The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-03-22


unaequainted with. and | know how
to handle them. too. the bad man in
cluded."
AS k concluded the train
slowed down for water at Winslow.
The shadows we're beginning to
lengthen and there was a momentary
lull In the conversation. Suddenly
the air was rent by series of yells
which would have put to shame an
Apache on the warpath. The terrible
sounds, which were frequently &C
companied by the crack of a revolver,
evidently came from Just outside the
door Of the private car.
"Pm bound for La Junta to drink
the town dry and bust the bloomin'
bank" declared the voice. which had
larger and more fanciful register
than steam calliope. 81 amt goin'
to spend cent for car fare. | own
the train; In fact I own the road.
but the blamed old thing amt worth
owning. Whoopee, but I'm II with a
big I. Why in - - - don't
some one try to stop meme, the Ar.
IONA cyclone?"
This challenge was concluded with
yell that split the night atmosphere
for fully three-Quarters of mile and
was concluded with a revolver fusil-
lade that did the western terror great
credit.
81 guess he's one Of 'em, all right"
said Mr.. M, as another shrek set
the telegraph wires to jingling a mer-
ry tune.
K opened the door Of the private
car and, towering to his full six feet
and throwing out his Sandowic chest,
demanded: my good fellow. what Is
all this row about?"
well. I'll be blankety. blankety
blanked II there amt real 'risto-
crat," declared the bad man. Say
pard, take of that whitewash collar
and line me. We're the boys who
can do It."
The bad man laid large, grimy
paw" upon the railroad mans shoul'
der and tried to kiss him. Upon the
railroad mans resenting this IA
miliarity the fun began. Out came
two forty-fours simultaneously with
another war-whoop which made a rec
| ord.
you onery, sneakin' coyote,
shouted the bad man, 81 like the looks
of this blamed car and so I'll just
take 1t and make you come along
And when | take possession you can
bet you'll take off that whitewash col
lar"
Into the car plunged the bad man
emptying a couple of chambers in his
revolvers by way Of emphasis. This
had the effect of scattering the occu
| pants. Nj made wild dash In
search of the conductor, convinced
that ks last hour had come
k made up his mind to the same
effect unless he could reach his OWL
revolver in the sleeping-room of hi
car. Making a run, for it, he tried
to beat the bad man to it, but it was
no use. Like an avenging Nemesi:
the terror of the plains came charging
down the center of the car, letting
loose a picturesque flood Of billings
gate directed at K and thu
whitewash collar. AS he reached
the trunk in his room and sought tt
grasp his revolver K glanced ovel
his shoulder and saw the terrible
westerner standing In the doorway
with both cannons poised for action
Therefore he decided not to stop a
the trunk, but to go right on out o.
| the window, which he did. Landint
upon his head and shoulders, the rail
road man picked himself up ant
started for the rear of the train jus
as the bad man began to show his ap
probation of the empty car by giving
vent to a series of blood-curdling wal
cries.
On his way to the rear K en-
countered the conductor, to whom hi
breathlessly told the story Of the bat
mans invasion Of his car. Without 6
word, but with a peculiar smile or
his face, the conductor hasened t.
the private car, K following at
respectful distance. Without a mo
ment's hesitation the conductor
sprang into the private car just q!
the bad man had concluded telling
the world that he owned it. Wher
the bad man saw the conductor HI
dropped both revolvers and started fol
the forward end. But the conductor
was too quick for him, and graspint
the western terror by the coat collal
he exclaimed:
"You measly bum, I've been LOOKING
for you all through the train. toll
you that If you ever bothered mi
again I'd break every bone in you
cowardly body"
Dragging the limpid terror to tn
car platform, the conductor admins
tered a lusty kick which sent hin
plunging headlong into the sands o
the desert. As the bad man picked
himself up and limped detected!
away the expression on ks fac
was a study.
an the excitement of the momen
you didn't recognize your friend, dit