is shoulder as he turned the corner. In less than five minutes he
was back again, and on his best horse, and following the impatient cowboy,
swung down the street at a gallop in the direction of Twenty Mile Trail.

As they left the town behind and swung through the arroyo leading to the
Limping Water, through which the stage route lay, Charley began to speak
again:

"Jimmy and Pete Carson were taking a rest in the shade of the chaparral
and playin' old sledge, when they looked up and saw The Orphan looking
down at them. They're rather easy-going, and so they asked him to take a
hand. He said he would, and got off his cayuse and sat down with them.
Jimmy started a new deal, but The Orphan objected to old sledge and
wanted poker, at the same time throwing a bag of dust down in front of
him. Jimmy looked at Pete, who nodded, and put his wealth in front of
him. Well, they played along for a while, and The Orphan began to have
great luck. When he had won five straight jack pots it was more than
Jimmy could stand, him being young and hasty. He saw his new Cheyenne
saddle, what he was going to buy, getting further away all the time, and
he yelled 'Cheat!' grabbing for his gun, what was plumb crazy for him to
do.

"The Orphan fired from his hip quick as a wink, and Jimmy fell back just
as Pete drew. The Orphan swung on him and ordered him to drop his gun,
which same Pete did, being sick at the stomach at Jimmy's passing. Then
The Orphan told him to take his dirty money and his cheap life and go back
to his mamma. Pete didn't stop none to argue, but mounted and rode away.
But the fool wasn't satisfied at having a whole skin after a run-in
with The Orphan, and when he got off about four hundred yards and right
on the edge of Little Arroyo, where he could get cover in one jump,
he up and let drive, killing The Orphan's horse. Pete got two holes in
his shoulder before he could get out of sight, and he remembered that
his shot had hardly left his gun before he had 'em, too. Pete says he
wonders how in h--l The Orphan could shoot twice so quick, when his
gun's a Sharp's single shot."

Shields was pleased with the knowledge that it was not a plain murder
this time, and fell to wondering if the other killings in which The
Orphan had figured had not in a measure been justified. Hearsay cried
"Murderer," but his own personal experience denied the term. Did not
The Orphan know that Shields was after him, and that the sheriff was no
ma