164 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



a breathless silence reigned around, and the apartment 

 before him was dark as the grave itself. ' Go on, blast 

 ye ! What the devil are ye afeerd of 1 ' said the rough 

 voice of an associate behind. The robber took a second 

 step, and the old man's knife was buried in his heart ! 

 No second thrust was requisite, for, with a deep groan, 

 the villain sank upon the floor. 



" The obscurity of the chamber, the sudden destruc- 

 tion caused by that deadly thrust, prevented the ruffians 

 in the outer room from knowing the fate of their com- 

 panion. A second presented himself, crossed the 

 threshold, stumbled against his dead associate, and 

 received the old man's knife in his bosom. The wound, 

 though mortal, was not so fatal as the other : and the 

 ruffian had strength to ejaculate that he was ' a dead 

 man 1 ' 



" Instantly several shots were fired, but the old 

 gentleman's position sheltered him from the bullets. 

 A third assassin advanced, levelled a long fowling-piece 

 through the doorway, and actually rested the barrel 

 against the old man's body. The direction, however, 

 was a slanting one, and, with admirable self-possession, 

 he remained steady until the murderer drew the trigger, 

 and the ball passed him without injury. But the flash 

 from the gun unfortunately disclosed the place of his 

 ambush, and then commenced a desperate struggle. 

 The robber, a powerful and athletic ruffian, closed 

 and seized his victim round the body ; there was no 

 equality between the combatants with regard to strength ; 

 and although the old man struck often and furiously 

 with his knife, the blows were ineflFectual, and he was 

 at last thrown heavily on the floor, with the murderer 

 above him. Even then, at that awful moment, his 



