"Help! Help! It's my m—"
With a look of terrible fury as he heard the words, the famous desperado's powerful right shot out, driving the false utterance back into Consollas' mouth as it struck him full in the face, and sent him to the ground like a log.
"Seize him! Seize him!" yelled the mob, surging forward as the merchant fell.
But the great outlaw was ready for them.
Whipping out his trusty "Colts," he cried:
"The first man who steps into this clearing about me will pay for his rashness with his life!"
The situation was grave.
The storekeeper had a reputation for probity and many an one of the sojourners at the Springs knew that he possessed a roan mare.
Furthermore, no one knew the three strangers, whence they came or what was their business, save the meagre information vouchsafed by the bandit-chieftain, and horse-thieves were not confined to any one class. The fact that the outlaws were armed with knives as well as shooting-irons and were so perfectly at ease in their use had not failed to impress the patrons of the resort and free were their comments.