"We froze ag'in' the side of the house, lookin' at each other pretty
sick.
"'Nobody's there,' sings out the voice of old Piotto. 'We can trust Tom
Shaw, jest because he knows that if he double-crossed us he'd be the
first man to die.'
"And we heard Tom say, sort of quaverin': 'God's sake, boys, what d'you
think I am?'
"'Now,' says Bard, and we put our shoulders to the door, and takes our
guns in our hands--we each had two.
"The door went down like nothin', because we was both husky fellers in
them days, and as she smashed in the fall upset two of the boys sittin'
closest and gave 'em no chance on a quick draw. The rest of 'em was too
paralyzed at first, except old Piotto. He pulled his gun, but what he
shot was Tom Shaw, who jest leaned forward in his chair and crumpled up
dead.
"We went at 'em, pumpin' lead. It wasn't no fight at first and half of
'em was down before they had their guns workin'. But when the real hell
started it wasn't no fireside story, I'll tell a man. We had the jump on
'em, but they meant business. I dropped to the floor and lay on my side,
shootin'; Bard, he followered suit.
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