He could not
describe the sound that followed, but he knew that it meant the
convulsions of human beings in agony. He whispered his companion's
name, but there was no answer--only a gasp.
In the black darkness the colored boy, revolver in hand, crawled
forward. At the end of the barricade Buck's body was lying. As the
boy's hand fell on the old man's breast he knew that it was blood he
felt.
"Buck," he whispered, "Buck! Is yo' hurt?"
He put his arm under his friend's head. For a moment the unconscious
form yielded and then convulsively straightened. Elmer knew that his
companion and protector was dead.
With strength that he did not know he had Elmer laid Buck's dead
body behind the little wall of freight boxes.
Then, as if by intuition, he sprang forward and found what he
suspected--the unmoving form of an Indian. Unable to see, Elmer
quickly felt over the adjacent ground with his hands and discovered
the dead Ute's rifle. The revolver was gone. In the same manner he
recovered both Buck's rifle and revolver, and then prepared to do
his duty--to protect his employer's goods so long as he could.
Pages:
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179