grab a pearl-handled, silver-plated shootin' iron. He stood up, advanced
one step, and fired downwardly at Les McAvoy's breast. Les writhed,
turned completely around, his hand convulsively endeavoring to get an
aim at Tupper, who stood with a malicious grin waiting for McAvoy again
to face him, ready to fire again if need be, but he saw it was useless.
As McAvoy finally pivoted, the pistol dropped to the floor, and with a
crash he fell flat on his back, dead. You were under the table. Tupper
stepped from the box, his six-shooter a smokin' and said, 'You got it
that time,' then put the gun in his pocket."

"Where were you?" exclaimed Mr. Lillis.

"Right agin the wall, and McAvoy's head struck at my feet. One man saw
this besides myself. He wore three gold nuggets on his shirt front, and
me and him figgered it out that night and again the next morning, but
mum was the word. We knew the gamblers would kill us both if we told
what we seen. I left the place and returned just as the last testimony
was being given. There was no evidence given of Tupper having fired a
shot. As the body lay upon its side on the floor there was one wound in
the breast near the left center. Just under the skin in the small of the
back was a dark, cone-shaped substance. It was the lead bullet from that
pearl-handled six-shooter. The round bullet from your Colt's navy went
through the roof."

"Gentlemen," said Lillis, "I am now able to relieve my mind from this
hideous vision, and it will bring happiness to my mother. I can see now
why the gamblers removed me to Rosita and furnished me with
transportation and money to leave Colorado when I recovered sufficiently
to travel. The ball from McAvoy's pistol caught the lower portion of my
eye, and the turning of my head just before he fired caused the bullet
to pass out near my ear, instead of going into my brain."

"We must go now, as it is near train time," said Jack.

"Me, too," said Cal.

"Are you going west?" asked Jack.

"Same train you take, I guess," replied Cal.

"Gentlemen," said Mr. Lillis, "I regret you leave so soon. I would like
to entertain you if you care to stay over. If not now, at some future
time; and, Mr. Wagner, you have done me a great favor. My poor old
mother can live the rest of her life peacefully. Good-bye! good-bye!"

As the train pulled out of the station on the way to Denver the
principal topic of conversation was the remarkable coincidence of the
rencounter of Ja