"Accordingly Mr. Hollis sent for the sheriff. Not to bring him outdoors
and shoot him down in a sudden gunplay, nor to take advantage of him
through a surprise--as a good many men would have been tempted to do, my
friends, for the sheriff has a wide reputation as a handler of guns of
all sorts. No, sir, he sent for me also, and he told us frankly that the
bad blood between him and the sheriff must be spent. You understand? By
the Lord, my friends, I admired the fine spirit of the lad. He expected
to be shot rather than to drop the sheriff. I could tell that by his
expression. But his eye did not falter. It carried me back to the old
days--to old days, sirs!"
There was not a murmur in the entire room. The eye of Elizabeth Cornish
was fire. Whether with anger or pride, Vance could not tell. But he began
to worry.
"We went over to the group of silver spruce near the house. I gave them
the directions. They came and stood together, back to back, with their
revolvers not drawn. They began to walk away in opposite directions at my
command.
"When I called 'Turn,' they wheeled. My gun was ready to shoot down the
first man guilty of foul play--but there was no attempt to turn too soon,
before the signal.
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