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THE EXPRESS MESSENGER
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though it had been a sword with which he intended to run him through. When he was within four or five feet of the wounded man, the dark man struck him a fearful blow with a forty-five. The man went down, the dark man coughed, and a great flood of blood gushed from his mouth; he clutched at his throat and fell forward upon his face.
When they turned him over he was dead.
"My poor dead friend," the messenger almost moaned, dragging himself toward the prostrate form, "and I don't even know his name."
"I do," said Sheriff Shone, who had just arrived upon the scene and pushed through the crowd. "It's Huerfano Bill, the bandit."
