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〃You can't get near Tull；〃 interrupted Judkins。 〃Thet vigilante bunch hev taken to bein' bodyguard for Tull an' Dyer； too。〃
〃Hasn't Lassiter made a break yet？〃 inquired Venters； curiously。
〃Naw！〃 replied Judkins； scornfully。 〃Jane turned his head。 He's mad in love over herfollers her like a dog。 He ain't no more Lassiter！ He's lost his nerve； he doesn't look like the same feller。 It's village talk。 Everybody knows it。 He hasn't thrown a gun； an' he won't！〃
〃Jud； I'll bet he does；〃 replied Venters； earnestly。 〃Remember what I say。 This Lassiter is something more than a gun…man。 Jud； he's bighe's great！。。。I feel that in him。 God help Tull and Dyer when Lassiter does go after them。 For horses and riders and stone walls won't save them。〃
〃Wal； hev it your way； Bern。 I hope you're right。 Nat'rully I've been some sore on Lassiter fer gittin' soft。 But I ain't denyin' his nerve； or whatever's great in him thet sort of paralyzes people。 No later 'n this mornin' I seen him saunterin' down the lane； quiet an' slow。 An' like his guns he comes blackblack； thet's Lassiter。 Wal； the crowd on the corner never batted an eye； en' I'll gamble my hoss thet there wasn't one who hed a heartbeat till Lassiter got by。 He went in Snell's saloon； an' as there wasn't no gun play I had to go in； too。 An' there； darn my pictures； if Lassiter wasn't standin' to the bar； drinking en' talkin' with Oldrin'。〃
〃Oldring！〃 whispered Venters。 His voice； as all fire and pulse within him； seemed to freeze。
〃Let go my arm！〃 exclaimed Judkins。 〃Thet's my bad arm。 Sure it was Oldrin'。 What the hell's wrong with you； anyway？ Venters； I tell you somethin's wrong。 You're whiter 'n a sheet。 You can't be scared of the rustler。 I don't believe you've got a scare in you。 Wal； now； jest let me talk。 You know I like to talk； an' if I'm slow I allus git there sometime。 As I said； Lassiter was talkie' chummy with Oldrin'。 There wasn't no hard feelin's。 An' the gang wasn't payin' no pertic'lar attention。 But like a cat watchin' a mouse I hed my eyes on them two fellers。 It was strange to me； thet confab。 I'm gittin' to think a lot； fer a feller who doesn't know much。 There's been some queer deals lately an' this seemed to me the queerest。 These men stood to the bar alone； an' so close their big gun…hilts butted together。 I seen Oldrin' was some surprised at first； an' Lassiter was cool as ice。 They talked； an' presently at somethin' Lassiter said the rustler bawled out a curse； an' then he jest fell up against the bar； an' sagged there。 The gang in the saloon looked around an' laughed； an' thet's about all。 Finally Oldrin' turned； and it was easy to see somethin' hed shook him。 Yes； sir； thet big rustleryou know he's as broad as he is long； an' the powerfulest build of a manyes； sir； the nerve had been taken out of him。 Then； after a little； he began to talk an' said a lot to Lassiter； an' by an' by it didn't take much of an eye to see thet Lassiter was gittin' hit hard。 I never seen him anyway but cooler 'n icetill then。 He seemed to be hit harder 'n Oldrin'； only he didn't roar out thet way。 He jest kind of sunk in； an' looked an' looked； an' he didn't see a livin' soul in thet saloon。 Then he sort of come to； an' shakin' handsmind you； shakin' hands with Oldrin'he went out。 I couldn't help thinkin' how easy even a boy could hev dropped the great gun…man then！。。。Wal； the rustler stood at the bar fer a long time； en' he was seein' things far off； too； then he come to an' roared fer whisky； an' gulped a drink thet was big enough to drown me。〃
〃Is Oldring here now？〃 whispered Venters。 He could not speak above a whisper。 Judkins's story had been meaningless to him。
〃He's at Snell's yet。 Bern； I hevn't told you yet thet the rustlers hev been raisin' hell。 They shot up Stone Bridge an' Glaze； an' fer three days they've been here drinkin' an' gamblin' an' throwin' of gold。 These rustlers hev a pile of gold。 If it was gold dust or nugget gold I'd hev reason to think； but it's new coin gold； as if it had jest come from the United States treasury。 An' the coin's genuine。 Thet's all been proved。 The truth is Oldrin's on a rampage。 A while back he lost his Masked Rider； an' they say he's wild about thet。 I'm wonderin' if Lassiter could hev told the rustler anythin' about thet little masked； hard…ridin' devil。 Ride！ He was most as good as Jerry Card。 An'； Bern； I've been wonderin' if you know〃
〃Judkins； you're a good fellow；〃 interrupted Venters。 〃Some day I'll tell you a story。 I've no time now。 Take the horses to Jane。〃
Judkins stared； and then； muttering to himself； he mounted Bells； and stared again at Venters； and then； leading the other horses； he rode into the grove and disappeared。
Once； long before； on the night Venters had carried Bess through the canyon and up into Surprise Valley； he had experienced the strangeness of faculties singularly； tinglingly acute。 And now the same sensation recurred。 But it was different in that he felt cold； frozen； mechanical incapable of free thought； and all about him seemed unreal； aloof； remote。 He hid his rifle in the sage； marking its exact location with extreme care。 Then he faced down the lane and strode toward the center of the village。 Perceptions flashed upon him； the faint； cold touch of the breeze； a cold； silvery tinkle of flowing water； a cold sun shining out of a cold sky； song of birds and laugh of children； coldly distant。 Cold and intangible were all things in earth and heaven。 Colder and tighter stretched the skin over his face； colder and harder grew the polished butts of his guns； colder and steadier became his hands as he wiped the clammy sweat from his face or reached low to his gun…sheaths。 Men meeting him in the walk gave him wide berth。 In front of Bevin's store a crowd melted apart for his passage； and their faces and whispers were faces and whispers of a dream。 He turned a corner to meet Tull face to face； eye to eye。 As once before he had seen this man pale to a ghastly； livid white so again he saw the change。 Tull stopped in his tracks； with right hand raised and shaking。 Suddenly it dropped； and he seemed to glide aside； to pass out of Venters's sight。 Next he saw many horses with bridles downall clean…limbed； dark bays or blacksrustlers' horses！ Loud voices and boisterous laughter； rattle of dice and scrape of chair and clink of gold； burst in mingled din from an open doorway。 He stepped inside。
With the sight of smoke…hazed room and drinking； cursing； gambling； dark…visaged men； reality once more dawned upon Venters。
His entrance had been unnoticed； and he bent his gaze upon the drinkers at the bar。 Dark…clothed； dark…faced men they all were； burned by the sun； bow…legged as were most riders of the sage； but neither lean nor gaunt。 Then Venters's gaze passed to the tables； and swiftly it swept over the hard…featured gamesters； to alight upon the huge； shaggy； black head of the rustler chief。
〃Oldring！〃 he cried； and to him his voice seemed to split a bell in his ears。
It stilled the din。
That silence suddenly broke to the scrape and crash of Oldring's chair as he rose； and then； while he passed； a great gloomy figure； again the thronged room stilled in silence yet deeper。
〃Oldring； a word with you！〃 continued Venters。
〃Ho！ What's this？〃 boomed Oldring； in frowning scrutiny。
〃Come outside； alone。 A word for youfrom your Masked Rider！〃
Oldring kicked a chair out of his way and lunged forward with a stamp of heavy boot that jarred the floor。 He waved down his muttering； rising men。
Venters backed out of the door and waited； hearing； as no sound had ever before struck into his soul； the rapid； heavy steps of the rustler。
Oldring appeared； and Venters had one glimpse of his great breadth and bulk； his gold…buckled belt with hanging guns； his high…top boots with gold spurs。 In that moment Venters had a strange； unintelligible curiosity to see Oldring alive。 The rustler's broad brow； his large black eyes； his sweeping beard； as dark as the wing of a raven； his enormous width of shoulder and depth of chest； his whole splendid presence so wonderfully charged with vitality and force and strength； seemed to afford Venters an unutterable fiendish joy because for that magnificent manhood and life he meant cold and sudden death。
〃Oldring； Bess is alive！ But she's dead to youdead to the life you made her leaddead as you will be in one second！〃
Swift as lightning Venters's glance dropped from Oldring's rolling eyes to his hands。 One of them； the right； swept out； then toward his gunand Venters shot him through the heart。
Slowly Oldring sank to his knees； and the hand； dragging at the gun； fell away。 Venters's strangely acute faculties grasped the meaning of that limp arm； of the swaying hulk； of the gasp and heave； of the quivering beard。 But was that awful spirit in the black eyes only one of vitality？
〃Manwhydidn'tyouwait？ Besswas〃 Oldring's whisper died under his beard； and with a heavy lurch he fell forward。
Bounding swiftly away； Venters fled around the corner； across the street； and； leaping a hedge； he ran through yard； orchard； and garden to the sage。 Here； under cover of the tall brush； he turned west and ran on to the place where he had hidden his rifle