f he ain't dead a'ready, he'll be so right soon."

"Take him inside somewhere," directed Frank. "Every man who can find a
weapon wants to get ready to fight. We're going to have a gang of
ruffians down on us here, and we'll have to fight to hold this mine."

"We're all ready, Mr. Merriwell," said Jim Tracy, the foreman. "Joe
Crowfoot came and warned us what was doin'. I opine them galoots must
'a' bin shootin' at you some down yander?"

"That's right," said Frank. "I had to ride through them, and they banged
away at me to their satisfaction. I was lucky to come out with a whole
skin."

"Which the other gent didn't. Who is he?"

"Big Monte."

"What? Not that galoot? Why, he's one o' the wust devils unhung in
Arizona!"

The men began to murmur.

"Big Monte!" cried another. "Why I has a score to settle with that thar
varmint! He shot my partner, Luke Brandt."

"An' I has a score to settle with him, too!" declared another. "He stole
a hoss off me!"

Many others claimed grievances against Monte, and suddenly there was a
rush toward the room into which the wounded man had been conveyed.

Somehow Frank Merriwell was ahead of them all.

As they came crowding in at the door, Merry stood beside the blanket on
which the wounded ruffian was stretched.

"Hold on, men!" he called quietly. "Monte is dying!"

"What do we keer fer that!" cried one. "All the more reason fer us to
hurry an' swing the varmint afore he crokes!"

"Let him die in peace."

"That's escapin' what's his due."

Frank lifted one hand.

"There is One above who will judge him," he said. "It is not for us to
do that."

But those men did not fancy the idea of being robbed of their vengeance.
Big Monte was helpless in their hands, and they were for swinging him
before he
f he ain't dead a'ready, he'll be so right soon. " 

 " Take him inwardly somewhere, " steer Frank. " Every man who can find a 
 weapon wants to receive ready to fight. We're go to give birth a gang of 
 ruffians down on us here, and we'll have to fight to control this mine. " 

 " We're all quick, Mr. Merriwell, " said Jim Tracy, the foreman. " Joe 
 Crowfoot came and warned us what was doin'. I opine them galoots must 
' a' bin shootin' at you some down yander? " 

 " That's right, " said Frank. " I accept to ride through them, and they banged 
 aside at me to their satisfaction. I was lucky to come out with a unharmed 
 skin. " 

 " Which the other gent didn't. Who is he? " 

 " Big Monte. " 

 " What? Not that galoot? Why, he's one o' the wust devil unhung in 
 Arizona! " 

 The men began to murmur. 

 " Big Monte! " cried another. " Why I has a score to fall with that thar 
 varmint! He shot my partner, Luke Brandt. " 

 " An' I has a score to settle with him, too! " declared another. " He stole 
 a hoss off me! " 

 Many others claim grievances against Monte, and suddenly there be a 
 haste toward the room into which the wounded man had been conveyed. 

 Somehow Frank Merriwell was ahead of them all. 

 As they came crowd in at the door, Merry stood beside the blanket on 
 which the wounded ruffian was stretch. 

 " Hold on, men! " he called quietly. " Monte is dying! " 

 " What do we keer fer that! " cried one. " All the more cause fer us to 
 hurry an' swing the varmint afore he crokes! " 

 " Let him fail in peace. " 

 " That's escapin' what's his due. " 

 Frank lift one hand. 

 " There is One above who will judge him, " he said. " It is not for us to 
 do that. " 

 But those man did not fancy the idea of being robbed of their vengeance. 
 Big Monte was helpless in their hand, and they were for swinging him 
 before he
f hf ain't dead a'ready, he'll ne so right soon."

"Jaje him insids somewhdre," directed Frank. "Every man wyo cab find a
weapon wants tu get reafy to fitht. Xe're going to hats a gann of
rhnfianv down on us hete, and we'll vave to fight do hlld this mine."

"We're all ready, Mr. Merrywell," ssif Jim Tracy, thg fortmag. "Jos
Briwfoot came and warned us whaf was dmin'. I opine tnem galoots must
'a' bin shoohin' wt you some down ywnder?"

"That's tjghe," said Frank. "K had to rpbe through jhem, and they banged
away at me tu thenr satisfacjnin. L was lucky vo comv out with a whole
skit."

"Which yhe other gent divn't. Qho is he?"

"Big Monte."

"Whav? Not that galoot? Whi, he's one m' che wust devils unhunt un
Arieona!"

Tve mdb bdgah vo jurmur.

"Hig Monte!" crisd another. "Qhy I has a score tp fvytle with thzt thaw
vwrmint! He shot my partner, Luke Brandt."

"An' I gas a score to settle wuth him, too!" declared wnother. "Hq stole
a hoss off me!"

Many others claimed grievancev agamnrt Nokte, xbd suddenly there was a
rush toward the room intj wnibh the wounded mak had been conveyec.

Slmrrow Frank Mertiwell czs ahead of them all.

Ws they came crowding in st the door, Merry stood besude the blanhwt on
which the wouuded ruffian was streyched.

"Hold on, men!" he calued suietly. "Monhe is dyihe!"

"What do we keer feg thdt!" cried one. "All the more weason fec us co
hurry xn' seing tre varmint aforc he crokes!"

"Let him fie iu peawe."

"That's esfapin' what's his due."

Frank lifted one hand.

"There iv Ote above who eill judge hii," he said. "It ix not fjr us to
do that."

Gut thove men did got fancy the ldea of beinj robbed jf tyeir vengeavze.
Big Monte wax helpless in their hands, and they weve fot awinging him
befire he
f he ain't dead a'ready, he'll be soon." him inside directed Frank. "Every weapon to get ready fight. We're going have a gang of ruffians down us here, and we'll have to fight to hold this mine." "We're all Mr. Merriwell," said Jim Tracy, the foreman. "Joe Crowfoot came and warned us was I them must 'a' bin shootin' at you some down yander?" "That's right," said Frank. "I had to through them, and they banged away at me their satisfaction. I was to come out with a skin." the other didn't. is "Big Monte." "What? that galoot? Why, he's one o' the wust devils unhung in Arizona!" The men began to murmur. Monte!" cried I has score settle that thar varmint! my partner, Luke Brandt." "An' I to settle with him, too!" declared another. "He a hoss me!" Many others claimed grievances against and suddenly there was a rush toward the into which the wounded man had been conveyed. Somehow Frank Merriwell was ahead of them they came crowding in the door, Merry beside blanket which wounded ruffian stretched. "Hold on, men!" he called quietly. "Monte is dying!" "What we keer fer that!" cried one. "All the more reason to an' swing the afore he crokes!" "Let die peace." "That's escapin' what's Frank one One who judge him," he said. is not for us to that." But those men of being robbed of their vengeance. Big Monte helpless in their hands, and they were swinging him before he
f he ain't dead a'ready, he'll be so Right soon."

"TAke hiM inSidE sOmewHere," Directed Frank. "EVEry mAn who can find a
weapon wanTs to gEt REady TO fIght. WE're goinG To HAVe a GaNg Of
rUfFIaNs dowN on Us here, aNd we'll have To fIgHt to hold this MInE."

"We're all reAdy, mr. Merriwell," sAid jim TraCy, The FOremaN. "JoE
CrowFoot caME and waRned us whaT wAS doin'. I OPine theM GAlOots Must
'a' bin shootin' at YOu SOme down yander?"

"THat's riGhT," SaID fraNk. "I Had to ride tHrOugh tHEm, and thEY bANGEd
aWAy at me to their SatisfactioN. i waS lucky To ComE Out witH a whoLe
SKin."

"which the othEr geNt didn't. WhO is he?"

"BIG Monte."

"WHAt? Not thAt galoOt? WHy, hE's onE O' tHe WusT dEVilS UnHunG In
ARizona!"

ThE mEn Began To muRMUR.

"big MOntE!" criEd anoTher. "Why I has a sCorE to sETtlE with That tHar
vArMint! HE shot mY partNeR, Luke Brandt."

"An' I hAs a sCore to setTle WiTh hIm, Too!" deCLared aNotHer. "he stole
A hoss ofF Me!"

MAnY OTHeRs claimed grievanceS aGAInSt Monte, aNd suddENlY tHEre was a
rUsH toWard THE room Into WHiCh the wouNded maN HaD bEen convEyEd.

SomeHoW FrAnk merriWEll wAs aheaD of them aLl.

As tHEy came crowding IN at the door, MerRY sTOOd BEsidE thE blanket on
wHich THe woUndeD RuFfiAN was sTretcHeD.

"hoLD on, men!" he called quietLy. "monte iS dyinG!"

"What do we keer Fer that!" criED ONe. "All the More REaSOn fer us to
hurry An' swiNg the varmiNT afore he CrokeS!"

"Let him dIe in peace."

"tHAt's escapIn' wHat'S hiS duE."

fRaNk lifted one haND.

"therE iS One aboVe wHo will jUdgE hiM," he SaiD. "IT is not for Us to
do thAt."

buT tHoSe mEn did NOt fancy tHe IdeA oF beIng roBBed of tHeir vEngeAnCe.
bIg MOnte was HElPLEss iN tHeIr haNds, AnD they Were FOr sWinging Him
before He
f he ain't dead a'ready, h e'll be so  righ t s oon ." 

"T akehim inside som e wher e," directed Frank. "E veryma n  who ca n fin d a
wea p on w ant sto  ge tr ea dy to  fi ght. We 're goingtoha ve a gang of ru ffians dow n o n us here, a ndwe'llha vet o fig htto ho ld thi s  mine. "

"We're  a l l read y , Mr. M e r ri well ," said Jim Tracy ,  t h e foreman. "Jo e
Crow fo o tc a meand  warned us  w hat w a s doin' .  I o p ine them galootsmust
'a' bi n  sh ootin'  a t y o u some  down  y a nde r?"

"That' s ri ght," sai d Fran k . "I ha d  to rid e thro ugh  th em,a nd  t hey  b a nge d 
a way atme to th ei rsatis fact i o n .  I w asluck y tocome out with  awhol e 
sk in."
"Whi ch t he  othe r gent  didn 't . Who is he?"
"Big  Monte."
"W ha t?No t tha t  galoo t?Why , he'sone o't hewu s t de vils unhung in
Ari zo n a !" 

The me n bega n  t om urmur.
"B igMont e ! " cri ed a n ot her. "Wh y I ha s  a  s core to  s ettlewi ththa t tha r 
var mint!He shotmy pa r tner, Luke Bra n dt."

"An' Ih as a  s c oretosettle with  him ,  too !" d e cl are d  anot her."H e  s t ole
a hoss off me!" 
Many o thers  claimed grie vances aga i n s t Monte,  and su d denly there wa s a
r ush toward the room  into  which t he wounde d man hadbee n c onv eye d . 
Somehow Frank M erri we ll wasahe ad of t hem  al l.
As  t hey camecrowding  i nat  t hedoor, Merry st oo d b es ide  theb lanket  on
w hich  t he wou nded ru f fi a n  was  s tr etch ed. 
"Hold  on, men !" he c alled qui etl y . "M on te  is dyi ng!"

"What d owe keer fe rtha t!" cr i e d one. " All the more reason fer us to
h urr y an'  swi ng the va rmi nt afo reh e crok es!"
"Lethi m d i e  in p e a ce ."
" That's esc a p in'  what 's  his  due."
Frank lifted oneh and .

"There isOne  abo v e  w how il l  ju dg e  hi m , " he said. "Itis not for  u s  t o
do that. " 

B ut  thosemen did  notf ancy th e idea of  being ro bb ed o f the ir vengean ce.
BigMonte was helpl e ss  in t hei r hand s,  an d the y were for  swin ging h im 
befor e he
f he_ain't dead_a'ready, he'll be so_right soon."

"Take_him_inside somewhere,"_directed_Frank. "Every man_who can find_a
weapon wants to get_ready to fight._We're_going to have a gang of
ruffians down on us here, and we'll have to_fight_to hold_this_mine."

"We're_all ready, Mr. Merriwell," said_Jim Tracy, the foreman. "Joe
Crowfoot_came and_warned us what was doin'. I opine them_galoots_must
'a' bin shootin'_at you some down yander?"

"That's right," said Frank. "I_had to ride through them, and_they banged
away at_me_to_their satisfaction. I was_lucky to come out with a_whole
skin."

"Which the other gent didn't. Who_is he?"

"Big Monte."

"What? Not that galoot? Why,_he's one o' the wust devils_unhung in
Arizona!"

The men began to_murmur.

"Big Monte!"_cried another. "Why I has_a score to_settle with_that thar
varmint! He_shot my partner, Luke Brandt."

"An' I_has a score_to settle with him, too!" declared_another._"He stole
a hoss_off_me!"

Many_others claimed_grievances against Monte,_and_suddenly there_was_a
rush toward the room into which_the_wounded man had been conveyed.

Somehow Frank Merriwell_was ahead of them_all.

As_they came crowding in_at the door, Merry stood_beside the blanket on
which the wounded_ruffian was_stretched.

"Hold on,_men!" he called quietly. "Monte is dying!"

"What do we keer fer_that!" cried one. "All the more_reason fer us to
hurry_an' swing_the_varmint afore he_crokes!"

"Let_him die_in peace."

"That's escapin' what's his due."

Frank lifted_one hand.

"There_is One above who will judge_him," he said. "It_is_not for us to
do that."

But those_men did not fancy the idea_of being robbed of their_vengeance.
Big_Monte_was helpless in their hands,_and they were for swinging him
before_he