Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01


ING DOWN THE SPLINTERED
all probability leave Denver Saturday
! night. and go up from the junction by the
one daily train ON Sunday. That was why
he wished to take the train.
When they had crossed the valley and en-
tered the wilderness of pine and cedar they
| would lead them down to the main gulch.
Having found a proper revine they watered
and erased their horses and had break
fast.
1t was net yet noon and the train, the
dark man made out from the figures upon a
time card which he carried, would not leave
the junction until pm. 1t would probably
he 3 or 3:15 when 1t passed the mouth of
the little rill, upon which they were en-
camped.
Having breakfasted and smoked. the
men stretched themselves upon the ground.
all save the dark man. and slept like tired
children.
The leader, leaning against moss-cover-
ed spruce tree, watched black storm that
was brewing in the hills TO tine north.
Presently he heard sharp clap of thun-
der In few minutes there came the roar
ing sound of waterfall and the dark
man knew that cloud had given away;
but, as the main gulch was between him
and the storm. he gave the matter no Sc
rious thought.
At last the hour arrived. The four men.
leaving their horses, descended to the main
gulch, only to find that there was no rail-
road there. Skinny, still smartins from the
effect of the rather sever temperance lee
lures he had received the evening before,
locked at the leader and started to laugh
but the dark man scowled and crushed
him. He knew the country and knew that
the road had been there, but was now
washed away. A little way up the canon
they came to the torn end Of the track
and knew for surety that no train would
come up the gulch that day.
The silent leader made no show of dis
appointment, but quietly dismissed his
men and watched them ride away toward
the sunset. with their broad hats tipped
sidewise and their ever ready rifles rest
ing across their saddles. For himself ne
would have no rifles. only coward or
burgler," he used to say will carry
cannon to do the work of forty-fiver."
When the others had passed out Of sight
the dark man refined his own horse down
the canon, intending, since he was so near,
to visit his wife at the junction. The
gulch almost impossible, and it was not
until after midnight that the lone traveller
came to the abandoned train. laying. like
living thing that had fallen asleep on it's
own trail. Finding the express car locked
he opened one of the doors with the coal
pick which he found on the engine. The
little iron safe was secured. locked. Hav-
ing remoN ed all the explosives from the
car this experienced mountaineer quietly
blew up the safe with few sticks OF dyna-
mite. but there was no money In 1t. By
the light of the engineers torch he man
aged to read q letter that had been left
there by the messenger. and which was
addressed to the express agent. AS the
explorer finished reading it he gave low
soft whistle of surprise-not much above q
whisper-for he was quiet, undemonstra-
tive man.
From the car he returned to the engine
and with the clinker hook fshed an old
clay-stained ore sack out of the tank
When he had cached the sack in the bed
of the river he hurried away in the direc
ton of the junction, urging his horse over
the rough ground as though he were bent
upon a new and important mission.
III.
There was great excitement at the juno
ton when we arrived without the express
messenger, who acted as postal clerk as
well.
When the local express agent learned
that the messenger was not with the res
cued party, that the conductor had been
unable to find him, and that no one could
remember having seen him since we stop
ped and he was seen heading for high
land with his register pouch and some
packages of express matter bearing red
seals, he began to wire in all directions.
In little while mounted men were DASH
ing out toward the hills so as to be ready
to take the trail at dawn.
1t was plain enough. the agent argued,
of the circumstances and cleared out with
the wealth in his possession. A thousand
dollars reward was offered for the capture
Of tine messenger.
including himself, and put out for the
scebe Of the robbery. They were among
the first to leave town. and as they all
knew the country. were soon upon the
left little to be explained. The safe. they
argued, had been blown up by the mes
senger for blind, but they would not
be fooled.
| manned in the vicinity Of the washout until
| the train was abandoned, and then set out
upon long tramp through the trackless
hills. He knew the packages that were
| most valuable, and with these he filled his
| pockets. The gold he must leave, for the
| journey would be a tiresome one. The ooun-
| try, which was new to him, was extremely
| rough. At times he found himself at the
| top of steep bluff, and saw before him a
black and apparently bottomless abyss.
There was no moon. but the friendly stars
| would guide him. Pixies Peak. standing
the east was. while the Greenhorn range
| rose rough and abrupt to the west. But
| when he had been upon his Journey less
| than an hour gray cloud hung like a
heavy fog on the hills and shut out all the
light from the heavens and obscured the
| earth. Instead Of waiting for the mists to
clear away. he kept on going and was soon
hopelessly lost, SO far as any knowledge
| OF the points of the compass was concern
ed. He might. for what he knew. be head.
| ed for the hills, or he might be walking In
the direction Of the junction and the state S
| prison.
| At last, having reached what appeared
to be the summit Of a little hill, he sat
down upon huge rock to rest Az he sal
there he thought he heard a sound like
that produced by horses stepping about on
| a stone floor. Presently the cloud rolled
still obscured. the stars were bright above
and the crags Of the main range stood out
| c1ean-cut against the western sky. Before
him he saw Pixies Peak and knew that 3
little way below him, hid in the mist, Law
/ the junction. ~