The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-24


just our luck to strike dozen fellows
on that stage and git the daylight shot
through u.s."
His companion laughed coldly at his
querulous comrade, and together they
walked on toward the dip of the noun
tain.
The lieutenant sat bolt upright on the
messy redwood.
"Why, they're going to jump the mail
wagon" he said, almost staggered at
what promised to be even more of sem
sation than he wanted AS he sat there
quickly calculating whether he had time
to alarm the garrison, he saw the old
stage coach, two miles away, stop in
front of the Bentley farm. He saw
group of men and women throng about
it, and then he saw it start again at a
lively gait and make straight for the
pass, where he shrewdly calculated the
stage robbers had planned to inter
cept it.
AS it came nearer he saw a man and
woman sitting ON the one seat "outside,"
and had time, through his growing ex-
element, to envy them somewhat of
their lovely evening and moonlight ride
down the valley on that elevated and
swaying perch.
He saw his way clearly enough into
an ugly row, but there was neither time
nor inclination for hesitation, so he
grasped his light fowling piece and start
ed down the hillside in the track of the
robbers. To avoid being seen he made
detour at the point where they had
boldly crossed the bald ridge of noun
tains, and, keeping the shadow of the for
est constantly about him, passed near
the stage road and wondered if that
vehicle with its precious freight would
ever weather the ambush and climb this
hill. Still descending, but more guard
eddy now, he watched for some sign
from those who had preceded him.
Suddenly his eye caught the wide
swaying of small pine shrub. 1t bent
far over to the left, then to the right,
then forward-like a soldier with q sig
nal code. Responsive to the message he
saw broad white hat far down the
slope swing once around.
"Fandango, the Mexican stage rob-
ber," exclaimed the lieutenant under his
breath, for he recognized the hat despite
the distance as one that covered a head
on which a price had long been set.
Passing down an open slope he saw
a quick movement in front of him. A
thick, low pine branch had been thrust
aside and as hastily replaced. The lieu
tenant threw his gun to his face and
sent load of bird shot rafting into the
pine. 1t took effect. The smothered
curse Of man came first and then the
crash of Spencer rifle. The lieutenant
knew he was hit, but his blood was up
and he dashed at the pine tree while
dexterously throwing a new shell into
the empty chamber of his gun. Prone
on the ground behind the tree lay one of
the men who had passed him half an
hour before. He was as busily and as
coolly preparing for the duel as was the
officer; but fate was against him. The
lieutenant saw him, cooked both barrels
and fired i'll an instant of time, and the
ounce of lead the bandit discharged flew
wide of its mark, for two good loads of
small shot were deeply bedded in the
head and neck of the assassin.
The next moment he was astride the
fellow, clutching the more dangerous
carbine. But he did not need to strug-
gle, for the writhing, tortured man be-
meath him was quite beyond the posi-
bility of inf1icting harm. Loosing the
cartridge belt he strapped it about him,
broke his own fowling piece SO as to rem
der it useless if his man should recover,
and started ON run toward the pass.
Just here he must have felt the effect Of
that first shot, for he forgot the pass,
forgot that the sovernInerat mail. ~vere
in danger, and forgot that lives might
have to be sacrificed before Fandango's
thirst for gold.
A shout and shot from the pass told
him the battle was on, the violent whip
ping Of horses, the cursing of men, the
scream of a woman, and then the tear
ing, crushing sound which told of cap
sized coach. Another lapse Of conscious
ness followed, and at its end he found
himself in the stage road, hundred
yards from the wreck, and saw number
of frightened men and woman stand
ing in row, while Fandango, the Mex
lean stage robber, was rifiing their
pockets.
Forward! Double time! MarchI"
shouted the lieutenant bravely, as though
his company was behind him. "You
greaser," he cried, with sulphurous ad-
jectives, as he sent bullet whizzing
through the bandits hat; "you sage
brush heather! You'll rob the mail
wagon, will you?" and his second shot,
with truer aim, struck one of the fellows
who was guarding the prisoners.
Fandango's pistol replied in turn, but
without effect, and the lieutenant fred
again and again, excited beyond the
bounds of accuracy and as void Of fear
as though at target practice. The rob-
bers had at first been astounded. The
tone Of command with which the new
conner announced his arrival stunned
them for moment, but when they saw
there was no one to obey they took fresh
courage and showed vastly more fight
than their fellows usually do. But the
lieutenant continued to swear and to
shoot, and one exercise or the other
famed into fame a live coal in the line
of prisoners
The woman took advantage of the dis
traction, sprang to the drivers over
turned box, grasped the two revolvers
which lay beside it on the ground, tossed
one to the man nearest her and with the
other herself assisted in the fusilade.
That turned the tide. Fandango and
his robbers, be they ever so bold, could
not stand before the storm of fire from
an equal number of guns. They threw
down their weapons and started to run
"Halt-hands up!" cried the lieuten-
ant, firing again and with more careful
aim. He wanted to gather in this whole
batch. All the savage was reused in
him. He wanted them, dead or alive
He saw the Mexican sink to his knees,
and he turned to the next one-his last
cartridge gone.
"Halt-hands up!" he commanded in
still stronger tones, and the assassins
obeyed. him. Bind EN-" commanded
the young officer, and the coach and har-
ness were despoiled of ropes, chains and
straps to securely tie the prisoners.
Then the lieutenant gave his first at
tention to his wounds. He was growing
strangely weak for a victor, and leaned
against the overturned stage, too helpless
to stand alone.
"You are noblemanw That was the
first thing he heard above that rising