they were invisible, and could kill every man…

chunk 4371 · paragraph 0

they were invisible, and could kill every man in the room before one could lift a finger against them. There was but one thing to be done — to put out the betraying lamp. But that was thirty feet away; and before the nearest man could reach three steps toward it, all would be corpses. How long it seems, now that I come to tell about it, how long it seemed then ! But from the sound of the shot that slew Provencher to the ring of another that left the room in dark- ness and the occupants in safety was really less than two seconds. One could scarcely discharge two chambers of a double-action revolver more closely together than those two reports came — the crash of the assassin’s rifle, and the lighter crack of heroic Gallegos’ six-shooter. The young Mexican, absolutely taken by surprise as he was, had not even turned to look toward the window, had not even shrunk from the poor clay that was spurting its ghastly flood in his face, and blinding and choking him; but snatching the heavy revolver from his belt had shot the lamp out, all in one swift indistinguishable motion, and without apparent aim! Pure nerve that in one second saved six lives. The baffled assassins fled, and the storm of public wrath aroused by their deed put a temporary check upon their murderous employers.