Page:Frederick Faust--Free Range Lanning.djvu/225

Rh slope, Gray Peter tossed up his head, floundered, and went down, hurling his rider over his head.

Andrew, fascinated, let Sally fall into a walk, while he watched. He was now in point-blank range of that deadly rifle, but he forgot his own danger in watching the singular, convulsive struggles of Gray Peter to gain his feet. Hal Dozier was up again; he ran to his horse, caught his head, and at the same moment the stallion grew suddenly limp. The weight of his head dragged the marshal down, and then Andrew saw that Dozier made no effort to rise again.

He sat with the head of the horse in his lap, his own head buried in his hands, and Andrew knew then that Gray Peter was dead.