. . Cotton heard Pete's hand strike the butt of his gun as
the holster tilted up. Pete fired twice. Staring as though
hypnotized, Gary clutched at his shirt over his chest with his free
hand. He gave at the knees and his body wilted and settled down--even
as he threw a desperate shot at Pete in a last venomous effort to kill.
[Illustration: Cotton heard Pete's hand strike the butt of his gun as
the holster tilted up.]
"You seen it was an even break," said Pete, turning to Cotton, who
immediately sank to his knees and implored Pete not to kill him.
"But I reckon you'd lie, anyhow," continued Pete, paying no attention
to the other's mouthings. "Hunt your cayuse--and git a-movin'."
Cotton understood that. Glancing over his shoulder at Gary he turned
and ran toward the timber. Pete stepped to the crumpled figure and
gazed at the bubbling hole in the chest. Then he stepped hack and
mechanically bolstered his gun which he had pulled as he spoke to
Cotton. "They'll git me for this," he whispered to himself. "It was
an even break--but they'll git me." Pete fought back his fear with a
peculiar pride--the pride that scorned to appear frightened before his
chum, Andy White.
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