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Gunman's Reckoning by Max Brand
page 28 of 342 (08%)

The train was out of the mountains and in a country of scattering hills,
but here it struck a steep grade and settled down to a grind of slow
labor; the rails hummed, and suspense filled the freight car.

"Hey," cried Lefty suddenly. "You fool, you'll do a flop out the door in
about a minute!"

He even reached out to steady the toppling figure, but Donnegan pitched
straight out into the night. Lefty craned his neck from the door,
studying the roadbed, but at that moment the locomotive topped the
little rise and the whole train lurched forward.

"After all," murmured Lefty Joe, "it sounds like Donnegan. Hated a guy
so bad that he hadn't any use for livin' when he heard the other guy was
dead. But I'm never goin' to cross his path again, I hope."




5


But Donnegan had leaped clear of the roadbed, and he struck almost to
the knees in a drift of sand. Otherwise, he might well have broken his
legs with that foolhardy chance. As it was, the fall whirled him over
and over, and by the time he had picked himself up the lighted caboose
of the train was rocking past him. Donnegan watched it grow small in the
distance, and then, when it was only a red, uncertain star far down the
track, he turned to the vast country around him.
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