The Man Who Would Not Be Saved | Page 3

of the revolver between his thumb and finger, waiting, waiting.
When the first naked braves bounded up to the door with rifles held at ready, he fired twice, quickly, at the foremost, then as more came forward to take the fallen's places, he turned and skillfully shot her through the heart. When he turned to meet his fate Horton feared for a moment that his senses had left him.
The foremost Apache fell a wriggling heap in the doorway as if struck down by a swift and powerful hand, and almost simultaneously one more fell likewise.
It was some seconds afterwards that the rifle reports coming up from the mountain pass where Lieutenant Thompson and his troop -- traveling towards Fort Pratt -- were firing, dismounted, told Horton that he was saved.
For a moment the new lease on life fairly exhilarated him. Then his eyes fell upon the form of the girl, as she, a white, still heap upon the mud floor, lay beside him.
After all, Thompson and his men were too late. He was not to be saved. The girl was dead, and he had no right --
The first trooper to enter was a lightly-mounted private, and he found them lying almost side by side.
Lieutenant Thompson, when he saw them, remarked that there would be two more scores for Horton's company to even up when it came their day to reckon face to face with Suilateau's Mescaleros.
2 RTEXTR*ch

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