While these words were still on the lips of the child, the doorway was again darkened and the burly form of “Cactus Bill” appeared. He shouted:
“Ee—you! Where is he? I’m loaded for bear. I want a pipeful of his whiskers.”
Dora slipped her arm around Loney and drew him into the shadow, just as John Pierson and Dopey Mack came softly down the steps. “Cactus Bill” was so unsteady on his feet and so overcome by the vile liquor he had been drinking that he neither heard nor saw the two men. Scarcely had they reached the level of the floor than Pierson leveled his pistol at “Bill,” who stood with his back to the door, and fired, the ball striking the drunken man in the back.
With the instinct of self-defence, “Bill” drew his pistol and tried to aim at his adversary, but fell nerveless to the floor, where he lay inert.
Pierson, with his pistol still in his hand, stepped forward, saying:
“It was your life or mine! You have searched the Bowery from end to end for me to-night, to kill me—and I drew first; that’s all.”
The prostrate giant gave no sign of life, and after a moment Pierson said:
“He is dead!”
“Yes,” said Dopey, in an ugly whisper, “and dese kids is witness to de deed.”
Loney tried to slip out unobserved, to find Mr. Goldberg, but Dopey, saying “Naw, you don’t,” struck the child a heavy blow on the head with a murderous “billy.” The child gave a gasp and fell into Dopey’s arms. Dopey dragged him to the inner door and out of sight.