The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05

alton. SO did his victim. The camp
| robDer nickered into the air and away
| homeward to a distant ranch This
winged freedom fascinated the crimi-
| nal. He watched the bird float be-
yond the pine tops. looked again at
! the range, stiffened to MS feet, picked
| up the bowie. glanced behind him.
and gazed down at the helpless. freez-
| ing sullivan.
| Il would not trade places with
Eou," came from the carriers lips;
| but the murderer was looking at the
pocketed piece of meat. Then Black
| Jack took the knife by the blade and
! handed il 10 Sullivan.
I The carrier tried to speak. Black
Jack smiled and With wooden fingers
| rumbled for his pipe. Sullivan bent
| into the hole to hide his tears-and
to work A half hour and Black
Jack pulled the carrier from the hole.
| a minute more and the two men. the
| morally white with black spots. the
morally black with white spots,
stood face to face. sullivan put out
! his hand. Black Jack took it,
! .'Pardner, you're square man.
| Thanks Sullivan peeled OIL
| his fur Jacket, his cap, and his over
I shoes-"take these and this, added
| the carrier, as he handed the ro5ber
two bills ana some silver. Then he
I Neutrality-suspicious.
! his cartridge belt and, with it's dang
! ling holster fun of snow, gave it to
! BLACK Jack youth find the gun in
! the hole: / felt it with my foot. Don't
| use il unless you have to. She's sight
! ed to a hair, and has a soft trigger
( but | want this knife. Goodby.
Mexico is the place for you. Less
| snow there Both men smiled grim
! ". "rake straight down the gulcn on
/ 81 Z ha frozen
| tir1e YOU get there. \ freight Is due
at Empire at two III the mornlng--
usually late, though. You can make
| II If YOU hump yourself. The shoes
are in the hole there. | kicked them
off Eat that bacon when you get
on top; it'll help hmber up your legs.
| T cave the trucks at the mouth of the
! ,.irycn--She slows up there for the
svtfch-for Golden is right ahead
ana your picture is in the post Office
Cut 10 your right across the saddle
back. which you'll see about four
miles to the southeast; then straight
on outheast fifteen or twenty miles,
ana %ou'll hit the santa te tracks 60
ing south. Jump en-, and a week
from now you cross the RIO Stihoe
-Quien Sabe?
..Sso to the Three Triangle outfit in
('hihauhau: tell the foreman-Pete
Miller he is known by down there
sant you. and hell give you job
punching. He'll do it cause | snaked
him out OF the Grand Iour years ago
with his chaps on, ana she was
boomin'-runnin' ice. Ia help you
fish out those webs, but I've got u
case OF co!d feet and guess II nave
TO quits va
Your foot's frozen, amt it? And
| reckon I'd better be goin' a piece
back with you.' said Black Jack.
mo, no need of that; only frosted
all right now. | can stump 1t in al
right These Dutch socks'n last me
,ill | reach Chipmunk's. You've no
time to lose pardner, so adois. GOOD
luck to you. Ana sullivan
stopped. embarrassed--"a nd-f
were YOU IA quit this business. Don't
you're right. made up my mind
TO ,hat in the hole there--just before
| found the knife. II / hadn t-you
---'' Black Jack left the sentence IS
it was but sullivan knew. re gIlpi' ;t5
the desperado's hand again. but us
five bloody fingers made him think OF
FIVE $1,000 bills.
"Weu be good to yourself. The
mail must go through. the carrier re-
piled as he swung the sack 10 ms
shoulders. Then, With the knife heid
like Il sword, sullivan saluted the
other ana left him. Black Jack race
was WORKING but he said nothing. NJ
the edge of the timber Sullivan turn
ed and once more waved the bowie
Black Jack swung his cap. Inen
Sullivan passed beneath the pines.
Three hours later the carrier Iimp"d
into Chipmunk's. Ten feet OF snow
on the level had buried the statioA
in December. only the plumed CHM
uev showed During that tramp sui
bic reaction had set in and ne STAG
cered under his load. for 1t seemed
To him as if that sack contained the
mail of the whole nation. his BRAIN
was boiling with conflicting thoughts
and warning emotions; ana MS con-
science was divided against itself. FOR
the carrier was an honest man. one
word to those in the cabin and hy
midnight Black Jack, the most dan
gerous nail robber in the United
States, would be behind the bars.
Sullivan showed open the hinge
complaining door, Gansen was swear
ing-had been for two hours.
whats the trouble? he demand
ed. think I'm agoin' to hold that
team here a week and drive, it ali
night with the spirit thermometer
nfty-two below at the Springs this
rnornin'? If | miss the Golfer con-
nection Glenn wont do thing but
come up the line with q meat-ax for
the whole outfit The mails has got
to go through What's the trouble?
You look as il you and moving ma
chine had been havin an argument.
ooh. nothin" said Sullivan. Buck
ed into Il little slide just above High
Bridge We mixed, and / lost most
of my goods and chattels, but acquir-
ed a whole museum of bumps ana
such things, besides choice set of re-
frigerated toes. But here's the mail.
No second-class at Empire at all
Guess it's delayed in Denver; or else
good people don't mail papers in the
winter time See here, Chipmunk.
you old gorilla. l want you to let
up on trappin' along my trail. / don't
like it, Found 81 marten in one OF
your internal machines and | turned
him loose. Threw the Newhouse
about forty miles somewheres off into
the timber / don't want any more
of it. savoy?
We'll, adios. jim. Give my apollo
gies to the folks in Hot Sulphur cause
their mail is late. 1t won't happen
next time-perhaps not for q thou
sand years Tell Mark I'll be down to