"It does, and your life just now depends upon your answer to the question. I've got you dead to rights, and you may as well know that I do not intend you shall live another moment if your motives against me are not true. Now answer how you will." "In ther first place," said Thompson coolly, "ye air playin' false with ther gal I love. Ye don't intend ter marry her. Ye've already said in yer own mind that she's not good enough fer you, an' ye air foolin' with her heart an' a-killin' her, an' she's weaned away from me, so it's made me sick, an' I said I'd kill ye fer it. Then ye got ther best of me, an' didn't, an' I got ther best of you, an' I didn't. Now, ye have me, an' I reckon ye oughter do it, though, I----" "You are lying," interrupted Wade. "You are lying through and through, and you know it. You are a coward, Thompson, through and through, and you feel it, so I'm going to shoot you through the top of your head right now to end your earthly fears and settle the matter once and forever." There was a terrible gleam in Wade's eyes, Thompson saw it, and his flesh quivered. He saw Wade raise his rifle barrel until it was level with his breast, up it came until it was level with his head. There came over him an impulse to break and run for his life, but his horror of being shot in the back kept him from doing so. The sensation within him at that moment was terrible. Suddenly, being thoroughly overcome with fright, he threw both hands high into the air and cried out for mercy. "For God's sake," he exclaimed, "don't kill me this way!" "I knew you were a coward," said Wade. "I didn't ask you for mercy when you would have driven your knife through me, but I am going to hear your cry and let you go. One thing I want to know, however, and I must have the absolute truth. Didn't you come down this way looking for me?" "Yes." "And intended killing me?" "I did." "What object had you in telling the officers that I killed Franklin?" "I wanted to fix ye then." "Did you not shoot Franklin yourself?" "No, no. I didn't! Hit was a bullet from your gun, or old man Judson's. No, Wade, I did not do that. I hain't that mean, ef they do say I am." "How did you know I was out with the Riders?" "I didn't know ye was there. I took a long shot ter fix ye, that's all." "All right, now, here are your pistols. Take them and get as fast as you can. Don't try to use them now, but when you get the drop on me again you had better pull the trigger." Wade watched Thompson as he made his departure. When he had put considerable distance between them Al fired both his pistols in the air and gave one of his old-time Comanche yells that vibrated through the woodland. "I'll git ye yet," he cried back. "Ye hain't, got away from me, an' what's more, ye hain't a-goin' ter." Wade drifted back across the stream to where he had left Nora, and found her shaking from fright. "You didn't take these matters so seriously when I first came into this country," said Jack.