The three at the table waited, while the judge could hear his own heart
pound. At last the Toad beckoned to two men leaning against the wall.
"Sam, suppose you show the judge what the Apaches do to prisoners.
Don't hurt his right hand; he'll need that to sign a release. Start
easy, but show what you can do," the Toad said.
One of the men, with a pockmarked face, started around the table toward
the judge. In spite of himself the judge shivered, then he clenched his
hands and waited for what was to come.
"_Dios!_" one of the guards at the door cried.
Every one swung about to face the door.
Outside there came a chorus of shrill cries, the thumping of horses'
hoofs, and the rumbling of a loaded wagon running wild downhill. For a
fraction of a second the men at the table were still; they started to
rise, then----
Straight through the window there shot a figure. At first it looked to
the judge like some huge cat, for its eyes were flaming pools of fire.
For an instant it seemed to remain suspended in the air. As it started
to fall toward the floor, jagged streams of fire leaped from two big
Colts. One of the guards at the door cried out and toppled from his
platform.
The hurtling figure struck the floor, somersaulted, and, with its guns
spitting fire, bounced to its feet. The Yuma Kid's guns came into play
first, then Baldy's and Cupid Dart's. The room was filled with a
continuous bellow of hellish noise, clouds of acrid smoke, and streams
of fire. Then, above the boom of guns, came a grinding smash,
overwhelming all the other noises by its volume.
Every man in the room now had his gun out, firing at that bounding
figure. Allen was in lightning action; he leaped by one man, spun
about, and used him for a shield. His guns empty, he snatched out
another pair from his holsters. The Yuma Kid fired at him. Flame from
the gun burned his cheek, but the shot missed. As he ducked by the Kid,
Allen fired in turn. The gunman stood for a moment with a startled look
on his face, took two or three tottering steps, and fell straight
forward on his face.
_Smash! Smash!_
The heavy battering ram beat at the door. The thick oak splintered,
hung by one hinge.
The room was full of smoke cut by lightning, and through it the judge
saw Allen leaping, ducking, and dodging. He was slower now; but always
red flame poured in continuous streams from his two guns.
Cupid Dart was down, sprawled across the table. The Toad, one hand
clutching his chest, was trying to bring his wavering gun on Allen.
Another crash, the door came down. Led by Sam Hogg, men poured into the
room. A few more shots, and it was over.
The judge had not moved from his position before the table. Scarcely a
minute had passed since Allen came flying through the window. Yet death
had struck on all hands.
"Yuh all right, judge?" Sam Hogg bawled hoarsely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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