, 1880-05-27

us al I'.N.r 81 H.. lN-htf Ar
hughoL
II thirl, - ro a'o0. with t.cm7 /
added. aIarm.3 au6 anrrv. "lt they're
afraid TO push OBJ. g1,, e.n what eu-
couracrurut ,a.rr IS tor Ho to keep tle
COMPANY u. % waa Who to1rt carry q
pistol.
"S.t still. sHa ne, catching my arm
and drawing m, bac,,. five got pis-
toI somewhere about Tie coach, Jut IL
isn't loaded.
"Why have these men left T. | de.
manded.
"'Cause we don't need them"
"What can we DO in case OF an at
tack !"
"You'l see; rest easy; remember l am
with you.
began to doubt which was the great
er fool-Perkins or mySelf--in placing
such implicit trust in him. l conclud.
ed that an impartial jury would award
me the palm os stupidity, but l now
made up my mind that | would see the
thing through.
During the succeeding afternoon, /
discovered that one of the iron bands
which held the treasure box to the bot.
tom Of the stage was loosened, and |
Immediately called the attention of Per
kins to the same
AT first he expressed surprise and
concern, but soon saw it was all pre-
tense. He knew OF the loosening of
the band before it caught my eve, most
likely he himself had caused it to be
done-but he resolutely refused to admit
anything Of the kind to me.
That evening was expected to be an
eventful one, and the driver, a burly
Irishman, named Dennis Callahan
turned the horses so as to reach the
same gulch after dYk, when the moon
had risen
Everything indicated that Perkins
had striven to invite the attack from
the first. The open secret of the treas
ure box, the withdrawal of the guard,
the timing of the arrival at the gulch-
all these showed that Michael McCrack-
en- was specially invited to come forward
and take the booty,
eff you have put something else in
there" said |, tapping the box with my
foot, "instead of money, l fail to see
anything smart about it We will SIM
ply disappoint them, that's all; and poor
Pete learned the danger of that"
CAL you've got to do is to wait"
"Halt !"
1t was the same sharp, peremptory
command to which the stage drivers and
passengers to and from the Black Hills
have for long time been accustomed
to. 1...l.f .....
The team stopped on the instant, and,
as before, the dark figures, with the
rifles leveled, summoned us to come
forth and surrender. I'd
A minute later, the driver and we two
stood at the roadside.
"McCracken," said Perkins, in
whinpering voice, 81 want to ask a
favor"
"What is thatP demanded the outlaw
with an oath, ,...l, .rr
~ guaranteed to put this thing
through all right and you've catched US.
1 can't bear to see all that gold COB
bled right up before my eyes. Let me
and my friends retire where we can't
look upon the touching scene. 'Twould
break my heart" ILL.,,
This ridiculous request provoked
laugh all round, and l couldn't avoid
smile myself.
McCracken said that we might 60 up
the bank for all he cared. for he cer-
tainly incurred no risk in allowing us
liberty. 7'." ' -'' "- '' .' m
SO we scrambled up the steep bank,
and plunged III between the sparse un-
dergrowth beyond. tr"
u "Be quick, boys" said Perkins, in
painting undertone. ".It's life or death.
The next moment l understood the
meaning of this excited warning.
We were not fifty yards away from
the road, which, it will be borne in mind,
was deep gully and hidden from sight,
when there came laundering explosion
which made the earth tremble beneath
our feet. I.
Turning our affrighted gaze backward
we saw a sheet of flame and fire shoot
ing upward from the road, as if from
the throat Of a volcano.
Tho t,.oo,,,,a hox, ;nu4aoJ &C cold nop