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Show 210 THE MORMON LION struck through the heart. He J?lunged headlong over the wheels into the road. Chdcott grasped my shoulder and whipped out his bowie knife. " You apostate I " he growled. " Tried to spoil my aim!" "Let go! " I shouted, glaring back at him. "Hehe may be alive! Let go! H~ may be-:- Did yo;u see his hat? I'd have got h1m myself 1f he hadn t dodged down so suddenly." " You shoved me! " he accused. " Horse scared at my shot- knocked me against you. But you got him- you got him, Bill! " Utterly unnerved, I burst into a wild laugh. Chilcott released his grip on my shoulder and smiled grimly. "Might have known it," he muttered. "Just a case of buck-fever-- His first man. Come on and get blooded, boy." He started up the road towards the limp form that lay sprawled in the white dust. I followed, fumbling w1th my rille. Had I been able to force my shaking fingers to reload it, I believe I must h!'ve shot him down. Waller had overtaken the dnverless team and was bringin~ them to a halt, though I did not realize it at the time. My brain was numb w1th horror. All I could see was the bodY. of my friend outstretched beside the road and Ch1lcott running up to it, knife in hand. But there was no need for the blade. The bullet had driven through Mr. Sen by's heart. He had died instantly. He was lifeless when he plunged out of the buckboard. He lay on his back, with his arms outflung in a cross, and his dead, startled eyes seemingly fixed on the rising sun. The bullet had passed entirely through his portly body. There was a great scarlet blotch on his breast. r Chilcott sheathed his knife and bent down to rip 'open the vest of his victim. From an inner pocket he drew out a large wallet. It was wet with blood along one side and edge. He opened it, thumbed over the THE MORMON LION 2II packet of bank notes and bills of exchange that it contained, and thrust it into his own inner pocket. He bent over again to feel if the merchant had on a money-belt. Finding none, he drew out the goldcase Swiss watch by its plain English fob, and rifted all the pockets. Into the silk handkerchief that he drew from one of them he carefully placed the watch, a pearl-handled penknife, and a purse containing a few gold and silver coins, which he first counted aloud. These were all the articles that he had found in the pockets. By this time I had sufficiently recovered from the shock of my horror to determine upon a course of action. I reasoned that to avenge my friend by shooting down his murderer and Waller would inevitably result in greater Joss and tribulation to Mrs. Sen by and Lucy. Had it not been for them, I could and would have killed the murderers and taken my chance of escape north across the desert and then east through the mountains to Fort Laramie. But if I fled I should be leaving my promised wife and her aunt to the mercy of the Lion. For their sake I must seem to have been obedient to counsel. I must go back with my companions, apparently a willing sharer in the slaying of the apostate, apparently a pliant tool of the Profhet. Only by holding and keeping the confidence o Brigham could I hope to save those who were alike dear to the murdered man and to myself. Waller came back, leading his own horse and the team. Chilcott rose and handed to me the handkerchief and its contents. " Here, Dave," he said, " hold these. You've got over your buck-shakes." "You needn't mention that," I replied, feigning mortification. I pointed down impatiently at the body. "How about the war-plans he stole? You're not going to leave them, are you? " " He carried them in his head," answered Chilcott, with what I thought to be a ready lie. |
