The Project Gutenberg eBook of Because he listened in
    
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: Because he listened in

Author: W. C. Tuttle


        
Release date: May 27, 2026 [eBook #78771]

Language: English

Original publication: New York, NY: Street & Smith Corporation, 1928

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78771

Credits: Prepared by volunteers at BookCove (bookcove.net)


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BECAUSE HE LISTENED IN ***

                         BECAUSE HE LISTENED IN

                              W. C. Tuttle

                     Author of “Bad and Mad,” etc.


There was no doubt that Jim Allen, alias Jim Asher, alias the “Laramie
Kid,” and other aliases too numerous to recount, had been having a run
of hard luck. Things had been breaking badly for Laramie, as he was
more generally known down where the Gila flows.

Laramie was of medium height, rather scrawny, thin faced, peaked nosed,
generally in need of a shave and a haircut--a tough hombre withal, and
of exceeding speed with a six-shooter. Poker was a passion with Laramie,
and he had an idea that all dealers were crooked. He knew what he’d do,
if he were in their place--and blamed them exceedingly for doing it.

There was, therefore, quite a commotion in the palatial Yellow Moon
Saloon in Los Noches, when Laramie planted a .45 slug through the right
arm of a silk-shirted dealer, because Laramie discarded an ace and a
king, only to discover that the dealer held an ace full on kings. The
percentage was all against the dealer holding such a hand, and Laramie
didn’t believe in what is commonly termed a coincidence.

The sheriff at Los Noches thereby, being filled with civic pride,
considered Laramie at fault, and they swapped lead all around the main
street of Los Noches, aided and abetted by other civic-minded citizens,
who felt that the honor of Los Noches needed upholding, with the result
that Laramie got away with a more or less shot-up horse, but his own
skin intact.

Ten miles out of Los Noches, the horse gave up the ghost, or whatever
it is that keeps a horse together, and Laramie faced the terrible
predicament of walking or sitting down to starve. Laramie wasn’t a
walker. As far back as he could remember, he had always ridden a
horse. He didn’t want to go back to Los Noches. They had queer ideas,
those folks of Los Noches. All that fuss over a crooked gambler!
Ridiculous! Laramie was bitter. He had a good saddle. But what use is
a saddle, when one has no horse? No, he most surely would not go back
to Los Noches; so he went in the opposite direction. There was always
an opening for an energetic young man, and Laramie _was_ energetic.

And that was part of the reason why Laramie awoke in the loft of a
stable, somewhere in the next county, twenty miles or more away from Los
Noches. He was stiff and sore, ravenously hungry, mentally alert--and
without a cartridge for his six-shooter. It had been quite a battle in
that Los Noches street.

Laramie had discovered this cattle ranch in the dark, and, being of a
cautious frame of mind, decided not to bother the inhabitants; so he
had climbed to the loft and slept in what little hay remained.

Now he sat up, wiped his sleep-filled eyes, and listened to the voices
of two men, which drifted up to him through the many cracks in the rough
flooring. One man’s voice droned a little, and Laramie was not able to
hear what he said; but the reply was plain enough:

“That sounds pretty good, pardner, but I’ll tell yuh what I’d do; I’d
pull that job this side of the crossin’, at that hair-pin turn on the
grade. That’s a dinger of a place. Yuh can watch both ways, and there’s
a trail off the pinnacle. When yo’re plannin’ a job like that, always
figure yore get-away.”

“But the driver is in on the deal.”

“Shore--I know that! But you’ve got to protect him, don’tcha see? You’ve
got to make it look right to the sheriff. Yuh can’t stick up a stage and
git twenty thousand dollars without stirrin’ up a lotta dust. That’s
_money_! That stage comes along at about ten o’clock to-morrow mornin’,
packin’ a fortune. There ain’t no guard, ’cause nobody expects the stage
to be packin’ real money. That’s great. The holdup man wears a blue
shirt----”

“But the driver will lie about the description, Larry; and the sheriff
will never find a man who corresponds to the one who robbed the stage.”

“That’s great. But I’d pull it off at the hair-pin turn, if I was you.”

“All right, Larry; you know better about it than I do. Now, that’s all
set.”

Laramie was wide awake now. The two men left the stable, and he scuttled
over to peer out through a crack in the wall. They were now standing
near the corral fence, and he could see one of them quite plain.

“Larry Brett,” grunted Laramie, half aloud. “Dunno the other one.
Whatcha know about that? Twenty thousand dollars, and the stage driver
is in on it!”

Laramie stretched out flat on his back, squinting at the sunbeams
through the cracks in the roof. He lifted one arm and looked at his
shirt sleeve. It was blue. Not a glaring blue, but the sky-blue of a
shirt which had gone to the wash many times.

“Blue enough,” he decided. “Plenty blue. I ain’t got a shell left for
the old gun, if anythin’ should break wrong; but he said the driver was
in on the deal. Don’t need no shells. All I need is a horse and saddle.
Twenty thousand dollars! And they’ll pull the deal at the hair-pin turn
on the grade at ten o’clock in the mornin’, eh?

“I’ve gotta stay right here until t’night, starve or no starve. Then
I’ll git me a horse and saddle, and when that stage reaches the
hair-pin curve little Laramie will be a long ways off, packin’ the
dinero. I’ll head for a little valley off the Gila, buy me a little
outfit, and be somebody.”

                   *       *       *       *       *

For quite a number of years old Eph Jones had driven the stage between
Wheeler and Silver City. Jones was a tall old leatherneck, bearded to
the eyes, gnarled of hand. He drove the four tough bronchos over the
bad grades with a grip of steel, scaring passengers half to death, when
he had any passengers, by the way he swung those four horses around the
dangerous turns. The old stage was really a relic, but Eph kept it in
repair and never missed a trip.

He usually started from Wheeler about four o’clock in the morning, in
order to reach Silver City before the heat became unbearable. By doing
this he could arrive there by eleven o’clock, and at that time, even in
the summer, the thermometer did not show worse than one hundred and ten
degrees in the shade.

On this certain morning he pulled out of Wheeler at the right time.
There was no hint that the old stage carried a fortune. As usual, old
Eph placed a sawed-off shotgun on the seat beside him, took a big chew
of tobacco, yelled to his horses, and went out of Wheeler in a cloud
of dust. He had no passengers.

There had been holdups on the road to Silver City, but Eph had never
been stopped by any of the festive highwaymen. Only at odd periods was
there enough wealth on the stage for any intrepid outlaw to bother
about. There were mines out of Wheeler; gold mines, which often sold
their gold to the bank at Wheeler, which in turn shipped it to Silver
City by stage, to be sent from there to the mint.

Laramie knew this. He had often thought of trying to work some scheme to
find out when these shipments were to be made, but he had never made the
proper connections. There was no use taking pot-luck with a daily stage.

Old Eph Jones kept his four horses traveling at top speed, and the
desert road unwound behind him like a ribbon of tawny silk. Daylight
came. He took off his heavy coat, bit off another chew of tobacco,
and kept going. The sun came up, and in a short time the coats of the
horses were caked from moisture and dust.

There would be water at the crossing of Lost Creek; the only water
between Wheeler and Silver City. Lost Creek disappeared shortly below
the crossing, never to appear again. It was nearly ten o’clock when the
lead horses of the stage splashed into the crossing. Eph drove them far
enough ahead to allow the wheelers to drink.

On the other side, the road slanted sharply upward for fifty feet, where
it leveled again for possibly a quarter of a mile before climbing the
grades. It was little over a mile to the hair-pin turn.

The horses were checked before drinking their fill. Old Eph kicked off
the brake, and his long whip snapped over their lean backs like the
report of a small rifle. They jerked into their collars and sprang
ahead, while the whip hissed and popped, urging them to drag the heavy
stage over that sharp pull.

“Tighten yore tugs, you bat-eared scorpions!” yelled old Eph. “Git
goin’, you buzzard bait!”

The horses dug to their work, and the big stage lurched up over the
rim. But right here occurred an interruption. The leaders swung aside,
crowding the brush beside the road, swinging one wheel out of the rut.
Old Eph swung hard on the lines, jammed a big foot down on the brake,
and swore bitterly through his dusty whiskers.

In the middle of the road stood a man, his face masked, a big gun in his
right hand. He had cleverly swung the leaders into the brush, and the
stage was blocked. Eph grumbled and squinted at the robber, who kept him
covered with the big gun.

“Changed m’ mind about the hair-pin turn,” he said to Eph. “Throw down
the treasure box.”

Eph slowly bent, lifted up the iron-bound box beneath his big feet,
and tossed it down. It was not a big box; only about eighteen inches
long, nearly square. On it was lettered “Wells Fargo Co.” in white
letters. Without taking his eyes off old Eph, the bandit picked it
up. It was heavy, and he needed both hands.

“See yuh later,” he said meaningly, turned, and started for the brush
ahead of the team.

Eph’s right hand dropped to the shotgun. With a twist of his wrist he
turned the barrels toward the retreating form, and a lean finger
tightened over the trigger. A moment later, the stillness of the hills
was broken by the crashing report of the old 10-gauge shotgun.

The bandit stopped, staggered sideways, dropped the heavy box, and fell
over it.

“Them there buckshot,” said old Eph, as he climbed down over a wheel,
“are shore e-fective on half-witted holdup men.”

Then he went over, picked up the wounded man, and took him to the stage,
where he roped him well, threw him inside, and went back to get the
treasure chest.

“Goin’ to be a little late at Silver City,” he said thoughtfully, as he
kicked off the brake. “Tighten yore tugs, you bat-eared buzzards!”

                   *       *       *       *       *

It was about three o’clock that same afternoon. Sheriff “Buck” Nolan was
sitting out in front of his office at Silver City, seeking what little
shade there was to be had, which wasn’t much, when Larry Brett, foreman
of the J80, and another man, dressed in cowboy habiliments, came down
the sidewalk to the office.

“Hyah, Larry!” greeted the sheriff wearily.

“’Lo, Buck! Shake hands with Jimmy Colvin.”

They shook hands solemnly. Colvin was a slight, youngish man, with blue
eyes and a wide smile, while Larry was gaunt, angular, hard bitten.

“I heard about the holdup this mornin’,” said Larry. “They was tellin’
us up at the store. Was it really the Laramie Kid?”

“It shore was and is,” smiled the sheriff. “Doc Hardy jist fixed him all
up fine. I jist got word that he smoked up Los Noches night afore last.
Cut down on a gambler and busted him plenty. Then he tried to whip the
whole town. Nicked the sheriff and got plumb away.”

“Is he hurt bad, Buck?” Larry inquired solicitously.

“Not very. A buckshot petted him on the head, and another went plumb
through his left arm below the shoulder. Nope, he ain’t hurt none to
speak about. The nervy cuss never had a shell in his gun nor in his
pockets.”

“That jasper must be loco. Say! Somebody stole a horse and a saddle from
the J80 stable last night, and I wondered if Laramie----”

“I ain’t been out lookin’ for his horse. Want to talk to Laramie? Shore,
he’s able to talk, judgin’ from the cussin’ he gave the doctor.”

“I _would_ like to talk to him,” said Colvin eagerly.

“C’mon in,” said the sheriff.

They found Laramie sitting on the edge of his little cot, holding his
head in his hands. He looked up at them and recognized Larry.

“Hyah, Brett!” he said shortly.

“’Lo, Laramie! Long time I no see yuh.”

“’F I had my way about it, it’d be a darned longer time before yuh’d
ever see me again.”

“I s’pose,” grinned Larry. “And if yuh look at it right, it probably
_will_ be a long time, Laramie. Did you steal a horse and saddle from
the J80 last night?”

Laramie thought it over for a while. Then he said:

“Yuh can’t prove _that_ on me. But I seen a J80 horse tied off the road,
left-hand side, jist this side of the crossin’. Mebby that’s yore bronc
and saddle. I didn’t see nobody with it.”

Colvin had taken out a folded piece of paper and was making notes.
Laramie looked him over curiously, but said nothing.

“How much money was in that box?” asked Larry.

“Danged close to twenty thousand,” said the sheriff. “They couldn’t give
me the exact figures at the bank yet.”

Laramie squinted sideways at Larry. The amount was nearly correct, but
Larry merely looked at Colvin, a grin on his lips.

“The crossing came near being the right place,” said Colvin.

“That’s right,” agreed Larry. “Never heard of anythin’ so strange in my
life.”

“What’s all this about?” demanded Laramie. “Who’s that jigger”--pointing
at Colvin--“and what’s he writin’ anyhow?”

“This is Mr. Colvin, Laramie. He’s stayin’ at the J80, gittin’ what he
calls ‘local color.’ Writin’ a Western story, and yuh never seen a man
so particular. He had to have a holdup in the story, and he wanted to
locate it right. He wrote it at the ford of Lost Creek, and I told him
that the hair-pin curve was the right place. He was right. There was to
be twenty thousand on the stage, and the driver was one of the crooks,
and----”

Laramie covered his face with his hands for a moment.

“Git out of here, will yuh?” he said savagely. “My head aches, and I--I
want time to think.”

They got up together and started for the door.

“Mr. Laramie,” said Colvin, “may I come back and talk with you later?
I’d like to get your reactions----”

“Better let him alone,” advised the sheriff. “He’s in bad shape.”


[Transcriber’s Note: This story appeared in the August 25, 1928 issue of
Western Story Magazine.]



*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BECAUSE HE LISTENED IN ***


    

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg
electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works
provided that:

    • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
        the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method
        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has
        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
        Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
        Literary Archive Foundation.”
    
    • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
        works.
    
    • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
        receipt of the work.
    
    • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
        distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
    

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516,
Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.