The power of that
leveled gun indisputable. The buckle was loosened, and the weapons
fell on the blankets behind the ranchman.
"Now push your hands up! Right up!"
The command was obeyed on the instant, but the look which accompanied
the movement was as deadly as human passion could make it.
"Back away! Back to the far end! Sharp!"
Sikkem moved. But his movement was not rapid enough. Jeff urged him.
In the pause Jeff's straining ears caught again the sound of movement,
and he wondered why development was not precipitated. Perhaps---- But
Sikkem had nearly reached the distant wall, and, at that instant, a
whistle shrilled through the building.
Jeff knew he was trapped. But, with a wonderful sense of detachment,
mind and body worked almost electrically. His revolver spat out its
vicious report. For the fraction of a second he held the smoking lamp
poised in his other hand. Then, like a shooting star, it flew through
the adjacent window and fell extinguished amidst the crash of its own
glass. It was at the complete fall of darkness that the door slammed
closed, and half a dozen shots rang out through the building, followed
by the "plonk" of the bullets embedding themselves in the solid logs
immediately behind where the rancher had been standing.
Pages:
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474