? ? ? ? "Not by a damned sight," replied Snipes, fingering the butt of his revolver nervously.
? ? ? ? "Then, by God," replied Tarrant, "if you won't take a shovel you'll take a pickax."
? ? ? ? With the words he raised his pick above his head, and, with a mighty blow, he buried the point in Snipes' brain.
? ? ? ? For a moment the men stood silently looking at the result of their fellow's grim humor. Then one of them spoke.
? ? ? ? "Served the skunk jolly well right," he said.
? ? ? ? One of the others commenced to ply his pick to the ground. The soil was soft and he threw aside the pick and grasped a shovel; then the others joined him. There was no further comment on the killing, but the men worked in a better frame of mind than they had since Snipes had assumed command.
? ? ? ? When they had a trench of ample size to bury the chest, Tarrant suggested that they enlarge it and inter Snipes' body on top of the chest.
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