Trail and Camp-Fire 



bedded itself in the wood near his head, and 

 sent the splinters flying into his eyes. Dazed 

 and blinded for the moment he put his hand 

 to his eyes, and half stepped, half fell back 

 into the doorway, and the man who had fired 

 the shot, thinking he had killed him, raised 

 himself from behind the mound where he was 

 hidden. Quick as a flash, Murphy killed him 

 with his gun at his left shoulder, and almost 

 in the same instant shot through the heart an- 

 other of the deputies, who incautiously showed 

 himself in another direction. Then he stepped 

 into the open, and called out that he would 

 fight them one at a time, or surrender, but, 

 even while he spoke, a bullet struck him in 

 the back. He turned to face this new foe, 

 but was struck again and again until he reeled 

 and fell, but even then, though shot through 

 in a dozen different places, he continued to 

 use his rifle, and when they got to him the 

 magazine was empty. The posse had sur- 

 rounded the ranch when we rode up, and 

 commanded the occupants to step forth. 

 Cherry was the only one. As he came out of 

 the door he was ordered to throw up his 

 hands, while forty deputies covered him. He 

 had his hands in his pockets ; started to obey 



76 



