Beth Norvell

The desperate seriousness of their situation was only too evident.

Both men recognized this, yet had no opportunity then to reflect over

its possibilities, or plan for relief. Without exchanging a word,

except as related to their present labor, the two at once began

ministering to the relief of Hayes, confident that Brown, stationed

without, would guard vigorously against any surprise attack. The two

wounds upon the sheriff's head were extremely ugly in appearance, being

both deep and jagged, and having bled profusely. However, when

carefully washed and probed, neither proved particularly severe or

dangerous. In less than an hour, conscious yet exceedingly weak and

becoming somewhat feverish, the injured man, dazed in mind but fairly

comfortable in body, had been safely stowed away in a bunk, with every

prospect of an early recovery.

Not until all this had been accomplished did his anxious nurses venture

to look thoughtfully into each others' faces and take direct cognizance

of their own perilous position. Hicks stepped outside into the

sunlight, wiping the perspiration from off his face, and a moment later

Winston joined him, the two standing in grave silence, gazing off

toward the apparently deserted "Independence." The strain of the past

night and day had plainly marked them both, yet it was not exposure and

toil alone that gave such anxiety to their faces. Finally Hicks turned

from his long scrutiny and glanced back toward the younger man,

stroking his goat's beard solemnly.

"Looks ter me like we'd managed ter drop into a mighty bad hole, an'

was up agin the real thing," he began gloomily, yet hastening to add in

explanation, "not as I have any notion o' cavin', you onderstand, only

I ain't overly pleased with the situation, an' thet 's a fact. I never

yit objected in particular ter no fair fight, not o' any kind, free fer

all, or stan' up, but I ain't used ter buckin' agin the law nohow, an'

someway thet seems ter be 'bout what we 're up agin this trip. Beats

hell the way things turned out, don't it?"

Winston nodded without opening his lips. He was thinking more

earnestly about Miss Norvell's unpleasant position than of their own,

yet compelled himself to attention.

"Now, this yere Farnham is a gambler an' a thief; he 's all round

crooked, an' we 've got a cinch on him fer the penitentiary. But we

ain't got the right holt," the old miner continued, squinting his eyes

as if thus endeavoring to get the thought firmly lodged in his brain.

"He 's ben made a deputy sheriff. He kin turn that crowd o' toughs

over thar into a posse, an' come over here with the whole law o' the

State backin' them in any deviltry they decide on, even ter killin' off

the lot o' us for resistin' officers. Es Sam Hayes said, if we shoot,

we 'll be a-shootin' up Gulpin County. An' yet, by thunder, we 've

plumb got ter do it, er git off the earth. I jest don't see no other

way. Biff, he won't care a damn how he gits us, so he gits us afore we

have any chance ter turn the tables on him, an' shift the law over ter

our side. Hayes can't help any, fer he 's out o' his head.

Consequent, it's up ter us. Thet warrant business, an' deputy sheriff

racket, was a blame smart trick, all right. It would 'a' corralled us

good an' proper if thet fool Swede had n't run amuck. Not that he left

us in no bed o' roses, but, at least, we got a fightin' chance now, an'

afore we did n't have even that. I was inclined ter let yer surrender

to the sheriff, fer Sam Hayes is a squar' man, but not ter Farnham an'

his gang--not much, Mary Ann! Thet would mean lynchin', an' I know it.

So, I reckon we jest got to plug it out, an' trust ter luck. Thet 's

my view-point, but ye 're a more higher edycated man ner me, Mr.

Winston, an' maybe you kin see some other way out."