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肩書を与える: Guns of the Mountains
Author: Robert E. Howard
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Language: English
Date first 地位，任命するd:  Nov 2006
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Guns of the Mountains

by

Robert E. Howard

A BRECKINRIDGE ELKINS STORY

First published in 活動／戦闘 Stories, May/June 1934

THIS 商売／仕事 begun with Uncle Garfield Elkins coming up from Texas to visit us. Between Grizzly Run and Chawed Ear the 行う／開催する／段階 got held up by some masked 強盗団の一味, and Uncle Garfield, never 存在 able to forget that he was a gun-fighting fool thirty or forty years ago, pulled his old cap-and-ball instead of putting up his 手渡すs like he was advised to. For some 推論する／理由, instead of blowing out his light, they 単に 破産した／（警察が）手入れするd him over the 長，率いる with a .45 バーレル／樽, and when he come to he was 動揺させるing on his way toward Chawed Ear with the other 乗客s, minus his money and watch.

It was his watch what 原因（となる）d the trouble. That there timepiece had been his grandpap's, and Uncle Garfield sot more 蓄える／店 by it than he did all his 肉親，親類 folks.

When he arriv up in the Humbolt mountains where our cabin was, he imejitly let in to howling his woes to the 星／主役にするs like a wolf with the belly- ache. And from then on we heered nothing but that watch. I'd saw it and thunk very little of it. It was big as my 握りこぶし, and 負傷させる up with a 重要な which Uncle Garfield was always losing and looking for. But it was solid gold, and he called it a hairloom, whatever them things is. And he nigh driv the family crazy.

"A passle of big hulks like you-all settin' around and lettin' a old man get robbed of all his 所有物／資産／財産," he would say 激しく. "When I was a young buck, if'n my uncle had been 乱用d that way, I'd of took the 追跡する and never slept nor et till I brung 支援する his watch and the scalp of the skunk which stole it. Men now days—" And so on and so on, till I felt like drownding the old jassack in a バーレル／樽 of corn licker.

Finally pap says to me, 徹底的に捜すing his 耐えるd with his fingers: "Breckinridge," says he, "I've 耐えるd Uncle Garfield's belly-achin' all I 目的（とする） to. I want you to go look for his cussed watch, and don't come 支援する without it."

"How'm I goin' to know where to look?" I 抗議するd, aghast. "The feller which got it may be in Californy or Mexico by now."

"I realizes the difficulties," says pap. "But if Uncle Garfield knows somebody is out lookin' for his dern timepiece, maybe he'll give the 残り／休憩（する） of us some peace. You git goin', and if you can't find that watch, don't come 支援する till after Uncle Garfield has went home."

"How long is he goin' to stay?" I 需要・要求するd.

"井戸／弁護士席," said pap, "Uncle Garfield's visits allus lasts a year, at least."

At this I 破産した／（警察が）手入れする into profanity.

I said: "I got to stay away from home a year? Dang it, pap, Jim Braxton'll steal Ellen Reynolds away from me whilst I'm gone. I been courtin' that girl till I'm ready to 落ちる dead. I done licked her old man three times, and now, just when I got her lookin' my way, you tells me I got to up and leave her for a year for that dern Jim Braxton to have no 競争 with."

"You got to choose between Ellen Reynolds, and yore own flesh and 血," said pap. "I'm darned if I'll listen to Uncle Garfield's squawks any longer. You make yore own choice—but, if you don't choose to do what I asks you to, I'll fill yore hide with buckshot every time I see you 今後."

井戸／弁護士席, the result was that I was presently riding morosely away from home and Ellen Reynolds, and in the general direction of where Uncle Garfield's 爆破d watch might かもしれない be.

I passed by the Braxton cabin with the 意向 of dropping Jim a 警告 about his 活動／戦闘s whilst I was gone, but he wasn't there. So I 問題／発行するd a general 反抗 to the family by slinging a .45 slug through the winder which knocked a cob 麻薬を吸う outa old man Braxton's mouth. That soothed me a little, but I knowed very 井戸／弁護士席 that Jim would make a bee-line for the Reynolds' cabin the second I was out of sight. I could just see him gorging on Ellen's 耐える meat and honey, and bragging on hisself. I hoped Ellen would notice the difference between a loud mouthed boaster like him, and a 静かな, modest young man like me, which never bragged, though admittedly the biggest man and the best 闘士，戦闘機 in the Humbolts.

I hoped to 会合，会う Jim somewhere in the 支持を得ようと努めるd as I 棒 負かす／撃墜する the 追跡する, for I was ーするつもりであるing to do something to kinda 妨げる his 法廷，裁判所ing while I was gone, like breaking his 脚, or something, but luck wasn't with me.

I 長，率いるd in the general direction of Chawed Ear, and the next day seen me riding in 暗い／優うつな grandeur through a country やめる some distance from Ellen Reynolds.

Pap always said my curiosity would be the ruination of me some day, but I never could listen to guns popping up in the mountains without wanting to find out who was 殺人，大当り who. So that morning, when I heard the ライフル銃／探して盗むs talking off amongst the trees, I turned Cap'n Kidd aside and left the 追跡する and 棒 in the direction of the noise.

A 薄暗い path 負傷させる up through the big 玉石s and bushes, and the 狙撃 kept getting louder. Purty soon I come out into a glade, and just as I did, bam! somebody let go at me from the bushes and a .45-70 slug 削減（する） both my bridle reins nearly in half. I 即時に returned the 発射 with my .45, getting just a glimpse of something in the 小衝突, and a man let out a squall and jumped out into the open, wringing his 手渡すs. My 弾丸 had 攻撃する，衝突する the lock of his Winchester and mighty nigh jarred his 手渡すs off him.

"中止する that ungodly noise," I said 厳しく, p'inting my .45 at his bay- winder, "and tell me how come you waylays innercent 旅行者s."

He やめる working his fingers and moaning, and he said: "I thought you was Joel Cairn, the 無法者. You're about his size."

"井戸／弁護士席, I ain't," I said. "I'm Breckinridge Elkins, from the Humbolts. I was just ridin' over to learn what all the shootin' was about."

The guns was 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing in the trees behind the fellow, and somebody yelled what was the 事柄.

"Ain't nothin' the 事柄," he hollered 支援する. "Just a misunderstandin'." And he said to me: "I'm glad to see you, Elkins. We need a man like you. I'm 郡保安官 刑事 Hopkins, from Grizzly Run."

"Where at's your 星／主役にする?" I 問い合わせd.

"I lost it in the bresh." he said. "Me and my 副s have been chasin' Tarantula Bixby and his ギャング（団） for a day and a night, and we got 'em cornered over there in a old 砂漠d cabin in a holler. The boys is shootin' at 'em now. I heard you comin' up the 追跡する and snuck over to see who it is. Just as I said, I thought you was Cairn. Come on with me. You can help us."

"I ain't no 副," I said. "I got nothin' against Tranchler Bixby."

"井戸／弁護士席, you want to 支持する the 法律, don't you?" he said.

"Naw," I said.

"井戸／弁護士席, gee whiz!" he wailed. "If you ain't a hell of a 国民! The country's goin' to the dogs. What chance has a honest man got?"

"Aw, shut up," I said. "I'll go over and see the fun, anyhow."

So he 選ぶd up his gun, and I tied Cap'n Kidd, and follered the 郡保安官 through the trees till we come to some 激しく揺するs, and there was four men laying behind them 激しく揺するs and 狙撃 負かす／撃墜する into a hollow. The hill sloped away mighty 法外な into a small 水盤／入り江 that was just like a bowl, with a 縁 of slopes all around. In the middle of this bowl there was a cabin and puffs of smoke was coming from the 割れ目s between the スピードを出す／記録につけるs.

The men behind the 激しく揺するs looked at me in surprize, and one of them said, "What the hell—?"

But the 郡保安官 scowled at them and said, "Boys, this here is Breck Elkins. I done told him already about us bein' a posse from Grizzly Run, and about how we got Tarantula Bixby and two of his cutthroats 罠にかける in that there cabin."

One of the 副s 破産した／（警察が）手入れする into a guffaw and Hopkins glared at him and said: "What you laughin' about, you spotted hyener?"

"I swallered my tobaccer and that allus gives me the hystericals," mumbled the 副, looking the other way.

"停止する your 権利 手渡す, Elkins," requested Hopkins, so I done so, wondering what for, and he said: "Does you 断言する to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, e pluribus unum, anno dominecker, to wit in status quo?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" I 需要・要求するd.

"Them which God has j'ined asunder let no man put together," said Hopkins. "Whatever you say will be used against you and the Lord have mercy on yore soul. That means you're a 副. I just swore you in."

"Go 始める，決める on a tack," I snorted disgustedly. "Go catch your own thieves. And don't look at me like that. I might bend a gun over your skull."

"But Elkins," pleaded Hopkins, "with yore help we can catch them ネズミs 平易な. All you got to do is lay up here behind this big 激しく揺する and shoot at the cabin and keep 'em 占領するd till we can こそこそ動く around and 急ぐ 'em from the 後部. See, the bresh comes 負かす／撃墜する purty の近くに to the foot of the slope on the other 味方する, and gives us cover. We can do it 平易な, with somebody keepin' their attention over here. I'll give you part of the reward."

"I don't want no derned 血-money," I said, 支援 away. "And besides —ow!"

I'd absent-mindedly 支援するd out from behind the big 激しく揺する where I'd been standing, and a .30-30 slug 燃やすd its way acrost the seat of my britches.

"Dern them 殺害者s!" I bellered, seeing red. "Gimme a ライフル銃／探して盗む! I'll learn 'em to shoot a man behind his 支援する. Gwan, take 'em in the 後部. I'll keep 'em busy."

"Good boy!" said Hopkins. "You'll get plenty for this!"

It sounded like somebody was snickering to theirselves as they snuck away, but I give no 注意する. I squinted 慎重に around the big 玉石, and begun sniping at the cabin. All I could see to shoot at was the puffs of smoke which 示すd the 割れ目s they was 狙撃 through, but from the cussing and yelling which begun to float up from the shack, I must have throwed some lead mighty の近くに to them.

They kept 狙撃 支援する, and the 弾丸s splashed and buzzed on the 激しく揺するs, and I kept looking at the その上の slope for some 調印する of 郡保安官 Hopkins and the posse. But all I heard was a sound of horses galloping away toward the west. I wondered who it could be, and I kept 推定する／予想するing the posse to 急ぐ 負かす／撃墜する the opposite slope and take them desperadoes in the 後部, and whilst I was craning my neck around a corner of the 玉石—whang! A 弾丸 粉砕するd into the 激しく揺する a few インチs from my 直面する and a sliver of 石／投石する took a notch out of my ear. I don't know of nothing that makes me madder'n to get 発射 in the ear.

I seen red and didn't even shoot 支援する. A mere ライフル銃／探して盗む was too paltry to 満足させる me. Suddenly I realized that the big 玉石 in 前線 of me was just 均衡を保った on the slope, its underside partly embedded in the earth. I throwed 負かす／撃墜する my ライフル銃／探して盗む and bent my 膝s and spread my 武器 and gripped it.

I shook the sweat and 血 outa my 注目する，もくろむs, and bellered so them in the hollow could hear me: "I'm givin' you-all a chance to 降伏する! Come out, your 手渡すs up!"

They give loud and sarcastic jeers, and I yelled: "All 権利, you （犯罪の）一味- tailed jackasses! If you gets squashed like a pancake, it's your own fault. Here she comes!"

And I heaved with all I had. The veins stood out on my 寺s, my feet sunk into the ground, but the earth bulged and 割れ目d all around the big 激しく揺する, rivelets of dirt begun to trickle 負かす／撃墜する, and the big 玉石 groaned, give way and lurched over.

A dumfounded yell riz from the cabin. I leaped behind a bush, but the 無法者s was too surprized to shoot at me. That enormous 玉石 was 宙返り／暴落するing 負かす／撃墜する the hill, 鎮圧するing bushes flat and 集会 速度(を上げる） as it rolled. And the cabin was 権利 in its path.

Wild yells 破産した／（警察が）手入れする the 空気／公表する, the door was throwed violently open, and a man hove into 見解（をとる）. Just as he started out of the door I let bamat him and he howled and ducked 支援する just like anybody will when a .45-90 slug knocks their hat off. The next instant that 雷鳴ing 玉石 攻撃する，衝突する the cabin. 粉砕する! It knocked it sidewise like a ten pin and 洞穴d in the 塀で囲む, and the whole structure 崩壊（する）d in a cloud of dust and bark and 後援s.

I run 負かす／撃墜する the slope, and from the yells which 問題／発行するd from under the 廃虚s, I knowed they hadn't all been killed.

"Does you-all 降伏する?" I roared.

"Yes, dern it!" they squalled. "Get us out from under this 地滑り!"

"Throw out yore guns," I ordered.

"How in hell can we throw anything?" they hollered wrathfully. "We're pinned 負かす／撃墜する by a トン of 激しく揺するs and boards and we're bein' squoze to death. Help, 殺人!"

"Aw, shut up," I said. "You don't hear me carryin' on in no such hysterical way, does you?"

井戸／弁護士席, they moaned and complained, and I sot to work dragging the 廃虚s off them, which wasn't no 広大な／多数の／重要な 仕事. Purty soon I seen a booted 脚 and I laid 持つ／拘留する of it and dragged out the critter it was fastened to, and he looked more done up than what my brother 法案 did that time he rassled a mountain lion for a bet. I took his ピストル out of his belt, and laid him 負かす／撃墜する on the ground and got the others out. There was three, altogether, and I 武装解除する 'em and laid 'em out in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動.

Their 着せる／賦与するs was nearly tore off, and they was bruised and scratched, and had 後援s in their hair, but they wasn't 傷つける 永久の. They sot up and felt of theirselves, and one of 'em said: "This here is the first 地震 I ever seen in this country."

"T'警告する't no 地震," said another'n. "It was a 雪崩／（抗議などの）殺到."

"Listen here, Joe Partland," said the first 'un, grinding his teeth, "I says it was a 地震, and I ain't the man to be called a liar—"

"Oh, you ain't?" said the other'n, bristling up. "井戸／弁護士席, lemme tell you somethin', Frank Jackson—"

"This ain't no time for such argyments," I admonished 'em 厳しく. "As for that there 激しく揺する, I rolled that at you myself."

They gaped at me. "Who are you?" said one of 'em, mopping the 血 offa his ear.

"Never mind," I said. "You see this here Winchester? 井戸／弁護士席, you-all 始める，決める still and 残り／休憩（する） yourselves. Soon as the 郡保安官 gets here, I'm goin' to 手渡す you over to him."

His mouth fell open. "郡保安官?" he said, dumb-like. "What 郡保安官?"

"刑事 Hopkins, from Grizzly Run," I said.

"Why, you derned fool!" he 叫び声をあげるd, 緊急発進するing up.

"始める，決める 負かす／撃墜する!" I roared, 押すing my ライフル銃／探して盗む バーレル／樽 at him, and he sank 支援する, all white and shaking. He could hardly talk.

"Listen to me!" he gasped. "I'm 刑事 Hopkins! I'm 郡保安官 of Grizzly Run! These men are my 副s."

"Yeah?" I said sarcastically. "And who was the fellows shootin' at you from the 小衝突?"

"Tarantula Bixby and his ギャング（団）," he said. "We was follerin' 'em when they jumped us, and bein' より数が多いd and surprized, we took cover in that old hut. They robbed the Grizzly Run bank day before yesterday. And now they'll be gettin' その上の away every minute! Oh, Judas J. Iscariot! Of all the dumb, bone- 長，率いるd jackasses—"

"Heh! heh! heh!" I said cynically. "You must think I ain't got no sense. If you're the 郡保安官, where at's your 星／主役にする?"

"It was on my suspenders," he said despairingly. "When you 運ぶ／漁獲高d me out by the laig my suspenders caught on somethin' and tore off. If you'll lemme look amongst them 廃虚s—"

"You 始める，決める still," I 命令（する）d. "You can't fool me. You're Tranchler Bixby yourself. 郡保安官 Hopkins told me so. Him and the posse will be here in a little while. 始める，決める still and shut up."

We stayed there, and the fellow which （人命などを）奪う，主張するd to be the 郡保安官 moaned and pulled his hair and shed a few 涙／ほころびs, and the other fellows tried to 納得させる me they was 副s till I got tired of their gab and told 'em to shut up or I'd bend my Winchester over their 長，率いるs. I wondered why Hopkins and them didn't come, and I begun to get nervous, and all to once the fellow which said he was the 郡保安官 give a yell that startled me so I jumped and nearly 発射 him. He had something in his 手渡す and was waving it around.

"See here?" His 発言する／表明する 割れ目d he hollered so loud. "I 設立する it! It must have fell 負かす／撃墜する into my shirt when my suspenders 破産した／（警察が）手入れするd! Look at it, you dern mountain grizzly!"

I looked and my flesh はうd. It was a shiny silver 星／主役にする.

"Hopkins said he lost his'n," I said weakly. "Maybe you 設立する it in the 小衝突."

"You know better!" he bellered. "You're one of Bixby's men. You was sent to 持つ／拘留する us here while Tarantula and the 残り／休憩（する） made their 逃亡. You'll get ninety years for this!"

I turned 冷淡な all over as I remembered them horses I heard galloping. I'd been fooled! This was the 郡保安官! That マリファナ-bellied 凶漢 which 発射 at me had been Bixby hisself! And whilst I held up the real 郡保安官 and his posse, them 無法者s was riding out of the country.

Now wasn't that a 警告を与える?

"You better gimme that gun and 降伏する," opined Hopkins. "Maybe if you do they won't hang you."

"始める，決める still!" I snarled. "I'm the biggest 次第に損なう that ever またがるd a mustang, but even 次第に損なうs has their feelin's. You ain't goin' to put me behind no 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業s. I'm goin' up this slope, but I'll be watchin' you. I've throwed your guns over there in the 小衝突. If any of you makes a move toward 'em, I'll put a harp in his 手渡す."

Nobody craved a harp.

They 始める，決める up a 詠唱する of hate as I 支援するd away, but they sot still. I went up the slope backwards till I 攻撃する，衝突する the 縁, and then I turned and ducked into the 小衝突 and run. I heard 'em cussing somethin' awful 負かす／撃墜する in the hollow, but I didn't pause. I come to where I'd left Cap'n Kidd, and a-forked him and 棒, thankful them 無法者s had been in too big a hurry to steal him. I throwed away the ライフル銃／探して盗む they give me, and 長，率いるd west.

I 目的（とする）d to cross Wild River at Ghost Canyon, and 長，率いる into the uninhabited mountain 地域 beyond there. I figgered I could dodge a posse 不明確な／無期限の once I got there. I 押し進めるd Cap'n Kidd hard, cussing my reins which had been notched by Bixby's 弾丸. I didn't have time to 直す／買収する，八百長をする 'em, and Cap'n Kidd was a アイロンをかける-jawed 無法者.

He was sweating plenty when I finally hove in sight of the place I was 長，率いるing for. As I topped the canyon's crest before I dipped 負かす／撃墜する to the crossing, I ちらりと見ることd 支援する. They was a high notch in the hills a mile or so behind me. And as I looked three horsemen was etched in that notch, against the sky behind 'em. I cussed fervently. Why hadn't I had sense enough to know Hopkins and his men was bound to have horses tied somewheres 近づく? They'd got their 開始するs and follered me, figgering I'd 目的（とする） for the country beyond Wild River. It was about the only place I could go.

Not wanting no running fight with no 郡保安官's posse, I raced recklessly 負かす／撃墜する the sloping canyon 塀で囲む, 破産した／（警察が）手入れするd out of the bushes—and stopped short. Wild River was on the rampage—bank 十分な in the 狭くする channel and boiling and 泡，激怒することing. Been a big rain somewhere away up on the 長，率いる, and the horse wasn't never foaled which could swum it.

They wasn't but one thing to do, and I done it. I wheeled Cap'n Kidd and 長，率いるd up the canyon. Five miles up the river there was another crossing, with a 橋（渡しをする）—if it hadn't been washed away.

Cap'n Kidd had his second 勝利，勝つd and we was going lickety-分裂（する）, when suddenly I heard a noise ahead of us, above the roar of the river and the 雷鳴 of his hoofs on the rocky canyon 床に打ち倒す. We was approaching a bend in the gorge where a low 山の尾根 run out from the canyon 塀で囲む, and beyond that 山の尾根 I heard guns banging. I heaved 支援する on the reins—and both of 'em snapped in two!

Cap'n Kidd 即時に clamped his teeth on the bit and bolted, like he always done when anything out of the ordinary happened. He 長，率いるd straight for the bushes at the end of the 山の尾根, and I leaned 今後 and tried to get 持つ／拘留する of the bit （犯罪の）一味s with my fingers. But all I done was swerve him from his course. Instead of に引き続いて the canyon bed on around the end of the 山の尾根, he went 権利 over the rise, which sloped on that 味方する. It didn't slope on t'other 味方する; it fell away abrupt. I had a (n)艦隊／(a)素早いing glimpse of five men crouching amongst the bushes on the canyon 床に打ち倒す with guns in their 手渡すs. They looked up —and Cap'n Kidd を締めるd his 脚s and slid to a 停止（させる） at the lip of the low bluff and 同時に bogged his 長，率いる and throwed me heels over 長，率いる 負かす／撃墜する amongst 'em.

My boot heel landed on somebody's 長，率いる, and the 刺激（する） knocked him 冷淡な and 非難する 近づく scalped him. That partly 破産した／（警察が）手入れする my 落ちる, and it was その上の cushioned by another fellow which I landed on in a sitting position, and which took no その上の 利益／興味 in the 訴訟／進行s. The other three fell on me with loud 残虐な yells, and I reached for my .45 and 設立する to my humiliation that it had fell out of my scabbard when I was throwed.

So I riz with a 激しく揺する in my 手渡す and bounced it offa the 長，率いる of a fellow which was 直す／買収する，八百長をするing to shoot me, and he dropped his ピストル and fell on 最高の，を越す of it. At this juncture one of the 生存者s put a buffalo gun to his shoulder and sighted, then evidently 恐れるing he would 攻撃する，衝突する his companion which was carving at me on the other 味方する with a bowie knife, he 逆転するd it and run in swinging it like a club.

The man with the knife got in a 削除する across my ribs and I then 攻撃する，衝突する him on the chin which was how his jaw-bone got broke in four places. 一方／合間 the other'n swung at me with his ライフル銃／探して盗む, but 行方不明になるd my 長，率いる and broke the 在庫／株 off across my shoulder. Irritated at his persistency in trying to brain me with the バーレル／樽, I laid 手渡すs on him and throwed him 長，率いる-on against the bluff, which is when he got his fractured skull and concussion of the brain, I reckon.

I then shook the sweat from my 注目する，もくろむs, and glaring 負かす／撃墜する, rekernized the remains as Bixby and his ギャング（団）. I might have knew they'd 長，率いる for the wild Country across the river, same as me. Only place they could go.

Just then, however, a clump of bushes parted, 近づく the river bank, and a big 黒人／ボイコット-bearded man riz up from behind a dead horse. He had a six-shooter in his 手渡す and he approached me 慎重に.

"Who're you?" he 需要・要求するd. "Where'd you come from?"

"I'm Breckinridge Elkins," I answered, mopping the 血 offa my shirt. "What is this here 商売／仕事, anyway?"

"I was settin' here peaceable waitin' for the river to go 負かす／撃墜する so I could cross," he said, "when up 棒 these yeggs and started shootin'. I'm a honest 国民—"

"You're a liar," I said with my usual 外交. "You're Joel Cairn, the wust 無法者 in the hills. I seen your 投手 in the 地位，任命する office at Chawed Ear."

With that he p'inted his .45 at me and his 耐えるd bristled like the whiskers of a old 木材／素質 wolf.

"So you know me, hey?" he said. "井戸／弁護士席, what you goin' to do about it, hey? Want to colleck the reward money, hey?"

"Naw, I don't," I said. "I'm a 無法者 myself, now. I just run foul of the 法律 account of these skunks. They's a posse 権利 behind me."

"They is?" he snarled. "Why'nt you say so? Here, le's catch these fellers' horses and light out. Cheap skates! They （人命などを）奪う，主張するs I 二塁打-crossed 'em in the 事柄 of a stagecoach 持つ／拘留する-up we pulled together recently. I been avoidin' 'em '原因（となる） I'm a 平和的な man by nater, but they 棒 の上に me onexpected today. They 発射 my horse first 割れ目; we been tradin' lead for more'n a hour without doin' much 損失, but they'd got me 結局, I reckon. Come on. We'll pull out together."

"No, we won't," I said. "I'm a 無法者 by 軍隊 of circumstances, but I ain't no murderin' 強盗."

"Purty particular of yore comperny, ain'tcha?" he sneered. "井戸／弁護士席, anyways, help me catch me a horse. Yore's is still up there on that bluff. The day's still young—"

He pulled out a big gold watch and looked at it; it was one which 負傷させる with a 重要な.

I jumped like I was 発射. "Where'd you get that watch?" I hollered.

He jerked up his 長，率いる kinda startled, and said: "My grandpap gimme it. Why?"

"You're a liar!" I bellered. "You took that off'n my Uncle Garfield. Gimme that watch!"

"Are you crazy?" he yelled, going white under his whiskers. I 急落（する），激減（する）d for him, seeing red, and he let bang! and I got it in the left thigh. Before he could shoot again I was on 最高の，を越す of him, and knocked the gun up. It banged but the 弾丸 went singing up over the bluff and Cap'n Kidd squealed and started changing ends. The ピストル flew outa Cairn's 手渡す and he 攻撃する，衝突する me vi'lently on the nose which made me see 星／主役にするs. So I 攻撃する，衝突する him in the belly and he grunted and 二塁打d up; and come up with a knife out of his boot which he 削減（する） me across the boozum with, also in the arm and shoulder and kicked me in the groin. So I swung him （疑いを）晴らす of the ground and throwed him headfirst and jumped on him with both feet. And that settled him.

I 選ぶd up the watch where it had fell, and staggered over to the cliff, spurting 血 at every step like a stuck hawg.

"At last my search is at a end!" I panted. "I can go 支援する to Ellen Reynolds who 根気よく を待つs the return of her hero—"

It was at this instant that Cap'n Kidd, which had been stung by Cairn's wild 発射 and was trying to buck off his saddle, bucked hisself off the bluff. He fell on me...

The first thing I heard was bells （犯罪の）一味ing, and then they turned to horses galloping. I 始める，決める up and wiped off the 血 which was running into my 注目する，もくろむs from where Cap'n Kidd's left hind hoof had 分裂（する） my scalp. And I seen 郡保安官 Hopkins, Jackson and Partland come 涙／ほころびing around the 山の尾根. I tried to get up and run, but my 権利 脚 wouldn't work. I reached for my gun and it still wasn't there. I was 罠にかける.

"Look there!" yelled Hopkins, wild-注目する，もくろむd. "That's Bixby on the ground —and all his ギャング（団）. And ye gods, there's Joel Cairn! What is this, anyhow? It looks like a 戦場! What's that settin' there? He's so 血まみれの I can't 認める him!"

"It's the hill-billy!" yelped Jackson. "Don't move or I'll shoot 'cha!"

"I already been 発射," I snarled. "Gwan—do yore wust. 運命／宿命 is against me."

They dismounted and 星／主役にするd in awe.

"Count the dead, boys," said Hopkins in a still, small 発言する／表明する.

"Aw," said Partland, "ain't 非，不，無 of 'em dead, but they'll never be the same men again. Look! Bixby's comin' to! Who done this, Bixby?"

Bixby cast a wabbly 注目する，もくろむ about till he 秘かに調査するd me, and then he moaned and shriveled up.

"He done it!" he waited. "He 追跡するd us 負かす／撃墜する like a bloodhound and jumped on us from behind! He tried to scalp me! He ain't human!" And he 破産した／（警察が）手入れする into 涙／ほころびs.

They looked at me, and all took off their hats.

"Elkins," said Hopkins in a トン of reverence, "I see it all now. They fooled you into thinkin' they was the posse and us the 無法者s, didn't they? And when you realized the truth, you 追跡（する）d 'em 負かす／撃墜する, didn't you? And cleaned 'em out 選び出す／独身 手渡すd, and Joel Cairn, too, didn't you?"

"井戸／弁護士席," I said groggily, "the truth is—"

"We understand," Hopkins soothed. "You mountain men is all modest. Hey, boys, tie up them 無法者s whilst I look at Elkins' 負傷させるs."

"If you'll catch my horse," I said, "I got to be ridin' 支援する—"

"Gee whiz, man!" he said, "you ain't in no 形態／調整 to ride a horse! Do you know you got four 破産した／（警察が）手入れするd ribs and a broke arm, and one 脚 broke and a 弾丸 in the other'n, to say nothin' of bein' 削除するd to 略章s? We'll 装備する up a litter for you. What's that you got in your good 手渡す?"

I suddenly remembered Uncle Garfield's watch which I'd kept clutched in a death 支配する. I 星／主役にするd at what I held in my 手渡す; and I fell 支援する with a low moan. All I had in my 手渡す was a bunch of 破産した／（警察が）手入れするd metal and broken wheels and springs, bent and 粉砕するd plumb beyond 承認.

"得る，とらえる him!" yelled Hopkins. "He's fainted!"

"工場／植物 me under a pine tree, boys," I murmured weakly; "just carve on my tombstone: 'He fit a good fight but 運命／宿命 dealt him the joker.'"

A few days later a melancholy 行列 負傷させる its way up the 追跡する into the Humbolts. I was packed on a litter. I told 'em I 手配中の，お尋ね者 to see Ellen Reynolds before I died, and to show Uncle Garfield the rooins of the watch, so he'd know I done my 義務 as I seen it.

As we approached the locality where my home cabin stood, who should 会合，会う us but Jim Braxton, which tried to 隠す his 楽しみ when I told him in a weak 発言する／表明する that I was a dying man. He was all dressed up in new buckskins and his exuberance was plumb disgustful to a man in my 条件.

"Too bad," he said. "Too bad, Breckinridge. I hoped to 会合，会う you, but not like this, of course. Yore pap told me to tell you if I seen you about yore Uncle Garfield's watch. He thought I might run into you on my way to Chawed Ear to git a license—"

"Hey?" I said, pricking up my ears.

"Yeah, me and Ellen Reynolds is goin' to git married. 井戸／弁護士席, as I started to say, seems like one of them 強盗団の一味 which robbed the 行う／開催する／段階 was a fellow whose dad was a friend of yore Uncle Garfield's 支援する in Texas. He reckernized the 指名する in the watch and sent it 支援する, and it got here the day after you left—"

They say it was jealousy which made me rise up on my litter and fracture Jim Braxton's jaw-bone. I 否定するs that. I stoops to no such petty practices. What impelled me was family 条約s. I couldn't 攻撃する，衝突する Uncle Garfield— I had to 攻撃する，衝突する somebody—and Jim Braxton just happened to be the nearest one to me.

THE END

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