The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-23

with it at night-not me-"
Neither do care to keep it," retort
ed the agent with some show of tenn.
per- Don't l run risk. too?"
. You surely do" answered Mr.. Stew
art calmly, but you and your COM
pany are paid for taking risks. You've
got big safe here; and what's more
TO the point, 1 don't have 10 take this
package until I'm good and ready. and
you know it. SO there's no room for
argument about it, You keep the
package till / call for it"
The agent threw the thick. brown
envelope back into the safe with a sui
ky air, and as Mr. Stewart walked out
he once more observed out of his eve
that the two sunburned citizens were
again lounging in the waiting room
He also fancied that he noted another
/ glance pass between them and the
agent
If / had that package in my peck
ct" he remarked conidentiany to HIM
self. I certainly wouldn't feel like
! taking any evening strolls around this
town. 1 apprehend it would be quite
insalubrious."
| BY this time he had stopped hgur-
/ ing or guessing. He said to himself
! that, he knew. He felt like a general
/ who has mapped out a piece of STRAIT
! egg and sees it work out. piece by
piece, just he planned it. He waited
! two days more and then went TO the
railroad station again. The agent was
as active and ready as before.
You want that package. suppose?"
| he said, turning to the safe
Guess again, amigo" said Mr. Stew
art blandly. You have it wrong. L
don't want the package. On the con-
trary, the deal is all but off. Unless 1t
is fixed up to-night-and 1 don't think
it Will be- shall express the money
back to Los Angeles tomorrow. since
1 have no fancy for carrying it around
with me. and there's no bank here to
put it in
The expression on the agents face
almost caused Mr. Stewart to laugh,
but he consoled the functionary with
the remark that the money would be
off his hands and off his mind by the
next day. Then he passed out OF the
station. The two rustlers were lounging
about as usual, and Mr.. Stewart once
more rendered himself congratulations
upon the fact that it was not necessary
for him to be abroad with a big pack
wise made a prediction to himself,
coupled with some advice. Said he.
Mr.. Stewart, you are a gentleman of
modest and retiring disposition. You
do not like excitement and, unless I
have greatly missed my calculation.
something exciting is going to break
loose in this camp tonight. Therefore,
let me advise you, as quiet and con-
sentative citizen, to conduct yourself
soberly and circumspectly this after
noon, and go to bed early tonight.
Thus. though the heather rage and
the wicked imagine a vain thing, your
record shall be clear and all shall be
we'll with you"
Mr.. Stewart acted on this sober and
conservative advice. He sat around
the Little Grizzly during the afternoon,
playing a few games of cribbage for
cigars, and in the evening he repaired
to his shack hotel-the only house OF
public entertainment in the camp
where there were sheets on the hunks
and, protesting a slight indisposition,
went early to bed. Not only that, but
he went to sleep-the sleep of the yir-
tuous man who has no fellowship with
sinners nor part in wicked deeds. Mr..
Stewart slumbered serenely.
1t must have been some hours after
midnight when he was awakened by
a. dull boom, followed by ripple of
pistol shots These latter-the pistol
shots-were not uncommon nocturnal
sounds in San Ildefonso, but the dull
boom was something new. Yet it did
not surprise Mr.. Stewart as he lay in
his bunk listening for further develop
ments.
Il think" he finally said to himself
in another burst of confidence, 81 think
that something has broken loose, as I
predicted. and I would wager az much
as a red chip that it has broken loose |
down in the vicinity of the railroad L |
hear our population beginning to hum |
around pretty briskly. so that it may be |
as we'll TO arise and become Interested |
in the proceedings"
This was not difficult seeing that .
Mr.. Stewards bedroom door opened
into the rather commodious apartment /,
which was at once the hotel office, the
barroom and the gambling attachment
thereof.
What is ito" inquired he of the first
man he saw as he emerged from his
sleeping quarters in shirt and trousers.
Railroad station held up: safe blown
open: express money .S"ipSd anu ehSCAt
plugged through the shoulder with
i5-ca liber bullet"
Hurt bad?" pursued Mr.. Stewart
ngrammatically. but in conformance
with the vernacular of the region
well, he's circulatin around Gus
sin quite free. so L reckon he didn't
get it very bad
Mr. Stewart .'reckoned" so too, in his
mind. but he said nothing. He was
He did not take the
rouble to elicit the details Of the hold
1p Instead. he calmly went back to
ped and went TO sleep again. He cal
uIated that the details would keep He
vas right about it. They did not evap-
,rate for several days. Coming 50
Don after the stage hold-up. the occur
ence naturally futtered the detective
Iovecotes in Frisco and Los Angeles
Iuite considera bly,.
For the next day the railroad de-
down 47DOn :