Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-09-12
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
BILLY KNAPP'S TENDERFOO1
Concluded from Saturday,


steep stairs.
The barroom was lighted and filed
with men. Some of them were eating
and drinking, others were strapping
provisions into portable form. Against
the corner OF the bar a tall figure of q
man leaned. smoking-a man 1.-THE. act.
i've and muscular, with keen. dark
face and black eyebrows which met
over his nose. Billy walked directly
to this man.
What is it?" he inquired shortly.
"This yere amt in tn agreement"
Il know that" replied the stranger.
"Then leave yore dust and vamooso."
MY dust is there" said Black Hank.
placing his hand on buckskin bag at
his side, "and you're paid, Billy
Knapp. want to ask you question.
Standing Rock has sent fifty thousand
dollars to Buck Trail. The messenger
went through here today. Have you
seen him."
Marry messenger" replied Billy, In
relief. Stage goes empty"
Charley had crept down the stairs
and into tho rnom
"vbat N blaSes vor do,n. roro ,o,
ranikaboo ijit?" asked Billy truculent.
10
"Tbat thar s,age ,,nt what vo, cau.
empty" observed Charley, unmoved.
A light broke ON Billy's mind. He
remembered the valise which the
stranger had On careful,v yparded and
,bo,gb b,s oom,,o, sorso ,,,d ,Jr,
that an inoffensive pon.comhatant
such az his ppest wou,J hardly no che.
sen as express manager sim the hare
possibility remained
"Yo're right" bc assented careless.
~ "tb,r is ono tenderroot who know.
as much of ridin, exnress M n n,y doas
of war"
"I no,ices he's a,mi,b, n,r,ic,,sr
,bout that thar carns, bay M b,s,n d.
insisted Charley
The man against tho counter had
lost nothing OF the scene. BIlly's dc.
NAL. his hesitation. his balf.trutb. all
looked suspicIous TO him. With on,
swift round sweep of the arm he had
y.,y covered. Billy's arms shot over
his head without the necessity of n
command.
The men ceased their occunations
and gathered about Scenes os this
sort were too common IN elliott com.
ment or arouse excitement. They
knew perfectly the Iaissezfaire re,a.
tions which obtained between the two
Nov" said Rlack Uapl, anoriIy 4,
n low tome ~ want IN know WIN Won
tried Tim, monLov gamen
Billy. wary and unafraid ren,iod
that no Ind triad M game that ba had
Forgotten tho tenderfoot for a moment
and that he did not believe the latter
would prove to be the sight.for express
messenger,
One of the men, at a signal from his
leader, relieved Billy's belt Of consid.
cradle weight. Then the latter was
permitted TO sit on a cracker box, Two
more mounted the little stairs. In a
moment they returned to report that
the upper story contained no human
beings, strange or otherwise. except
the girl, but that there remained a
small trunk. Under further orders
they dragged the trunk down into the
barroom. 1t was broken open and
found to contain clothes OF the plains
mans cut, material and state Of wear.
neatly folded Mexican saddle show.
ing use. and a rawhlde-quirt.
"Tenderfoot!" said Black Hank con.
temptuously.
The outlaws had already scattered
outside to look for the trail. In this
they We're unsuccessful, reporting in.
deed that not the faintest sign indi-
Gated escape In any direction.
The messenger seized his bag and
ran softly along the canyas.partition.
ed rooms wherein Billy silent TO a mar.
row window which he had already no.
ticed gave out almost directly into the