To the Last Man

ther man. "An', say, didn't thet last shot

it, I reckon it di

around over

stler slipped out of si

only go close enough to call Somers.... Mebbe the

the strongest gust of passion that had ever stormed his breast. If he arose and shot the rustler, that act would defeat his plan of slipping on around upon the other outposts who were firing at the cabins. Jean wanted to call softly to Greaves, "You're right about the half-breed!" and th

Greaves's neck and closed tight and hard. With his right hand free, holding the knife, Jean might have ended the deadly business in just one move. But when his bared arm felt the hot, bulging neck something terrible burst out of the depths of him. To kill this enemy of his father's was not enough! Physical contact had unleashed the savage soul

ike that of a lassoed steer. But Jean's hold held. They rolled down the bank into the sandy

t's the half-breed.... An' I'm goin' to cut you-

arm whipped the big blade. It flashed. It fell. Low dow

t, he got to his, knees. He had his gun out when Jean reached him again. Like a bear Jean enveloped him. Greaves shot, but he could not raise the gun, nor twist it far enough. Then Jean, letting go with his right arm, swung the bowie. Greaves's strength went out in an awful, hoarse cry. His gun boomed again, then dropped

h were clenched tight as a vise, and it took effort on his part to open his mouth so he could breathe more freely and deeply. But these physical sensations were as nothing compared to the tumult of his mind. Then the instinct, the spell, let go its grip and he could think. He had avenged Guy, he had depleted the ranks o

he entered the kitchen and, calling

ame his father'

back," rep

ou-all

my leg. I didn't know I had it till now...

nds for him. They belonged to his sister Ann. She emb

aid, and held her close. "Now

as full. Speech was difficult, because the very touch of Ann's hands had made him

ed out there?" de

hat fellow who was shootin' from the

claimed h

eclared Blaisdell. "By God, I never he

n one after another. An' I didn't want to make n

dark," muttered Gaston Isbel. "We've got to be on

nce and apparent break in the siege were harder to bear than deliberate hostility. The long, dark hours dragged by. The men took turns watching and resti

pt away their fears. The women took advantage o

hat several times since daybreak. Jean saw her somber gaze search the pasture until it rested up

replied Jean. "I've seen some of the

sdell was wrong. Directly after sunrise they began to pour volleys from four sides and from closer range. During the night Jorth's gang had thrown earth banks and constructed log bre

fully aimed. A glancing bullet cut a furrow in Blaisdell's hoary head, making a painful, though not serious wound. It was Esther Isbel who stopped the flow of blood and bound Blaisdell's head, a task which

t thar," he kept repeat

for Blue an' Fredericks an' Gordon to open up out there. They ought to be

oting continued without any lull until abo

ried Isbel. "Boys, hold y

ar. And at this juncture Esther Isbel came over to take another gaze out upon the meadows

" she

red the old rancher. "Ke

Blaisdell. "She sees somet

k! The hogs have broken into the pa

big black hogs had indeed appeared on the scene and were rooting around in the grass not far from where lay

bel, to the wife of Jacobs. "Come! Look

dow and looked out. She

eat human flesh?" quer

urprise seemed to hold him. A completel

ou shoot that far?"

s? No, it's o

ul sight," ejaculated the old man, completely unnerved. "See that

monstrated Blaisdell, wagging his bloody hea

shore

urned Blaisdell, weakly. Plain it was that he only h

piercingly. "They're worki

kly, feeling a little sick. Ann Isbel came to peer out of the win

- -! Isbel, we cain't stand heah a

to. What else on

as white and cold, except her e

t there an' bury our

appened to Guy an' Jacobs.... We've jest got to

earing in the grass, some of them lazy, others nimble, and all were gradually working closer and closer to the bodies. The leader,

ick," said Jean, forced out of his lethargy. "I'll ru

nd with dark face flaming. "Guy an' Jac

ht to a pitch by Esther's blaze of passion,

dered Gaston Isbel, f

ied Esther, her

d the wife of Jacobs, repeating unconsc

ah," shouted Gasto

e. My husband is dead. No one can stop me. I'm goin

eplied Isbel. "If y'u show yourself ou

ut no white men coul

in time to see both women run out into the lane. Jean looked fearfully, and listened for shots. But only a loud, "Haw! Haw!" came from the watchers outside. That coarse laugh re

t to hurry," burs

er's speech. The leader of the hogs had no doubt scented

!" yelled Jean, w

a scent and went ambling toward their leader. Esther and her companion passed swiftly out of sight behind a corral. Loud and piercingly, with some awful note, rang o

him. Next they hurried to the side of Jacobs, who lay some yards away. They dug a grave for him. Mrs. Jacobs took off her outer skirt to wrap round him. Then the two women labored hard to lift him and lower him. Jacobs was a heavy man. When he had been covered

rely must have shamed Jorth and his followers. They did not fir

Isbel made no effort to hide his tears. Blaisdell nodded his shaggy head and swallowed hard. The women

Isbel, in immense relief. "An' so hel

e women entered the old man said, brokenly: "I'm shore glad.... An' I rec

hat the defenders did not risk a return shot. They all had to lie flat next to the lowest log in order to keep from being hit. Bullets rained in through the window. And all the clay between t

shot their bolt," d

returned Blaisdell, "but they'v

y called Jean. "S

ud, hoarse voice. "Let y

ive voice from outside had belonged to Jorth. The old rancher lunged up to his full height and with rec

as loath to believe it. Jean, however, watching at the back of the kitchen, eventually discovered that the Jorth gang had lifted the siege. Jean saw them congregate at the edge of the brush, somewhat lower down than they had been the day before. A team of mules, drawing a wagon, appeared

"We had the best of this fight.... I

His hair was grayer. Now that the blaze and glow of the fight had passed he showed

l returned home to settle matters there, so that he could devote all his t

don, and Colmor were all at his house, on the way to join the Isbels. This news appeared greatly to rejuvenate Gaston Isbel. But his enthusiasm did not last l

aved women did not ask for assistance, but repaired to the pasture, and there spent several hours working over the graves

en she returned to the cabin. "I've much to do an' plan. Probably

to I'd sure go," declare

e raised his face from his hands,

e that's not

irl any more-halted before his chair and gazed down a

ou damned Texans, with your bloody feuds, draggin' in every relation, every friend to murder each other! That's not the way of Arizona men.... We've all got to suffer-an' we w

lowly dropping his head, he remained motionless, a pathetic and tragic figure; and he did not stir until the rapid beat of hoofs denoted the approach o

reeting. "Bill-you look after their p

family, though distantly. He resembled an industrious miner more than a prosperous cattleman. Blue was the most striking of the visitors, as he was the most noted. A little, shrunken gray-eyed man, with years of cowboy written all over him, he looked the quiet, easy, cool, and deadly Te

lean-faced, keen-eyed Arizonian; and it took no great insight to discover that Colmor reciprocated her affection. They were young. They had long life before them. It seemed to Jean a pity that Colmor should be drawn into this war. Jean watched th

better back out of this Jort

an, it's Ann's father," he said.

by Heaven, I say you oughtn't

you," fal

Jorth. Can't you tell that? An'

yearned to guide him right, yet her lips were sealed. And Colmor betrayed the trouble of his soul. The code o

lad to have me in the family.... Well, when this talk of fight come up, I asked your dad to let me go in on his side. He wouldn't hear of it. But a

ou," replied jean, a

said Colmor, with a smile. He had no morbid f

as anyone," rejoined Jean. "It wasn'

then?" asked

on. "He can't come through without it.... I've begun to feel what it means to have killed my

Her dark eyes dilated. But Colmor showed nothing of her spiritual re

ith a keen look. "Nothin' would tickle me any more

Jorth-Isbel feud. Jean had no more to say. He resp

for his guests. When his wishes had been complied with the wom

e can eat an

's vigilance Bill had continued to imbibe red liquor. Then Jean was called upon to relate all he had seen and done. It had been Jean's intention to keep his mouth shut, first for his own sake and, secondly, because he did not like to talk of his deeds. But when thus appealed to by these somber-faced, intent-eyed men he divined that the more carefully he described the cruelty and baseness of their enemies, an

his desserts at last

omments, and the last, from Blue, w

a hell of a way to kill Grea

o avoid noise an' I hop

oughtfully, as if not convinced of anything save

is to say. I've long suspected thet somebody livin' right heah in the valley h

the amaze from Gaston Isbel

ves or some of

e we all knowed Greaves was crooked. But what I'm figgerin' is thet som

e, his father did not rave. It was Blaisdell who supplied the rage and invective. Bill Isbel, also, was strangely indifferent to this new element in the condition of cattle dealing. Suddenly Jean caught a vague flash

difference-we cain't blame all the r

n' his Hash Knife Gang are at the bottom of all the rustlin' i

hat thet means. But I'm not heah to fight Jorth because he may be a rustler. The others may have their own reasons, but mine is th

gray eyes, showed the unbiased truth of the man, as well as his fidelity to his creed. Here again, but in a different manner, Gaston Isbel had the fact flung at him that other men must suffer, perhaps die, for his hate. And the very soul of the old rancher apparently rose in Pas

o business.... I'm for havin' Blue be foreman of

ion and indeed resented it. He i

a hunch what we're goin'

l-an' one way or another-kill him-KILL H

in his mind? His liste

ut it 'd never end our fight. We'll have gone too far.... If we take Jorth's trail

!" exclaimed

lue had all in life to lose, and nothing to gain. Yet his spirit was such that he could not lean to all the possible gain of the future, and leave a debt unpaid. Then his voice, his look, his influence we

n, and he loved them. How strange that the little ones seemed to realize the meaning of this good-by? They were grave, somber-eyed, pale up to the last moment, then they broke down and wept. Did they sense that their father would never come back? Jean caught that dark, fatalistic presentiment. Bill Isbel's convulsed face showed that he also caught it. Jean did not see Bill say good-by to his wife. But he heard her. Old Gaston Is

-faced Colmor, who took her in his arms. Then Jean fled out to his horse. This cold-blooded dev

n, as the silent, tense, grim men mounted their horses, Bill Isbel's eldest child, the boy, appeared in the doo

ith a passion all the fiercer for i

had spread fro