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Show I.ri Iri < . " , \ PffJ.1 PffJ1 . j < jv , i t\ t " \ , ' ? v v T C Cr tJt r Jt Ck CkGi J : Gi ? . . , , 2A . ' , ' ' . % ewBot 2 . ' -A A " ' - AN "Le Le " MA : : , " TIDB ftIB TUE aroxT l'1'Oaw l1Oaw ITOUY ' w utCJ8 im's ims m ' rAxi PADa runt uetodyJones lIeIOG1 uetody u uJ I IftIB Jones J , . * w . 4 tad aa Gew Georg G rc , * . m Vvr hI'J hIJ ' * 1OCt rode < . Sato bIG into PQa Payao rayaTina . , WID tine . , Itnapn straag araaiv rs lIeIocI7 Melody Mel y was . wa .a a . mbtaba attstakea iliNa r Mr MrIb ( L-k L k - I 111 Ib . ( * . cndIaw ontLw ttaw , . lloa Uato stoats * land Jarrad Jax a Aa As a . poll posse possewas rawaa ' wu was afte affr alter . them ar 1Iae . dMrrr Cbem Cherry , lloaWl SIosWI * . Ctrl girl . . , tulaed Sashed > * & tx Ui them . . set t , 01 .t t . t t ttwak tbwa wa . . lIIeSocJ1 Ualody Mto * y n-taraaa n taraaa re- re returned " - - tara turned . to Co Payvul PaJ'IIeYdle PaJIIeYdle Paytevnte ' * , wlur where wben * be Se a * m.I mI met a . at Lee Le L Litem * . , item form.r formr termer . r ardur pardaer aarcaar 01 m C Umfa lIoaW Uoatws . . , .1M 1M who . wa > .me me drove drovetoward . cvtowarl .anI anI toward . th OM ilia . raasb . raaca . wtOa with wit * 111m him MB * , . raaali I'1IIIIIfq I1IIIIIfq ronafag ' bato into bato'cIa.lI'7 latatearny into1Cheny 'cIa.lI'7 cIa.lI7 cIalI7 1Cheny ' : . ' aM IUUI and 0.01 001 George . 0 * ' rK " They 'l'bq lbq ' aw aocna soon maaaged JD&Do JDDo maa & JD&Doareel UB-af4 UB af4 - areel aged to Co rt get , . * . a . faa I1ID gas 011 on Lee . L . u4 and u4I andstarted aaa ' I l'CecJ lCecJ started startedout l'CecJout tart ' out at tar Iv tJM the ta .hack hack shack . aaea waera when 110m stoats U . f aUl 1dct hid the theIDOJIe7 th orm . IDOJIe7 money y lri from tram * Oaa the th xfeia expresa upre . faaiy robl'7 robl7 robbery , " ' . m liken likentbey wa . . aDry Uae7 tbey a.ten aten entered . Btr * Oae the ta caaea lback aback tnr Uae7 they * Were Weresavored . wr . . * conU4 savored Ter < By 117 Lak Lake I k * . Pack Packer ra k . r . , . Ur tile She .l&Oc .lOc lOc UuarAoo UuarAooesteeuve . lanraaeaCet ' & * . eeteettve esteeuve tiv A AI As . Laic Lake wat weDI went to a WIDdow wla- wla WID- WID win - wlaw - . dow cow w to Co ncwvr reeover recover It It . , "e e be " ten ( . .n n . 0 , , a s C1IJI gum ( aa aavbr having bavtD havingkeen , keen , . . Bfa Stied . .d d . ffa from * Ur Oae the o1ltalde outside t l . . cnArrEB CWlP1'ER CWlP1ER CHAPTER ' xn XU % xn"It'a H H"It's I , "It'a Ita "It's Its " .It It . ' . a tunny tunn funny ) ' thine thing , . " Luke PackerI Packer.ald Packersaid Packer I .ald ald said . aid "It's Its "It It " ' ' , easy ea y to tell teD when a manls man manI manIs I b ls Tying lyinS lying , " but M It plumb tall fan falls * . you to tosay toaay ' say , ay when he be he's hes ' " * . telllne telllbg telling tha the truth But Butthat Butthat Butthat that ain't aint ' any excuie excuse A thou thousand thousandthings thouaandthine . and andthings things otter otter-told otter told "told told bold " - me you was wa . only astalking a . talking .taJIdng taJIdng stalking . : bore horae hone No sucb such uch damn fool foolcould foolcould toolcould could ba be tba the real Mont Monte * Jarrad . . . Bu But ButI ButI ' I naver never caught on . . . Until UnW UntS tha the rea real realMonte realUonta ] Monte fired Bred from tha the alopa slope " . "I I " uppor auppose suppose I ve ye dona done more mor * mean meanthings meanthings meanthing things * in my life Etc than one roan man canremember can canremember canremember remember : . , " ' Luke P Packer ker 8aid said ald He Hewas Hewas Hwai * was peaking .peaking speaking . with great dJftlculty difficulty dJftlcultynow difficultynow difficultynow now "But But " tha the mean things tblngs : you rou do doare doare doara are brushed over and forgot . . Tbe The Theone Tbeone Tb Tbona ona one thing thinC nobody ever torgeta forgeb forgets forgeband forgetsand torgetaand and nobody nobodr : ever torglvk forgive forgives . la is a . abaldheaded acaldheaded baldheaded jackac Jackass of a blunderNot blunderNot blunder blunderNot Not even God GOO U II torglva forgive that that.Him thatHim . . Him Hurt least lesst of allThose allThose all allTbosa Tbosa Those were the last lasl words word . LukePacker Luke LukePacker LukaPacker Packer ever said He died with a.trange astrange a .trange trange strange . trang aboriginal stoicism without withoutbitterness withoutbitterness withoutbittemes bitterness * and without faith Seem SeemIngly Seembngly Seemingly Ingly bngly ha he literally believed as 88 be he h hadaid hadsaid had said , aid aid . , that the death penalty was wu asuitable a aaultable asuitable aultable suitable ona one for ror a man of bI bis his . occupa oceupa occupation oceupation occupatlon tion to pay par : , for the crime of mlstak miatak mlstaklog miatakgag mistakIng log gag one on * man tor for anotherMelody another anotherMelody Melody Jones Jone . shook sbook out a saddle saddleblanket saddleblanket saddleblanket blanket . , , and laid it over over Packer s . sbody abody body , then immediately forgot the thewbole thewhole thewhole wbole whole thing thiDg tor for now the outer door doorwa doorwas doorwas wa was . pushed pusbed open from outside and andftung andSung andflung ftung Sung wide Melody thought thougbt be belimpsed beglimpsed beglimpsed limpsed glimpsed , the band hand that swung the thedoor thedoor thedoor door but nobody stood in the open openIng openIng openIng Ing that gaped blackly black.ly . into the nigbt night nigbtMelody nightMelody nightMelody Melody snatched snatcbed his gun out in wbat what wbatwas whatwas whatwaa was Intended to be a lightning drawGeorge draw drawGeorge George Fury stepped through througb the thedoor thedoor thedoor door , " and flattened himself against againstthe againstthe againstthe the wall Inside allowing the leut least leutpossible leastpossible leastpocsible possible silhouette of ot himself blmself in thedoor the thedoor thedoor door frame until unUl the door was shutGeorge shut shutGeorge George Fury s a eyebrows Jumpednow Jumped Jumpednow jumpednow now as be he h * . saw .aw aw the form of or Luke LukePacker LukePacker LukePacker Packer under its Ita blanket . . Ha He looked lookedat lookedat lookedat at It tor for a long time and his face facew facewas facewas w was . very grim So now they got a acorpua acorpus acorpus corpua corpus delicti delictl " . he be said at last last . . , hoeLowly bol hoe bollowly hoilowly hoilowlyA lowly lowlyA A whut whut1 ? " ' 'A A ' A dead man ' " George Fury am ampUfied ampllfled ampllfied pUfied pllfled It ain amn a in t legal to bang hang you youon youon youon on account of ot a dead man unless unlessthey unlessthey unlessthey they can come up with one Corpus Corpusdelicti Corpusdeicti Corpusdelicti delicti deicti Is some foreign way of ot say sayiDe saylug sayIng iDe lug that soon loon s a they got the corpus corpusyou corpusPou corpusyou " " " you Pou re r < de-Ucked de Ucked de-licked licked - - .Oh Oh " . Oh Ob . . " " ? ' ' "This This "Tbls Tbls 'This " hera here is Ie . rock - bottom bottom"George bottomGeorge " George Fury said aaid , , completely with without without without out hope bope ' "Up Up 'Up " ' until now we was In Inbad inbad inbad bad shape mape , " but all U right rlgbt . . Even It If Itthey IfLbey ifthey they Lbey hung bung you for ror Mont Monte * Jarrad we wecould wecould wacould could of proved the mistake But Butwbat Butwhat Butwhat wbat what good will It ( t do to prova prove who whoyou whorou whoyou you rou ain aln amn t L . t . now that you coma come fitted fittedup fittedii fittedup up ii , with a . corpus delicti of 01 your own ? Melody put away hia hIs gun . . Some Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes times be he said it don t seem to tome tome tome me like Uke we get the breaks " I suppose you realize ' * ' George GeorgeFury GeorgeFury GeorgeFury Fury said saltily there s , . a posse possepretty possepretty possepretty pretty near on top of us right now IIOW ? George ' " said Cherry de Longpre Longprewith Longprewith Longprewith with deep gravity you sbouldn abouldn ahouldn t thave thave thave have dona done thisWho thisWho this thisWho Who me ? What ? ? Done which whicb ? ' " "You You " shouldn t bav bave have shot him btm idm ' * " 'I I ' I shouldn t of what whatT what ? ? Shot who whoT"The whoTThe ? ' " "Tbe Tbe 'The The ' " man under that blanketwas blanket Lwas is L . -was was - was an express company detec deter deterlive detectlve tive live HII His Hi * name wa was . Luke Packer PackerBe PackerHe He Be was WBS one of the most reared feared fearedpeace rearedpeace fearedpeace peace officers omcen ohcers in the West every everybody everybody everybody body knows his hla name There Isn 1m tan t ta ta ta a single man in the whole wbole territory territorywho territorywho territorywho who wouldn t have been a better bettereholce betterchoice betterebolc eholce choice * tor ror for you to kill than this manYea man manYes manYes Yes Yea but--but- but but-but butbut"There but - - but - ' " ' "There There 'There " " s a going to be b such sucb a man manbunting manhunting manbunting bunting hunting hullabaloo bullabaloo as the West haa has haanever hasnever hasnever never seen before I wouldn t gIve gIvetwo givetwo givetwo two cents for tor the chances cbances of eitherone either eitherone eitherone one of youl youlGeorge you IGeorge I IGeorge George Fury looked from rrom the girl girlto girlto girlto to bi his . partner and back again . , , alowly lowly with the dreary disillusion disil1uslon of ofa ofa ofa a man who wbo witnesses an all time timelow timelow timelowSo 1 1low low lowSo So now he be drawled , , ' ' "you you 'You " can t tneither tneither tneither neither of you think of no better out outI outthan outthan outthan I than to blame the whole damn ca caI calamlty calamlty I lamlty on me me'S meS me'SIt m " ' " " I It ain amn t any question " of "I I blaming blamingnobody blamingnobody blamingnobody nobody George Melody said .ald ald . sadly sad aad sadly ly 17 r / rGeorge George GeorKe reddened 'Why Why ' ' yew be- be befewzled befewzled be-fewzled be fewzled - - fewzled numpus-- numpus ntnnpus-- ntnnpus ntnnpus1 numpusI numpus - - - " I 1 eoea guess . , , ' " Melody told Cherry"we Cherry ' "we we " "we we " we got him Ulm on our hands Tbat That's Thats That'sbow That'sbow Thatsbow ' " . bow come be shot abot Packer " Cherry Merry just lust stood atood there ther * looldnl looking looldnlbleak lookingbleak lookingbleak bleak . , , and stunned-a stunned a stunned - - a little Uttle clusy glassy glassyeyed clusyeyed glassyeyed eyed . . Tha The full run compUca complication Uon of their theirdi.aster theirdisaster theirdisaster di.aster diaster disaster . was waa . still .tw tw .oa oa . soaking its Ita war way warInto wayinto wayInto : Into her ber mind . mindXt . - ' It -Xt Xt 'It wasn't wasnt ' ' tha the real George dune dunetb1s dunethis donathis tb1s this ' ' " MelodT Melody said aaleL aaleLXt . . " "It It " -Xt Xt - was a bot bot- bottle bottle bottle - - tle of " liquor "quor quor sh6t sb6t ah6t Packer Just jUlt the the.ame thesame tbasame .ame ame same . . as . If It It capered in here and andpopped andpopped andpopped popped him b1m with its Ita cork . . When WhenGeorge WhenGeorge WhenGeorge George drink drinks * . he ain't aint aln"t alnt ' ' " nothing notbinc but buta buta buta a bottle with laigs lalgl lalgs " " " "I I 1 " ' " beard : you rou ftre re ere the abot shot that thatdropped thatdropped thatdropped . dropped him hJm . . " ' George was pitying plt7InI them BOW uow now , la in a . .w w . lretlry wa . , < try , . embSt.tem embSttem embittered embitteredWay arnbltteradway . Way . . . "I I " waa was we . righil rIIb\ rIIb rIIbt ragMl \ t ouut4e outside outild * . Andwhe Andwhen And Andtabl whe when I C Come MO S . In , you . wa was . under the thetable thetable table tabl , your yoW " six-gun six gun fix-1M fix 1M gixgup - ) ImoJdD smoking . in to inyour toyour inyour your damn Land"T LandT Land"TYou hand . , . " . . , ' "You You " You mfan mean . . , I J 'bO bO she shethem ' ahothlmT"You ahothlmTYou bJm'P bJmP . : them ' ? " * * "You You " ftna finally got lOt . i it , Ison con"Why conWhy on . . . " ' . * ' 'Why Why "Why ' ' " la is . a bole hole hoi * in JD tba the window windowand , . an and glafs glass ,18 18 , . . on the th * floor Qoor , It If 1 I mot shot mot.him shothim shothbnT .him him . ' ? " Melody demanded dethanded d aaned "YOU YOU "Yon Yon "Yonei " " ' "YOUthJi1k " 'Youthink Youthink ' tmhidndken thJi1k 1 run outaldef outsider " ei . and ahot shot . , end and endwdden andsudden ' wdden run nm backt back ! ? , "I I " ' 1 don don't dont ' . ' know nothing nothlna nothng nothlna.bout nothngabout about .bout bout . t t that"Why thatWhy sat at . , " "why why ' " " S ia is . thay th07 they bipod 1$9R4 19R4 $ 9Qd pit on tha the 11001 floor floorby floorby ' b by " tba the window , . whara where he h nt117 * teU fell * ' ? " Mel Mel- Melody Melody - ' ody insisted buisted . . "And't Andt .And And "Ands Ands ' " . . ! ' bow doi does * thecorpus the theCOfPU8 tbcorpus * COfPU8 corpus get let troJn from ( roro thtra U1.ere U1ere there . up on oa the thebunk thebunk tbbunk * bunk , . , U I'm Im ' ' Under O ti'e tie tha ' e table tabi * when wben I.hoot Ishoot I Ihoot .hoot hoot shoot . hoot him b1m bins dald daldT ? Yo Yotf " think the tb * cor- cor car corput cor.pus corpus - . . put pus hauls haW . off and leaps Uapi up under underthat underthat underthat that blanket . , , when be lie h * hears bear . you youcomfng youcoming youcoming comfng coming in ? , . " ' TbJ This . cave gave gav * Georg Geor.e Geore George . * paule pause paus * He H * crew grew crew.uddenJy grewsuddenly grwsuddenly * .uddenJy uddenJy suddenly . vry very . still .un un a * . something .aomethlnl aomethlnl elae else elaethat elsethat elsthat * that thatva \va va \ was ' goln going , on . on , beyond the th * range rangeof rangeof rangof * of tblr their * argument arcurnent . , beyond the th * cabin cabinclearing cabinclearing cabinclearing clearing became plain to bun him Cher Cher- Cherry Cherry - . ry watched him . . . "Can Can " you hear bear the tb * posse ? ' " she shewhispered shewhispered hI * whisperedGeorge whispered | Oeorg George * shook ahook his head * ' SomethJn Som- Som Some- Some Somthing - * - . | thJn thing , alse ellle else i is . tooken place " be he h * .ald ald said saidwith . saidwith .aldwith with a new bleak aweSo awa awe ' "So So -So " - that wa was wasill wasill . It ill ! I m sorry . " , Melody It wasn't wasnt ' you you.bot youshot youahot .bot bot shot . Packer I should Ihould of Imowed knowed Imowedyou knowedyou knowedyou you wasn't wasnt waan"t waant ' " up to nothing so pl'acti placti practi pl'actical practical ' practical cal as that " . "I I " don't dont ' toller foller loner this ' " Melody said said.George saidGeorge . . George pleaded with him bim "Don"t Dont "Don't "Don"ttry "Don'ttry "Don'ttry Donttry " ' " try to git gJt It through your head We Wealn Wesin Wain * aln sin t got tim time * for no such sucb com eom com- compllcated complicated . - plicated pUcated pllcated projick as 88 that thati ! ! If you want went wantout wentout wantout out of ot this will you pleas please * pleas please * do dolike dolike dolike like I say ' Jest 'eat eat for the th * next few minutes min minutes minutesT minutesTGo utes ? Go catch catcb your YQur ponies ' " George GeorgeFury GeorgeFury GeorgFury * Fury ordered Melody All AD the th * deadlevel dead deadlevel deadlevel level urgency he could put into his t tI ts ti til \ \ \ \ \ \ \ I s i i | ( il ii iiJi l lii Ji 1 1He De He wen went . alash1ne slashing up to the door af of afthe ofthe the cabin aDd and kicked U tt In low tones wa was . there Saddle em emboth emboth emboth both both . , , yours and Cherry s a Then git gitmine gitmine gitmine mine He s . about forty |