ranger, who is the other prisoner,
was inclined to be sassy, and made a pass at Rawhide with his fist,
telling him to mind his own business and not ask so many questions.
Rawhide struck back; and Allen, coming out from behind some bushes,
began shooting."

The Captain stopped and looked calmly and judicially from face to face
in the crowd.

"That, gentlemen, is the statement made to me by Texas Bill, who
now lies dead in Pete's Place as a result of the wound inflicted by
Allen."

"That's a lot of swearing for a man to do that's been shot through the
lungs," commented Bill Wilson skeptically.

The Captain gave him a malevolent look and continued. "We will ask
Mr. Swift to come forward and tell us what he knows of this deplorable
and, if I may be permitted the term, disgraceful affair."

Mr. Swift edged his way carefully through the crowd with his left arm
thrust out to protect the right, which was bandaged and rested in a
blood-stained sling. He asked permission to sit down; kicked a box
into the small, open space between the Captain, the jury, and the
prisoners, and seated himself with the air of a man about to perform
an extremely painful duty.

"Hold up your right hand," commanded the Captain.

Swift apologetically raised his left hand and gazed steadfastly into
the cold, impartial eyes of his Captain.

"You swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so-help-you-God?"

Swift, his purplish eyes wide and clear and honest as the gaze of a
baby, calmly affirmed that he did.

Jack grinned and lazily fanned the smoke of his cigarette away, so
that he might the better gaze upon this man who was about to tell
the whole truth and nothing else. He caught Swift's eye and added
a sneering lift to the smile; and Swift's eyes changed from bland
innocence to hate triumphant.

"Mr. Swift, you will now relate to us the circumstances of this
affair, truthfully, in the order of their happening," directed the
deep voice of the Captain.

Mr. Swift carefully eased his wounded arm in its sling, turned his
innocent gaze upon the crowd, and began:

"Texas, Rawhide, and myself were crossing the sandy stretch south of
town about noon, when we met this chap--the stranger there." He nodded
slightly toward the boy. "I was walking behind the other two, but I
heard Rawhide say: 'Hello, son, any luck in the diggin's?' The kid
said: 'None of your damn business!' That made Rawhide kinda mad, being