It was
pretense; with all his being he wanted to die, but when Barry made no move
to strike he turned desperately to the others.
"Do the job for him. He saved my life and then I used it to sell him.
Daniels, Haines, I got no use for livin'."
"Vic," he said, "take--this!--and march to your friends outside; and when
you get through them, plant a forty-five slug in your own dirty heart and
then rot." Haines held out his gun with a gesture of contempt.
But Kate slipped in front of him, white and anguish.
"It was the girl you told me about, Vic?" she said. "You did it to get back
to her?"
He dropped his head.
"Dan, let him go!"
"I got no thought of usin' him."
"Why not?" cried Vic suddenly. "I'll do the way Haines said. Or else let me
stay here and fight 'em off with you. Dan, for God's sake give me one
chance to make good."
It was like talking to a face of stone.
"The door's open for you, and waitin'. One thing before you go. That's the
same gang you told me about before? Ronicky Joe, Harry Fisher, Gus Reeve,
Mat Henshaw, Sliver Waldron and Pete Glass?"
"Harry Fisher's dead, Dan, if you'll give me one fightin' chance to play
square now--"
"Tell 'em that I know 'em.
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