Page:Hugh Pendexter--Kings of the Missouri.djvu/242

 Phinny fired and Porker went down on his face.

"Why did you do that?" gasped Lander, breaking into a clammy sweat.

"He's gone mad!" panted Phinny, working with desperate haste to reload. "It was his life or ours."

"He said they'd find me—wish he'd finished," muttered Lander.

"Crazy talk. Hand me that ramrod," puffed Phinny, his hands shaking.

Lander stooped and reached for the ramrod. The bushes stirred and he started to lift his head. Then a crash and nothingness.