Ted struggled to grapple with him, but he had grown so stiff from his
wound that he could hardly stir. He was looking death close in the face.
The man was just about to pull the trigger when close at hand the
major's voice rang out in an exclamation of amazement:
"Mowbray! You here?"
The man with the pistol sprang to his feet and faced Major Caruthers for
a second. Then, with a wild cry of fear, he sprang away through the
shrubbery and escaped.
CHAPTER XIX.
HELEN MOWBRAY'S WILL.
By the time one could have counted ten there was not a man of Burk's
force in sight, but, on looking down the road where it led to the plain
that lay before the mountains, the dust of their retreat hung in the
air.
"We've got 'em on ther run," said Bud, throwing his hat into the air
with a joyous yawp. "Sufferin' tomcats, but them fellers has their
nerve, aber nit."
Ben and the major had carried Ted into the house, and the major, who was
a good surgeon, had Ted's coat off and was examining his wound.
When the shot had been fired through the door at him the ball had been
deflected by a piece of iron, and, instead of penetrating his heart, as
it surely would have done otherwise, it struck a rib and ran around
toward the back, coming out near the spine, and, although an extremely
painful wound, it was not at all serious.
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