The Taney County republican., 1908-10-01

oa' on tina; ia:t:approGcnIng CHRISTMAS
day. "Nu, shucks' they want goin
to b. no hold.up,' and he lighted his
pipe,
Even in the land Of certainty the IN.
usual happens. SO 1t was that as they
rounded the turn Of dread Dead-Man's
Curve there came crisply out in the
morning air the command Halt and
hands up! The brakes for yours
Sandy, for the instant bewildered
caught a Kaleidoscope glance Of two
masked men on the hillside above the
mountain road, a mcnaciug figure near
the head OF the leaders, pointed rife,
and the drivers frantic efforts to pull
up. Like n fash came the thought of
his mission and the necessity for es-
cape.
The whip lay before him. Without
a thought of consequences and regard
less of the rccklcssness of his action,
he seized the whip, sprang to his feet
in the box. and sent the long lash
curling, quivcring, and viciously snap.
ping across the palptant TANKS of the
maddencd leaders. At the top Of his
voice he urged the horses into con.
tinued speed. swearing with only such
oaths as come to the man Of the
frontier when meeting crisis.
The driver. astonished, released his
foot from the brake and thoughtlessly
rose to 4 halrstanding posture. A
rifle on the hillside cracked with a
spiteful sudlenncss, and in huddled
heap the driver dropped forward, lib
Grating the reins from his hands. The
terrified horses threw themselves into
the traces. the coach gave leap
ahead, and, driverless and aimless on
the mountain.shelf, the race was on.
Again a rife sang from the hillside
and one of the wheelhorses dropped,
stricken so suddenly by death that its
body blocked the way threw the other
whcelhorse out of the road, and
brought the stage to an abrupt stand.
still. Even as the wheels ceased turn.
ing. the rifle spoke again, carrying
death to the other wheel.horse. The
leaders, surging upon the tugs, broke
loose from the blocking burden, and
went clattering down the road to the
echo of pursuing shots.
A gaunt man, rifle in hand, jumped
cometlike from the seat beside the
dead driver and sought protection and
barricade behind the body of fallen
horse. A black barrel was thrust
forth from his place Of hiding, and in.
stantly carried a messenger Of death
to the nearest outlaw.
The other two, surprised. baked
aud angered, jumped to cover behind
convenient boulders, and sent a yolley
toward the battered old white hat
which showed itself above the culver
ing loins of the dying wheeler. There
came no shot in reply. Sandy was
biding his time.
From within the coach came asth
matte screams from the erstwhile
cook, and shouts of I've surrenders!
We surrenders," from her travelling
companion. These cries finally sub
sided into snivelings and means as the
unfortunate travellers sought the Sc
curity of the stage-coach -ioor
0rG on the snow OF the roadside
the body of the dying outlaw twitched
conyulsively. Sandy knew, as did the
! others, that there would be no com
promise here It was to the death.
A sudden movement on the hillside
caught his attention.
There was swift rush of a black
form silhouetted against the whitenes'
as one of the robbers, adopting new
tactics, sought yantage-point higher
on the mountain, from which he might
shoot down to the road. Quick as a
flash and with deadly certainty, San
| dy's rifle recognized the danger, gave
answer, and another huddled heal
was added to the mornings tragedy.
Sandy chuckled grimly. There's
inst one more" he said to himself