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Fay, with a slight shrug of contempt at such wohtened the Easterner out and placed his folded

coat under his head "He'll coulch and then back to the shaft "Can't leave that

lay-out," he went on He bent over the prostrate figure and began to

loosen the band of his shirt So

attracted his attention, so, drawing his knife, he deftly and gently

ripped away the coat and shirt Then he arose softly to his feet and

bared his head

"I apologize to you," said he, addressing the recuame"

In the fleshy part of the naked shoulder was a small round hole,

clotted and smeared with blood

Jim Fay stooped and examined the wound closely The bullet had entered

near the point of the shoulder, but a little below, so that it had

h the curve of the muscle If it had struck a

quarter of an inch to the left it would have gouged a furrow; a quarter

of an inch beyond that would have caused it to ht, and that the Easterner had fainted

more because of loss of blood than from the shock This determined to

his satisfaction, he moved quickly to the mouth of the shaft "Way

below!" he cried in a sharp voice, and discharged his revolver twice