The Border Legion

The crowd jostled and split to admit the long, lean Oliver. He

stalked straight toward Kells, till the table alone stood between

them. He was gray of face, breathing hard, resolute and stern.

"Kells, I throwed--you--down!" he said, with outstretched hand. It

was a gesture of self-condemnation and remorse.

"What of that?" demanded Kells, with his head leaping like the

strike of an eagle.

"I'm takin' it back!"

Kells met the outstretched hand with his own and wrung it. "Handy, I

never knew you to right--about--face. But I'm glad. ... What's

changed you so quickly?"

"VIGILANTES!"

Kells's animation and eagerness suddenly froze. "VIGILANTES!" he

ground out.

"No rumor, Kells, this time. I've sure some news. ... Come close,

all you fellows. You, Gulden, come an' listen. Here's where we git

together closer'n ever."

Gulden surged forward with his group. Handy Oliver was surrounded by

pale, tight faces, dark-browed and hardeyed.

He gazed at them, preparing them for a startling revelation. "Men,

of all the white-livered traitors as ever was Red Pearce was the

worst!" he declared, hoarsely.

No one moved or spoke.

"AN' HE WAS A VIGILANTE!"

A low, strange sound, almost a roar, breathed through the group.

"Listen now an' don't interrupt. We ain't got a lot of time. ... So

never mind how I happened to find out about Pearce. It was all

accident, an' jest because I put two an' two together. ... Pearce

was approached by one of this secret vigilante band, an' he planned

to sell the Border Legion outright. There was to be a big stake in

it for him. He held off day after day, only tippin' off some of the

gang. There's Dartt an' Singleton an' Frenchy an' Texas all caught

red-handed at jobs. Pearce put the vigilantes to watchin' them jest

to prove his claim. ... Aw! I've got the proofs! Jest wait. Listen

to me! ... You all never in your lives seen a snake like Red Pearce.

An' the job he had put up on us was grand. To-day he was to squeal

on the whole gang. You know how he began on Kells--an' how with his

oily tongue he asked a guarantee of no gun-play. But he figgered

Kells wrong for once. He accused Kells's girl an' got killed for his

pains. Mebbe it was part of his plan to git the girl himself.

Anyway, he had agreed to betray the Border Legion to-day. An' if he

hadn't been killed by this time we'd all be tied up, ready for the

noose! ... Mebbe thet wasn't a lucky shot of the boss's. Men, I was

the first to declare myself against Kells, an' I'm here now to say

thet I was a fool. So you've all been fools who've bucked against

him. If this ain't provin' it, what can!