay p.r.o.ne, detection of any movement was doubly difficult. Behind any rock and in any clump of sage-brush might lie an a.s.sailant.