'You're
still a boy. Surrender! You'll outlive your sentence many years. I
promise clemency. Hold, you fool!'
"But Snecker was not to be denied the last game move. He scrabbled for
his gun. Just then something, a breathtaking intuition--I'll never know
what--made me turn my head. I saw the bartender deliberately aim a huge
gun at Steele. If he had not been so slow, I would have been too late. I
whirled and shot. Talk about nick of time! Blandy pulled trigger just as
my bullet smashed into his head.
"He dropped dead behind the bar and his gun dropped in front. But he had
hit Steele.
"The Ranger staggered, almost fell. I thought he was done, and, yelling,
I sped to him.
"But he righted himself. Then I wheeled again. Someone in the crowd
killed Bo Snecker as he wobbled up with his gun. That was the signal for
a wild run for outdoors, for cover. I heard the crack of guns and
whistle of lead. I shoved Steele back of the bar, falling over Blandy as
I did so.
"When I got up Steele was leaning over the bar with a gun in each hand.
There was a hot fight then for a minute or so, but I didn't fire a shot.
Morton and his crowd were busy. Men ran everywhere, shooting, ducking,
cursing.
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