lmost put out the lamp."

A terrific wrench made the bones pop in the cattle king's hand, and
with a yell of pain he let go. Kid Wolf took the derringer, empty now,
and tossed it contemptuously to one side.

"I'm ashamed of yo'," he drawled, with a slow smile. "Yo' ought to
know bettah than to use a toy like that. Sit down on the bed, sah. I
have a few things to say to yo'."

In his left hand The Kid held a big Colt .45. Gentleman John obeyed.

"My men will kill yuh fer this!" he raged.

"Yo' haven't any men, sah. They're done. And now yo' are done." Kid
Wolf rolled a cigarette and lighted it over the lamp chimney.
"Gentleman John," he drawled, "whoevah named yo' suah had a sense of
humah. Yo' are a murderah, and a cowardly one, because yo' have othahs
do yo' dirty work."

"Kill me and get it over!" jerked Gentleman John.

"Really, yo' shouldn't judge me by what yo' would do yo'self undah the
circumstances," said The Kid mildly. "I'm not heah to kill yo'. I'm
heah to take yo' back to Skull fo' trial and punishment."

"Fer trial!" repeated the cattle king. "Why, there ain't any law----"

"I hope yo' don't think," drawled the Texan, "that I wasted the time I
spent in town. Theah's a new cattlemen's organization theah--and
they've decided on drastic measures."

"Yuh can't prove a thing!" Gentleman John shot at him loudly.

The Kid raised his eyebrows.

"No?" he said softly. "Yo' men slipped up a little and left evidence
when they murdahed Joe Morton. They left the bill o' sale he wouldn't
sign! It'll go hahd with yo, but I'm givin' yo' one chance."

Kid Wolf glanced around the room, and his eyes fell on paper and pen
near the lamp. Placing his gun at his elbow, within easy reach, the
Texan wrote steadily for a full minute. Then he turned and handed the
cattle king the slip of paper.

"Yo' through in Nueva Mex, Gentleman John," The Kid drawled. "It's
just a question of who falls heir to yo' holdin's. Read that ovah."

The cattle king read it. It was brief, but to the point:

I, Gentleman John, do hereby give and hand over all my estates, land,
holdings, and live stock to Red Morton, of Skull County, New Mexico,
for consideration received.

"Theah's a bill o' sale fo' yo' to sign." The Texan smiled grimly.

"If I sign under pressure, it won't hold good," blustered Gentleman
John.

"Yo' won't be in this country to contest it," Kid Wolf drawled. "This
won't in any way repay Red