ned there, with a wide, gaping mouth, into the
canyon. A mound of debris was heaped in front. Stepping softly, they
peered around the pile of rocks and saw, lying in the mouth of the
chasm, a man with a revolver gripped in his right hand. Blood stained
his clothing and ran out over the rocks and sand. He was a tall man
with a short, bushy, iron-gray beard covering his face. Tuttle and
Ellhorn covered him with their revolvers and walked to his side. He
put up a feeble, protesting hand.

"It's all right, strangers. You've nothing to fear from me. I'll be
dead in ten minutes."

"Who killed you?"

"Was it the two ornery scrubs we're after?"

"I've put the last shot in myself. If you'd been half an hour earlier
I might have had a chance."

"What's the matter? What's happened? Tom, give him a drink out of the
flask."

"No, give me water," said the man. "I emptied my canteen this
morning."

Nick lifted his head and Tom held their canteen to his lips. He drank
deeply, and as he lay down again he looked at Tom curiously.

"Two days ago I had a fight with two men, and I've been lying here
ever since. They did me up, so that I knew I'd got to die if no help
came. And I knew that was just about as likely as a snowstorm, but I
couldn't help bankin' on the possibility. So I laid here two days and
threw rocks at the coyote that came and sat on that heap of stones and
waited for me to die. This morning I drank the last of the water and I
said to myself that if nobody came by the time the sun was straight
above that peak yonder I'd put a bullet into my heart. I had two left,
and I used one on the coyote that had been a-settin' on that rock
watchin' me the whole morning. I was bound he shouldn't pick my bones,
he'd been so sassy and so sure about it. You'll find his carcass down
the canyon a ways. That tired my arm and I waited and rested a spell
before I tried it on myself. But I was weaker than I thought and I
couldn't hold the gun steady, and the bullet didn't go where I meant
it to. But I'm bleedin' to death."

"The two men--what became of them? I reckon they're the ones we're
lookin' for!" exclaimed Nick.

"Are you? Well, I guess you'll find 'em scattered down the canyon, or
else up there," and he pointed to the mountain side above. "They
couldn't get very far."

"Did you kill 'em?" asked Tom anxiously. "You've spoiled a job we've
come here for if you did."

The man scanned Tom's face again and a light of recognitio