Evening star., 1897-01-30

ZENS, WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN cow
THING ELSE.
| being known far and wide as the most in
| duStrioUs and capable train robber In all
Texas. quick-firing and straight-shooting,
of all the law.
who's running this show?" demanded
Mannies; who's your boss?"
We're Captain Snike's gang" replied the
Il might a-known it, cried Steve, with
| CEconcealed derision. ITS just like his
| Sunday-schcol picnic way of holding up
| train. I'm going out to nave a talk with
| him.
The masked man made no attempt to stop
Steve and his followers as they poured out
| What are you about there?" yelled
| voice from near the eng,re. Don't let
| these men leave the car
! ITS Steve Mannies and his boys" shout
| ed back the masked man in excuse.
Although the surprised Capt. Snike mere
1y mentioned the lower regions, there was
| tremor in his voice which showed that
the unexpected meeting with SO noted a
man as Steven was not one of unalloy ed
pleasure.
See here. captain roared the angry
desperado, what's the meaning of this?
| What are you doing on my territory? Can't
take care Of these here trains, or has
! there been any complaint on the part of
the T. B. and c. Company that I'm not
looking after them close enough? What in
thunder's the reason O. your being out so
late at night. anyhow? Some O. you boys
IL catch cold, first thing you know
Why. hang it; Steve" said the captain,
We're in this locality at all. You see, no.
body's heard from you for a month, and
| We thought perhaps you had struck fur
Californy. We did, sure. But I'll tell you
what well do. Wen divide square and
| fair
divide nothing" cried Steve 1.-The
trains mine, and you've no business here
at all. Still. there's nothing mean about
me. and 1 like to encourage amatoors. If
you want the passengers, you kin have EN-
You go through 'em and then git"
We don't want no passengers. not to-
night, We don't" demurred the captain.
I'VE got news from Frisco and thought
nobody else was onto it. We're after the
safe an that's what's the matter with this
crowd"
We'll, I'd like to oblige you. but that
safes mine. We had news from Frisco,
too Did you think We were off on our va
| cation?''
Wont you divide? appealed the cap
tain; there ought to be enough to go
round"
Mary divide" said Steve, determined
ly. The safes ours and has been ever
since we got on tie express. We've got
dynamite in a bag to blow her open and
we'd a-been through and away by this
time If you hadn't Clipped into the game
! when you weren't wanted"
At this juncture one of the express mes
sengers with genius for doing the right
thing at the psychological moment. fired at
Steve dimly seen through the radiance from
the car windows, missed him, of course,
but winged one of the gang who stood
near, who instantly whipped out his gun
with an oath and blazed away in the di-
rection the shot came from. Each side
thought the other had broken the under
wood truce and had fired first. Both gangs
had been on the alert for that very thing
and every man had his finger on a trigger.
In two seconds the biggest fight that part
Of Texas had ever seen was on, and the
black darkness was fitfully spotted with
the crimson splitting of revolvers. Cries
of rage and pain showed that some at
least Of the bullets were finding their bill
lets.
The conductor crouching along on the
off side OF the train stole up to the engine
and said in a hoarse whisper to the driver.
his head:
For Gods sake. John. pull out quick"
| "Ain't they covering me?" asked the
frightened engineer, in a trembling voice
mo, you're all safe. They're fighting
like cats and dogs. Get move on you"
"Dut the tracks bound to be torn up
ahead"
"We'l have to risk that, John. Any
things better than this Pull yourself to-
gether and clap on all the steam she'll
stand" said the conductor, climbing beside
: the engineer.
The engine gave three stentorian puffs.
|, so long that both conductor and engineer
. trembled with apprehension lest the sound
would be heard by the combatants above
the roar of the fusillade. then the train
glided almost noiselessly away into the
darkness.
When the firing slackened of a bit the
voice of Capt. Snike from behind bush
made itself heard.
Put up your guns" he yelled. whats
the use of this nonsense? Somebody will
get hurt with all this carelessness. StoI
your pack Of fools, Steve
: "Stop yours" roared Steve. you began
1t, you lunkhead."
1--WE didn't You fired first
! you're a liar." cried the thoroughly ex.
: at me and hit Bill Simmons. I never SET
: such foolish shooting in my life before
! You fellows couldn't hit the Nevada noun.
| tains."
. you're not much better. Well, Steve
seein' it's you, wen go through the pas
sengers. while you blow up the SAFE"
In answer to this there was torrent ol
| profanity from Steve that startled botf
gangs with comprehensive terseness. Tht
smoke had now partially cleared away
Steve stood between the rails looking east
ward at the two rear lights, winking ma
, liciously at him mile of.
) "Well, I'm jiggered." said Steve, more II
| sorrow than in anger. his stock OF mai
q ediction running dry when realization o.
: the joke fate had played upon him became
/ more and more apparent. while our love
feast was going on. blow me II these ten
: dynamite on board. This is what come.
: Of your Interference, captain. There goe
e nearly a quarter of million OF good
: sound money to some cussed, bloated cap
; italist in the east who had no more righ
: to it than you had. and between the tw'
e don't turn farmer and take up 100 acre
= of land to grow turnips ont"