Pink, with an increased respect for the shooting skill of Lite Avery, glanced
guiltily at the others to see if they bad observed where his second bullet
hit. But the others were eyeing Applehead uneasily and paid no attention to
Pink or his attempts to hit an Indian on the run. And presently Pink forgot it
also while he watched Applehead, who was apparently determined to commit
suicide in a violently original form.
"You fellers keep behind, now---and hold the Injuns back fer a minute er two,"
Applehead yelled while he set himself squarely in the saddle, gathered up his
reins as though be were about to "top a bronk" and jabbed the spurs with a
sudden savageness into Johnny's flanks.
"GIT outa here!" he yelled, and Johnny with an astonished lunge, "got."
Straight toward the fence they raced, Johnny with his ears laid back tight
against his skull and his nose pointed straight out before him, with old
Applehead leaning forward and yelling to Johnny with a cracked hoarseness that
alone betrayed how far youth was behind him.
They thought at first that he meant to jump the fence, and they knew he could
not make it. When they saw that he meant to ride through it, Weary and Pink
groaned involuntarily at the certainty of a fall and sickening entanglement in
the wires.
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