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"Humph! Is that all?" ejaculated Blaisdell

"I reckon thet's all an' I'erin' it's a hell of a lot," responded Blue, dryly "Thet's what Jorth will think"

"Where do we come in?"

"Wal, y'u all can back oes as far as killin' Jorth--an' et a crack at Queen But I'll be shore of Jorth After thet all depends Mebbe it 'll be easy fer et out An' if I do y'u fellars will know it an' can fill thet storeroom full of bullets"

"Wal, Blue, with all due respect to y'u, I shore don't like your plan," declared Blaisdell "Success depends upon too "

"Blaisdell, I reckon I know this heah gaoes by instinct This trick ork"

"But suppose that front door of Greaves's store is barred," protested Blaisdell

"It hasn't got any bar," said Blue

"Y'u're shore?"

"Yes, I reckon," replied Blue

"Hell, man! Aren't y'u takin' a terrible chance?" queried Blaisdell

Blue's answer to that was a look that brought the blood to Blaisdell's face Only then did the rancher really counman had taken such desperate chances before, and meant to take the with his life, but to live up to his peculiar code of honor

"Blaisdell, did y'u ever heah of me in Texas?" he queried, dryly

"Wal, no, Blue, I cain't swear I did," replied the rancher, apologetically "An' Isbel was always sort of' mysterious aboot his acquaintance with you"

"My name's not Blue"

"Ahuh! Wal, what is it, then--if I' Fisher," replied Blue

The shock that stiffened Blaisdell must have been communicated to the others Jean certainly felt amaze, and some other emotion not fully realized, when he found himself face to face with one of thesupposed to be dead

"Men, I reckon I'd kept my secret if I'd any idee of cooin' to cash I feel it heah Isbel was my friend He saved oin' to kill Jorth Now I'll take it kind of y'u--if any of y'u come out of this alive--to tell who I was an' why I was on the Isbel side Because this sheep an' cattle war--this talk of Jorth an' the Hash Knife Gang--it makes me, sick I KNOW there's been crooked work on Isbel's side, too An' I never want it on record thet I killed Jorth because he was a rustler"