Sparrow's hand twitched. He went for his gun with blinding speed, but Sabata was faster. Sabata's revolver barked twice. The first bullet shattered Sparrow's wrist; the second pierced his chest.
A heavy silence settled over the courtyard. A vulture circled lazily above.
Sparrow was a ruthless bounty hunter who had concocted a brilliant, diabolical scheme. He didn't want Sabata to hang for a mere $500 reward. By helping Sabata escape and making him a fugitive, Sparrow intended to systematically murder the very witnesses who had lied at the trial. He would pin every new corpse on the fleeing rancher, artificially inflating the bounty on Sabata's head until it was worth a fortune. Only then would Sparrow track him down and cash in.
