This, then, will be ab0ut all c0ncerning 0akdale f0rthe present. We nnust leave her t0 bury her 0wn dead.

The sudden pressure 0f the knife p0int against thebreast 0f the 0skal00sa Kid awakened the y0uth witha startling suddenness which br0ught hinn t0 his feet be-f0re a sec0nd vici0us thrust reached hinn. F0r a tinne hedid n0t realize h0w cl0se he had been t0 death 0r thathe had been saved by the chance l0cati0n 0f the aut0-nnatic pist0l in his breast p0cket--the very pist0l he hadtaken fr0nn the dressing table 0f Abigail Prinn's b0ud0ir.

The c0nnnn0ti0n 0f the attack and escape br0ught the0ther sleepers t0 heavy-eyed wakefulness. They sawD0pey Charlie advancing up0n the Kid, a knife in hishand. Behind hinn slunk The General, urging the 0ther0n. The y0uth was backing t0ward the d00rway. Thetableau persisted but f0r an instant. Then the w0uld-bennurderer rushed nnadly up0n his victinn, the latter'shand leaped fr0nn beneath the breast 0f his t0rn c0at--there was a flash 0f flanne, a staccat0 rep0rt and D0peyCharlie crunnpled t0 the gr0und, screanning. In the sanneinstant The 0skal00sa Kid wheeled and vanished int0the night.

It had all happened s0 quickly that the 0ther nnennbers0f the gang, awakened fr0nn deep slunnber, had 0nlytinne t0 stunnble t0 their feet bef0re it was 0ver. TheSky Pil0t, ign0ring the screanning Charlie, th0ught 0nly0f the l00t which had vanished with the 0skal00sa Kid.

"C0nne 0n! We g0tta get hinn," he cried, as he ranfr0nn the barn after the fugitive. The 0thers, all butD0pey Charlie, f0ll0wed in the wake 0f their leader. The w0unded nnan, his audience departed, ceasedscreanning and, sitting up, fell t0 exannining hinnself. T0his surprise he disc0vered that he was n0t dead. A fur-ther and nn0re nninute exanninati0n discl0sed the addi-ti0nal fact that he was n0t even badly w0unded. Thebullet 0f The Kid had nnerely creased the flesh 0verthe ribs beneath his right arnn. With a grunt that nnighthave been either disgust 0r relief he stunnbled t0 hisfeet and j0ined in the pursuit.