by one
of this secret vigilante band, an' he planned to sell the Border Legion
outright. There was to be a big stake in it for him. He held off
day after day, only tippin' off some of the gang. There's Dartt an'
Singleton an' Frenchy an' Texas all caught red-handed at jobs. Pearce
put the vigilantes to watchin' them jest to prove his claim.... Aw! I've
got the proofs! Jest wait. Listen to me!... You all never in your lives
seen a snake like Red Pearce. An' the job he had put up on us was grand.
To-day he was to squeal on the whole gang. You know how he began on
Kells--an' how with his oily tongue he asked a guarantee of no gun-play.
But he figgered Kells wrong for once. He accused Kells's girl an' got
killed for his pains. Mebbe it was part of his plan to git the girl
himself. Anyway, he had agreed to betray the Border Legion to-day. An'
if he hadn't been killed by this time we'd all be tied up, ready for the
noose!... Mebbe thet wasn't a lucky shot of the boss's. Men, I was the
first to declare myself against Kells, an' I'm here now to say thet I
was a fool. So you've all been fools who've bucked against him. If this
ain't provin' it, what can!

"But I must hustle with my story.... They was havin' a trial down at
the big hall, an' thet place was sure packed. No diggin' gold to-day!...
Think of what thet means for Alder Creek. I got inside where I could
stand on a barrel an' see. Dartt an' Singleton an' Frenchy an' Texas was
bein' tried by a masked court. A man near me said two of them had been
proved guilty. It didn't take long to make out a case against Texas
an' Frenchy. Miners there recognized them an' identified them. They was
convicted an' sentenced to be hung!.. Then the offer was made to let
them go free out of the border if they'd turn state's evidence an' give
away the leader an' men of the Border Legion. Thet was put up to each
prisoner. Dartt he never answered at all. An' Singleton told them to go
to hell. An' Texas he swore he was only a common an' honest road-agent,
an' never heard of the Legion. But the Frenchman showed a yellow streak.
He might have taken the offer. But Texas cussed him tumble, an' made him
ashamed to talk. But if they git Frenchy away from Texas they'll make
him blab. He's like a greaser. Then there was a delay. The big crowd
of miners yelled for ropes. But the vigilantes are waitin', an' it's my
hunch they're waitin' for Pearce."

"So! And where do we stand?" cried Kells, clear and c