"I'm getting sick of this."
"No, you can't do that," warned Bob.
"I'm going to tell him so anyway."
"That's all right."
For this experiment they had not long to await the opportunity.
"Hi, there!" shouted Elliott at the place from which the mysterious
apparition had disappeared; "I give you fair warning! Step out and
declare yourself peaceably or accept the consequences. If you show
yourself again after five minutes are up, I'll open fire!"
The empty forest gave no sign. For an hour nothing happened. Then all at
once, when Elliott was entangled in a tiny thicket close at Bob's elbow,
the latter was startled by the appearance of the man not ten feet away.
He leaped apparently from below a rounded rock, and now stood in full
view of its crown. Bob had time only to catch cognizance of a blue eye
and a long beard, to realize that the man was saying something rapidly
and in a low voice, when Elliott's six-shooter exploded so near his ear
as almost to deafen him. At the report the man toppled backward off the
rock.
"Good Lord! You've killed him!" cried Bob.
"I did not; I fired straight up!" panted Elliott, dashing past him.
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