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15 - Bransford Of Rainbow Range by Eugene Manlove Rhodes · Bransford Of Rainbow Range

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, Flight, Keep away from that wheelbarrow. What the
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: hell do you know about machinery? Albert Hubbard. Just after dark,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: a horseman with a lead horse came jogging round the
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: mountain on the trail from Escondido. On the lead horse
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: was a pack bound rather slouchily, not to a pack saddle,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: but to an old riding saddle. The horses were unwilling
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: to enter the circle of firelight, so the rider drew
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: rein just beyond a slender and boyish rider with a
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: flopping white brimmed hat too large for him. Oh look
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  Speaker 1: who's ear, said Toby, as one who greets an unexpected friend.
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  Speaker 1: Hell lo, Toby, here's your food, grub, chalk and provisions.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Got your outlaw? Yet them other fellows will be out
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: long toward midnight, he went on, without waiting for an answer.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Put me on your payroll, Pappy said, I was to
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: go to work, and if you was going to quit
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: work to hunt down his friend, you'd better quit for good.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Lead on to your little old mind. I don't know
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: where it is even. I'll go up and unpack rerex,
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: said Toby. But of course I'm not going to lose
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  Speaker 1: my part of that five thousand. Pappy's foolish, he's getting old.
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  Speaker 1: I'll be back after a while and bring down the papers.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Chatting of the trapped outlaw, the ophir men climbed the
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  Speaker 1: zigzag to the mine to Griffith. Their voices dwindled to
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: an indistinct murmur. A light glowed through the tent on
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  Speaker 1: the dump. The stranger pressed into Jeff's hand something small
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  Speaker 1: and hard, the little opus. Here's your little old token.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: Pappy caught on at once, and he sent me along
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  Speaker 1: to represent let's get this pack off and get out
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  Speaker 1: o here. Do we have to go down the same
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: trail again? Oh no, said Jeff. There's a wood trail
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: leads round the mountain to the east. Who are you?
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: I don't know you, Charlie Gibson. Pappy knows me. He
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  Speaker 1: sent the little stone horse to vouch for me. I'm okay,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: time enough to explain when we've made a clean getaway.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: You damn right there, said Jeff. That boy down yonder
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  Speaker 1: is nobody's fool. I'll light a candle in the tent
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  Speaker 1: and he'll think I'm reading the newspapers. That'll hold him
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  Speaker 1: Awhile I'll be going on down the trail, said Gibson.
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  Speaker 1: This way, isn't it, Yes, that's the one. All right,
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  Speaker 1: Go slow and don't make any more noise than you
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: can help. Jeff would have liked his own proper clothing
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: and effects, but there was no time for resuscitation. Lighting
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: the candle, he acquired Alice in Wonderland and thrust it
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: into the bosom of his shirt. It had been years
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  Speaker 1: since last he read that admirable work. His way now
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: led either to hiding or to jail, and with Alice
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: to share his fate, he felt equal to either fortune.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: He left the candle burning, the tent shone with a
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: mellow glow. If he didn't hear our horses comin down,
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  Speaker 1: we're a little bit of all right, said Jeff, as
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: he rejoined his rescuer on the level. Even if he does,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: he may think we've gone to hobble him. Only he
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: to think we ought to water him first. Now for
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: the way of the transgressor to Old Mexico. This little
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: desert'll be one busy place tomorrow. They circled Double Mountain,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: making a wide detour to avoid rough going, and riding
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  Speaker 1: at a hard gallop until behind and to their right,
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  Speaker 1: a red spark of fire came into view from behind
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  Speaker 1: a hitherto intervening shoulder, marking where Stone and Harlow held
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  Speaker 1: the southward pass. Jeff drew rein and bore off obliquely
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  Speaker 1: toward the road at an easy trot. They're there yet,
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: so that's all right, he said. They've just put on
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: fresh wood. I saw it flame up just then. He
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: was in high feather. He began to laugh, or, more accurately,
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: he resumed his laughter, for he had been too mirthful
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  Speaker 1: for much speech. That poor devil Griffith will wait and
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  Speaker 1: fidget and stew. He'll think I'm in the tent reading
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: the new newspapers, reading about the Arcadian bank robbery. Likely
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: he'll wait a while, then he'll yell at me. Then
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  Speaker 1: he'll think we've gone to hobble the horses. He won't
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: want to leave the gap unguarded. He won't know what
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  Speaker 1: to think. Finally he'll go up to the mine and
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  Speaker 1: see that pack piled off any which way and no saddles.
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  Speaker 1: Then he'll know, but he won't know what to do.
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  Speaker 1: He'll think we're for Old Mexico, but he won't know
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  Speaker 1: it for sure, and it's too dark to track us.
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  Speaker 1: Oh my stars, but I bet he'll be mad, which
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: shows that we all make mistakes. Mister Griffith, though young,
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: was a firm character, as has been lightly intimated. He
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  Speaker 1: waited a reasonable time to allow for paper reading. Then
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: he waited a little longer and shouted. But when there
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: was no answer, he knew at once precisely what had happened.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: He had not been a fool at all, whatever Steel
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  Speaker 1: and Bransford had assured him, and he was a bigger
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  Speaker 1: fool to have allowed himself to be persuaded that he
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: had been. It is true that he didn't know what
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: was best to do, but he knew exactly what he
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: was going to do, and did it promptly, seriously. Annoyed,
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: he spurred through Double Mountain, gathered up stone in Harlow,
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  Speaker 1: and followed the southward road Bransford had been on the
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  Speaker 1: way to Old Mexico. He was on that road still.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Griffith put everything on the one bold cast while the
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  Speaker 1: other saddled. He threw fresh fuel on the fire with
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: a rankling memory of the candle in the deserted tent,
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: and hannibal at Saint Joe for the first time. Griffith
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: had the better of the long battle of wits. That
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: harmful of fuel slowed Jeff from gallop to trot, turned
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: assured victory into a doubtful contest. When the fugitives regained
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  Speaker 1: the El Paso Road, Griffith's vindictive little Ben was not
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  Speaker 1: five miles behind them. The night was lightly clouded, not
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  Speaker 1: so dark, but that the pursuers noticed, or thought they noticed,
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: the fresh tracks in the road. When they came to them.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: They stopped, struck matches and confirmed their hopes. Two shod
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: horses going south at a smart gate. The dirt was
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  Speaker 1: torn up too much for travelers on their lawful occasions.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: From that moment, Griffith urged the chase unmercifully. The fleeing
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: couple in fancied security lost ground with every mile. How
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  Speaker 1: on earth did you manage it? Didn't they know, you,
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: demanded Gibson, as the pace slackened. Oh was it me?
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  Speaker 1: It was Toby long. You may not have lived much
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: under the sea, and perhaps you were never even introduced
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: to a lobster, quoted Jeff Rocking in the saddle. He
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: gave a mirthful resume of his little evanishment, And oh,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: just think of that candle burning away in that quiet
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  Speaker 1: empty tent. If I could have seen Griffith's faith, he gloated,
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  Speaker 1: Oh me, oh my, and he was so sure. Say Gibson,
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  Speaker 1: how do you come in this galley as a lone
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  Speaker 1: pros specter. His speech had been fittingly coarse. Now with
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: every mile he shook off the debasing influence of mister long.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: Kettle washing makes black hands. Aren't you afraid you'll get
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: into trouble? Nobody knows I'm kettle washing except Pappy Sanders
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  Speaker 1: and you, said Gibson. I was careful not to let
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  Speaker 1: your friends see me at the fire. I'll do you
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  Speaker 1: a good turn, sometimes, said Jeff. He rode on in
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: silence for a while, and presently was lost in his
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  Speaker 1: own thoughts. Leaning over with his hands folded on his
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  Speaker 1: horse's neck. In a low and thoughtful voice, he half repeated,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: half chanted to himself, Ili leo lecudi in the garden
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  Speaker 1: there alone, there came to me, no murmur of the
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  Speaker 1: fountain's undertone, so mystically magically mellow as your own. Another silence.
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  Speaker 1: Then Jeff roused himself with a start. I tell you what, Gibson,
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  Speaker 1: you'd better cut loose from me so far as I
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  Speaker 1: can see, you are only a kid. You don't want
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: to get mixed up in a murder scrape. This would
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  Speaker 1: go pretty hard with you if they can prove it
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  Speaker 1: on you. Of course, I'm awfully obliged to you and
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  Speaker 1: all that, but you'd better quit me while the quitting's good.
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  Speaker 1: Oh no, I'll see you through, said Gibson lightly. Besides,
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  Speaker 1: I know you had nothing to do with the murder.
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  Speaker 1: Oh the hell you do, said Jeff. That's kind of you.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure see here who sold you your chips? Anyway?
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  Speaker 1: How'd you get in this game? Well? I got in
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  Speaker 1: this game, as you put it, because I jolly well
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  Speaker 1: wanted to, replied Charley, with becoming spirit. That ought to
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  Speaker 1: be reason enough for anything in this country. Nothing against
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  Speaker 1: it in the rules, and I don't use the rules anyhow,
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  Speaker 1: if you must have it all spelled out for you.
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  Speaker 1: I knew, or at least i'd heard, that your friends
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  Speaker 1: were away from Rainbow, so I judged you wouldn't go
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  Speaker 1: up there. Then I knew those four amateur sherlocks there
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  Speaker 1: in my set and Arcadia. When two of the deer Hunters,
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  Speaker 1: after starting at two a m. Came back to Arcadia.
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  Speaker 1: The same morning, they left looking all wise and important,
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  Speaker 1: and slipped off on the train to Escondido, saying nothing
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  Speaker 1: to anyone. And when the other two didn't come home
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  Speaker 1: at all, I began to think. Went down to the depot,
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  Speaker 1: found they had gone to Escondido, and I came on
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  Speaker 1: the next train. I found out Pappy was your friend,
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  Speaker 1: and when he got your little hurry up call, volunteered
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  Speaker 1: my services. Seeing Pappy was too old and not footloose anyhow,
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  Speaker 1: with a wife and property. That's the how of it. Oh, yes,
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  Speaker 1: that's all right. But what makes you think I'm innocent?
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  Speaker 1: I know, mister White, you see, and mister White seems
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  Speaker 1: to think that at about the time the bank was robbed,
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: you were in a garden. Charley's voice was edged with
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  Speaker 1: faint mockery. Ah, said Jeff, startled. Who in hell is
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  Speaker 1: mister White? Mister White in hell is the devil, said Charley.
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  Speaker 1: At this unexpected disclosure, Jeff lashed his horse to a gallop,
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  Speaker 1: his spurs you remember, being certain feet under the o
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  Speaker 1: far dump, and strove to bring his thoughts to bear
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  Speaker 1: upon this new situation. He slowed down and Charlie drew
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  Speaker 1: up beside him. You seem to have stayed quite a
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: while in a garden, suggested Charlie. That tongue of yours
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  Speaker 1: is going to get you into trouble. Yet, said Jeff,
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  Speaker 1: you'll never live to be gray headed. Charlie was not
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  Speaker 1: to be daunted, say Jeff, she's pretty easy to get
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  Speaker 1: acquainted with. What and those highs of hers a little
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  Speaker 1: on a see you later style, aren't they. Jeff turned
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  Speaker 1: in his saddle. Now you look here, mister Charli Gibson.
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  Speaker 1: I'm under obligation to you and so on. But I've
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  Speaker 1: heard all of that kind of talk. That's good. Tabby. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: I know her, persisted Charlie, know her by heart, know
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  Speaker 1: her like a book. She made a fool of me too.
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  Speaker 1: She drives em single, double tandem, random and four abreast,
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  Speaker 1: you little beast. Jeff launched his horse at the producer,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: but Gibson spurred aside, stop now, jeffy easy does it?
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  Speaker 1: I've got a gun. Shut your damn head, then, gun
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  Speaker 1: or no gun? Don't you take that girl's name in
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  Speaker 1: your mouth again? Or hark? What's that? It was a
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: clatter far behind a ringing of swift hoofs on hard
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: ground by George, they're coming. Griffith will be a man yet,
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: said Jeff approvingly. Come on, kid, that we've got to
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: burn the breeze. I suppose that talk of yours is
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: only your damn fool idea of fun, but I don't
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  Speaker 1: like it. Cut it out now and ride like a
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: drunk Indian, he laughed, loud and long. Think of that candle?
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  Speaker 1: Will you burn it away? With a clear, bright, steady flame?
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  Speaker 1: And nobody within ten miles of it? They raced side
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  Speaker 1: by side, but Gibson, heedless of their perilous situation, or
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: perhaps taking advantage of it, took a malicious delight in
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: a goading Jeff to madness, and he refused either to
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: be silent or to talk about candles, notwithstanding Jeff's preference
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: for that topic. I'm not joking. I'm telling you for
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: your own good. Here, the tormentor prudently fell back half
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  Speaker 1: a length and raised his voice so as to be
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: heard above the flying feet. Hasn't she gone back to
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: New York? I'd like to know, and left you to
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: get out of it the best way you can. She
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: could have stayed if she'd wanted to. Don't tell me,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: haven't I seen how she bosses her mother around. No, sir,
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: she's willing to let you hang to save herself a
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: little slander, or, more likely, a little talk. Jeff whirled
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  Speaker 1: his horse to his haunches, but once more Gibson was
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: too quick for him. Gibson's horse was naturally the nimbler
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: of the two, even without the advantage of spurs. That's
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: a lie, she was going to tell, she was bound
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: to tell. I made her keep silent after I jumped out.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: She couldn't well say anything. That's why I jumped. Was
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: I going to make her a target for such vile
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: tongues as yours? For me? Oh? You ought to be
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: shot out of a red Hawk cannon through a barbed
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: wire fence. In the hell? You lie? You cowered? You
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: know you lie. I'll cram it down your throat if
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: you'll get off and throw that gun down. Yeah, it's
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: likely I'll put the gun down, scoffed Gibson. Ride on,
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: you fool. You want to hang, Ride on and keep ahead.
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: Remember I've got a gun hangings knots of bad snarled Jeff.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I'd rather be hung decently than be such a thing
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: as you. Oh, if I just had a gun. The
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: sound of pursuit was clearer now, and of course the
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: pursuers could hear the pursuit as well, and fought for
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: every inch. Jeff rode on, furious at his helplessness, for
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: several miles. His tormentor raced behind in silence, fearing if
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: he persisted longer in his evil course that Jeff would
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: actually stop and give himself up. They gained now on
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: their pursuers, who had pressed their horses over hard to
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: make up the five mile handicap. As they came to
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: a patch of sandy ground, they eased the pace somewhat.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: Charley drew a little closer to Jeff. Now, don't get mad.
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: I had no idea you thought so much of the girl.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Shut up, will you? Or I wouldn't have deviled you,
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: So I'll quit. How was I to know you'd stop
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: to fight for her with the very rope around your neck.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: It's a pity she'll never know about it. You can't
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: have seen her more than two or three times, and
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: heaven only knows where that was on that camping trip.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: I reckon, what kind of a girl is he? Anyhow
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: to hold clandestine interviews with a stranger. She'll write to
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: you by and by a little scented note with a
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: little stilted, meaningless word of thanks. No, she won't. It'll
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: be gushy. Oh my dear hero, How can I ever
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: repay you? She won't let you out of her clutches
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: anybody so long as it's a man, Dear, None of
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: that go on now if you want to live, who
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: the hell wants to live? A noose flew back from
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: the darkness. Jeff's horse darted aside, and Gibson was jerk
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: sprawling to the sand at the rope's end. Hat flew
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: one way, gun another. Jeff ran to the six shooter.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: Who's got the gun now, he jeered as he loosened
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: the rope. I only wish we had two of em,
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: you hair brained idiot. Charlie grabbed up his hat and
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: spit sand from his mouth. Get your horse and ride,
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: you unthinkable donkey pleasure. First business. Afterward, Jeff unbuckled Gibson's
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: gun belt and transferred it to his own waist, jerking
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: Gibson to his feet in the violent process. Now, you
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: little blackguard, you either take back all that or you'll
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: get the licking of your life. You're too small. But
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: all the same. Oh, I'll take it back, you big bully,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: all I said, and a lot more I only thought,
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: said Charlie spitefully. He was almost crying with rage as
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: he limped to his horse. She's an angel on her
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: sure she is. Ride, you, maniac, Ride or you ought
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: to be hung. I hope you do, hang him, miserable Ruffian.
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: The following hoofs are no longer rang sharply. They took
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: on a muffled beat. They were on the sand's edge,
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: not a mile behind. Right ahead you. I've got the gun. Remember,
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: observed Jeff significantly that if you slur that girl again,
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: I'll not shoot you. I'll naturally wear you out with
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: this belt. End of chapter fourteen.