Taking a probe from his case Doctor Dick, after swallowing a glass of brandy, coolly probed the wound, found the ball, and, aided by Loo Foo, the Chinee, under his direction, soon extracted the bullet. Then the wound was skilfully dressed, the arm rested in a sling, and Doctor Dick lolling back in his easy chair asked with the greatest coolness: "Well, Landlord Larry, how goes all at Last Chance?" The landlord was amazed at the calmness of the man, and said quickly: "Oh, Last Chance is O. K.; but it is your run that we are dying to hear about, Doc." "Well, it was a close call for me, Larry, I admit, for I found foes where I expected friends." "You were held up?" "Yes." "Where?" "At what you have very appropriately named the Dead Line, Larry." "The place where Bud and Dave were killed?" "Yes." "It was the masked road-agents?" "Not this time." "Ah! who then?" "I did not form their acquaintance by name, but perhaps a search of the bodies may reveal." "You killed them?" "Two." "Where are the bodies?" "I brought them along in the coach." "I thought they were passengers who had been killed?" "They were." "How do you mean?" "They left W---- booked as passengers, but reached Last Chance as dead-head road-agents." "Now I begin to understand. It was your two passengers who attacked you?" "Just so." "It is a wonder that they did not kill you." "They would easily have done so, had I not suspected them: but I grew suspicious, and without appearing to do so, watched their every look and move. When we drew near the Dead Line, they said they would lie down on top of the coach and rest, so they spread their blankets and did so. "I thought this strange, as just before I had told them we were approaching the scene of the hold-ups. But I kept my eye upon them, and, as we neared the cliff, the sun shone brightly down and I distinctly saw the shadows of the two men as they arose and drew their revolvers. "I drew mine as quick as a flash, turned, and caught this shot in the arm, while a second bullet whizzed by my head." CHAPTER XII. A MAN'S NERVE. The doctor paused in his story, as though recalling the thrilling scene which had so nearly cost him his life, and a sad look came into his eyes as though he felt that his mission seemed ever to kill. So lost was he in thought, that Landlord Larry had to recall him to his story by saying: "It was a very close call for you, Doc." "A close call indeed, and, but for the shadows on the cliff, revealing the hostility of my two passengers, my death would have followed. But my discovery of their intention, and quickness in facing them, disconcerted them both, destroying their aim, close as they were to me." "They did not fire again?" "Oh, yes; several shots, two of which killed my wheelers; but I got in my work by firing two shots, also." "Killing them?"