Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-04-07

SsoA 4SHssonkef, NO Iar M
@Cood. BseNo, Senior Jack! Then you
viii be held up on your next trim"
@What?n
"IaUr Dios, I know; and doubtless at The
same place as heretofore-iust out Of the
Hornitas, at the break in the Sierra Madrc
trail
aBy Jupiter, Meeta, you're a brick.n cried
Jack. 3Forewarned, forearmed! I'll have q
corporal and six troopers hid away amone
the mail bags, and then -"
mo, Senior Jack. you'll go alone, and be
duly held up and robbed, as OF DID,
Jack stared, but she went on hurriedly.
Don't ! know Jose Garcia OF old. Senior
Jack? Matdito' Didn't he give away poor
Nasquez to the hanoman. And isn't this
his sfyle!-.Up with your hands,--you
ThatH do. Out with that re gistered mail
bag! Good enough, hut how heavy il is this
time! Baenos dias, Jack Then a yolley
Of pistol shots in the air. by way Of a part
iog Joke, and OF they are to the mountains.
with the fat pouch over Jose's saddle bow.
TO be ripped mp and examined Mt leisure.
Isn't that about the way of it, Senior Jack -
Almost to a hair, " growled Jack, admir-
fngly, but also half madlened at the hu-
initiating recollections she revived. "By
lingo, Meeta, one would fancy you Ind
been through it all! But you're out in one
particular.
SIN which onef"
About their commenting on the heft of
the pouch. It's just the other way. They
mostly curse abeut the lightness OF it,"
Tomorrow IL will be different. Senior
Jack, and you must phil a particularly long
face when they comment on the heaviness
Of the pouch"
"Why sop
Because Chita, here, will be inside Of It,
along with the registered letters"
Jack first looked blank, and then radi.
ant.
.Holy smoke, Meeta, but you are a brick."
he exclaimed, slapping his thigh. But
hold on. Can it be made to work."
III a charm. Senior Jack. Leave 1t oil
% me. Only stop for Chita and me at
Three Cedars, after you take on the mail"
"What. you too, Nectar"
"POr hOs, yesl Never fear, but I'll
make myself SO small rs to cheat even Jose
Garcia's gaze. Besides. haven't / even
more than Chita at stalker"
She blushed beautifully, and Jack would
have caught her to his breast, but that she
evaded him.
Not now, Senior Jack" said she, softly.
Il shall earn that first, and then il must be-
purity's own and forevermore, You will
follow my instructions?"
Will VIII nre burn, or D light heart
jump? Not a word to even the mail agent,
eh?"
Not q syllable"
"And you'll be wanting the key to the
registered pouch?"
ayes, and afterwards a knife-slit in the
leather for Chita to breathe through"
Its a Co." said Jack, drawing a long
breath. It'll State prison me If we fail
bursting the mail pouch, you know-but I'll
run the risk"
"Bueno. Senior Jack. and we shall not fail.
One thing more. 'Pache Pete. the scout,
starts for the fort tonight, no?"
"Yes."
And the fort is only four miles from the
Hornitas, where you are TO be held up?"
"Yes."
~Send word to Major White, then, to be
on the lookout for Chita before sundown.n
ut shall be done, Meeta; but I still don't
| quite understand"
"Cdrumba! don't be stupid, Senior Jack.
BY that time Chita will have been carried
of to the robbers fastness in the Sierra
Madres In the mail bag. will have seized
his chance to cut his way out unperceived,
and will have carried the ground plan of
the fastness to Major White. Why. by the
time we get toethe Mescarilla Station, south
of the Madres. the MAJOR and his squad
ought to be there, with such of the villains
as may not have been killed dragging at
their horses tails. Middleton, and NAV
Jose Garcia be one of those last. He gave /
away poor Vasqnez to the hangman, and
Yes, yes" hastily interrupted Jack, who
bore any reference to La Caramita's earlier
a~ntecedents with hut a surly grace. II now
understand perfectly, Meeta.n
II was accordingly so arranged. The pre-
lninary steps We're successfully taken and
m tia XAU nvsN. vrr.x -k-- -
Donald had driven his tour spanking bays
down the wildmountain mail road past Three |
Cedars, La Caramita was spugly slowed
away among the mail bags behind him,
with Chitiqpita, the midget. duly locked up |
and ticketed in the registered letter pouch,
which therehy presented II bulkier aspect
than usual, but in NJ other way would have |
excited the slightest suspicion as to lis con-
tents.
Though not overnight in intellect, the
dwarf was the soul of obedience. besides
possessing the instinct of a sleuth- hound.
and there was no doubt that he would fol-
low out his instructions to the letter. If all |
went we'll.
And the plot did succeed to a charm.
As predicted by Meeta-snd Jack was
never inquisitive as TO her source of in
formation--Garcia and his cutthroats
swooped upon the coach ut the Hornitas
cut off in the Sierra Madre trail, and were
off again like the wind with the fat regis.
tered letter pouch in their claws.
"Carajo. Jack, but this Is a solid one."
had been the chief bandits laughing COM
ment, as he threw the pouch over the pom
mel Of his saddle before saying good bye,
"What the deuce! Are the railroad boys
sending bone gold in their letters, instead
Of greenbacks?~
BLAST your eyes!" yelled Jack, simulate
ing an unusual exasperation: you'll find
out If the cavalrymen who are following us
only overtake You, and be hanged to you!
This days work will lose me my place,
sure us q gum"
A knocking laugh was his reward, as the
robbers spurred of into the chaparral.
"BMeRO, Senor Jack!" said La Caramita,
scrambling out from among the mail bags,
~ Jack whipped his four in hand to their
best PAGES. "That yarn will insure the
pouch remaining unopened till their secret
den IL reached, but II might have earned
you a bullet, just for quietness' sake"
"Right you are, Bright Eyes!" said Jack,
smiling all over. But there are always |
big risks to be taken, if a big prize is to be
gained"
@Ah, don't I know that?n murmured she.
land am I not taking risks enough"
Aud her pale cheek and quivering Lip
soAu euCA AAoho piuiAAiA tldu WOIus now Tue \
peril into which she had cast her dwarf of
q child was gnawing at her youthful but
motherly heart.
But everything was q success.
Jack had hardly explained his fourth en-.
counter with the stage robbers to the mail
agent and the lot Of hangers-o n ut the Mes
carilla Station, before there was a great
shout from the cross-trail; and then, q mo-
ment later, Major White came ~galloping
to the station, with Chita before him,
chattering and grinning like a monkey in q
hippudrome, aud followed closely by his
troopers, carrying jose Garcia and three
of his men, bound like wild beasts in their
midst, the rest of the robbers having been
slain in their tracks at the edge OF the
mountain hiding place to which the midget
had piloted the troops, after ripping his
way unperceived ont of the registered letter