The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-04-19

~ tHiouSN your Tram, feDIlel
Mason: then come back here and
I'm tell you. Watch out for W men
IN the next car" Briefly he described
the men.
When Bellamy returned he sat
down opposite Mason and Cheney, and
quietly Mason told him the lay.
NOW. Jack" continued Mason. Il
don't want hose birds to get on to
either me or Cheney. They ma know
us and they may not; but we won't
give them Il chance. Keep your eye
on them. and when we get to ST. Joe
We may need a little OF your help"
ltellamy had u laundering for u good
scrimmage.
al right. Mason" he replied. II
DON'T know what it's all about, but
I'm with you whatever 1t is. I'll put
my head man in that car with or
ders not to leave it. He's all right.
You fellows a ride here, and we'll
all be on hand when we reach st. joe"
Az b minutes to l Mason and Cheney
TOOK a position In the rear Of she first
car, 80 they could see every passenge,
of the first car alight. The brakeman
mad ~purposely locked the rear door, so
tney would, perforce, have to leave by
the front. Bellamy, the conductor, was
near the rear end of the second coach,
intending to follow the suspected men
as they left the car. This literally put
mem etween two fires. Mason and
Cheney intended to jump off right af-
ter the suspects and nab them as soon
as they We're met by the third party.
IL was a damp, dismal night, and
there was a steady rain falling. The
Train slowly pulled into the old Bur
llns,on depot. 1t was before the days
OF electricity, and the dim yellow, flick
erlng gasllght only accentuated the
Truly, AN ideal night for
deV1lment of any kind.
AS soon as the train stopped the sus-
pecls allghted n started quickly down
me platform. Unfortunately, Mason
ana cheney We're caught in a crowd.
AS soon as possible they e~xtricated
themselves, and scarcely ten seconds
p g., ? before they jumped to the
platform, followed by Bellamy. They
locke up and down everywhere. but
tnelr birds had tlown-disappeared as
II swallowed UP by the earth. 1t was
a pfedlcament and a nasty one. They
MAD been ordered to do a certain thing.
n right on the eve of it's accomplish
ment they were baked.
We'll I'm damned!" calculated
.1ou will be all right, and SO will L."
,his MASON, when the chief hears of
lhls. I've read of mysterious disan-
ran before this, but those fell
lows did the fade away act in a high
cIass manner" Bellamy was too non
plussed to speak.
,n After a careful search of the depot
ana tle adjoining grounds Mason and
cheney checked their valises and went
up town. Bellamy was at the end of
nus run II went along. Walsh Ar
new was chief of police at the time
ana they quickly routed him out. Ma
son told him the story.
ono lnpse birds are in town all right
Iouen walsh n,,J
msne Just got to get them or my lob
be worth a cent" An of wb jio
was absolutely true. Chief whitlan
You'd brook no excuse whatever TIha
Was TOO %t1agrant; there We're the
, n. men INDICATED in his o-ders. in
i iaa'A Niew all the time, until they met
sohe-vanished into thin air, No NJ
son salvation depended on finding the
dniee men, and landing them high and
cry pehlnd bars. The sole leather -
lisH must be secured at all hazards
1aa "n un AgneW. of course, knew ST
|r w i,Ne a pook, and in those DAYS If
, nIan NOR worse than others. There were
pleneN OF saloons, dance halls and
sainp.lls places. and the four men
sehi.eu out to make a systematic tom
.lkihs IN every place. Not n sipn nf
ene1r quarry, and finally Chief Aenew.
We'll, fellows, I'm near beat. There's
az i''ple place, old man Leftrich's
uaree hall, and if they are NOT tbe,.a
ten to one st. Joe doesnst Iiel
them' that is, not the under mari nf
the city" Ivy part Oh
through. "A 'ne way
.lhey're in this town all right. Walsh
9 . my euulah get out on a train until
. eloeN, ana me country roads are so
PAD u couldn't pull a wagon very.
far. Some house holds them and w ~,
gong to find the gentlemen if | have
10 search every house i'm town. Chief
hllleN expects a Wire in the morn
ing, and he's got to have it,"
heftrlchSs place was a typical dance
a long, low, rambling shack
st. Joe railroad tracks and right ON
the bank of the Missouri river. Ugly
stories had been told about CRIMES
coinlhltted within the shack, and All
evidences thereof cast into the swirl
torrent of the Big Muddy. Be that
as IL a old Leftrich himself was
not an entire stranger to the force
i1s ~evolver butt had two hicks. and
had done time down in Jeff Civ
IN ST. Joe, however. he had PLAYED as
fair as one of his class could MAY
True, he ran a dance hall with GAM
a.lacllllentS, and once in n
doubtless, some of the light
fingered gentry had taken rafnga
there. but Lefty as he was called
steered clear from doing any action nv
he might be judged an accesso,.y
before or after the fact. His virtues
not entitle him to a place in
Sunday school, but he Wouldn't sacria
flee himself nor his liberty for any
crook Dr. gang of crooks. They might
meet there, and SC long as the law
didn't intervene he wouldn't raise any
rumpus Virtuous Leftrich! He knew
Agnew, of course, n he also knew
Mason; therefore, when he saw these
men enter his place he glanced anxious
ly around the room to see who thew
be after.
There was a haze of blue, rank
tobacco smoke, the clink of
glasses. and ribald songs and jests Of
and-the pity of it-women, too.
habitues of the place. At one end
was the bar, backed by bright mirrors.
in 'front.' Of which We're the ornate bot
ties filled with what has been truly
called hell fire and blue ruin."A faro
game was in progress; poker and keno
held forth. Such was the scene greet
ing the eyes of Mason and his party.
Many an anxious glance was cast at
the officers; perhaps more than one
heart beat faster in anticipation of a
'pinch:" probably nine-tanths oF +ba