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Show ONE AGAINST THREE CORNER ' By RjchQrd H Wikinson JIM Orson had ridden 200 miles on horseback to commit murder. Slouched in his saddle, one hand resting carelessly on his thigh near the butt of the six shooter, he watched from beneath the brim of his hat as the boy came toward him. "This Marc Newell's place?" he asked. The boy nodded. "My brother will be back any I minute. I'm 3 -Minute Davie Newell. Fiction Are you Mr- Du- ( mont, -the cattle buyer?" Without changing his expression Jim Orson said: "Yeah, I'm him." "We've been expectin' you. Come Orson's hand whipped to his hip and he shot at the exact moment lead spurted ."rom the horseman's six-shooter. Faintly the sound of hoofbeats came to them. Davie set down the pan of potatoes and scurried to a window, turned back into the room, white-faced. Without a word he snatched up the Winchester rifle. TiHREE men had drawn rein be- fore the gate. Halfway down the walk Davie was facing them defiantly. de-fiantly. "You git out of here, Jules Snyder!" The' leader of the trio, obviously Snyder, said placatingly: "Put down the gun, kid. We only want to have a talk with your brother." "You want to kill him!" the boy cried shrilly. "I ain't gonna let you. Marc never done nothin' to you." Behind Jules Snyder one of the riders had drawn his gun. It was one against three, a boy against a trio of killers. Jim Orson stepped through the kitchen door. His hand was on his on inside and wait. It's cooler." "I noticed," Orson remarked, "that you had a rifle in your hands when you first opened the door. Expectin' trouble?" The boy's face clouded. "I was afraid it might be Jules Snyder. He's promised to get Marc." "Why is he out to get your brother?" The boy hesitated. "Because Marc quit his gang. Marc used to hang around with the Snyder bunch, but when they began rustlin' and killin", he quit "em. "Right after Marc quit, a man named Tom Orson was shot and Jules let it out that Marc done it. The story spread an' nobody dared deny it because they're afraid of Snyder." Jim Orson thought: "The boy's lying. He's like his brother a liar and a killer. It was Marc Newell who killed Tom, and it's Marc Newell I'm going to settle with for the crime." "You'll like my brother," Davie was saying. "He's swell. He" gun. "BLL RIGHT," he said. "This makes it more even. I'm backing the kid's play." Snyder's eyes bulged. "Who the devil are you?" "I'm Orson, J 1 m Orson. Brother of the man you killed, Snyder!" Snyder's reaction was a dead giveaway. The man who had drawn his gun suddenly levelled it. Orson's hand whipped to his hip. He got his own weapon clear and shot as lead spurted from the horseman's six-shooter. six-shooter. Snyder swore savagely and went for his own gun. Orson shot again Two of the horsemen were down, the third streaking up the road. Orson, smoking gun in hand, bent over the two still figures. The boy watched him, wide-eyed, awed "Son, I'll ride into town and get the sheriff. You stay here. When your brother comes back, explain what's happened." The boy nodded, choking. "Y you're not Mr. Dumont? You're Jim Orson?" "That's right," Orson smiled and patted the boy's head. "Come 200 miles on horseback to get a lesson in courage." "You're going back now?" "That's right. I'm going back You see, son, I accomplished what I come for." |