The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-11

! ley. The sun, long since hidden TO
the occupants of the stage below, shot
a ray as Il farewell message. and for
an instant the tree was abIaze; then
the light died out quickly. and they
were in semI-darllness again. The road
wound ITS way around the face of a
high cliff: on one side towored a wall
of rock sheer three hundred feet, on
the other sunk an unsoundable chasm
Slammons sat on the box his two lamps
lit, and his tongue playing a rapid ac-
compartment 10 his whip. Inside. the
small reflector at the end of the coach
only served TO make the night without
seem darker than il was. Silently the
passengers sat smoking, the ends, Of
their cigars alternately glowing and
dlmming in the drngy air. An. unusual
vollcy of oaths from the box, the crack
of revolver. and then the stopping
of the stage with a lurch startled Them
from their quiet. Then a shout from
Slammons as he spoke TO his cattle
and voice, stern and determined, rang
from the rocks above.
''Come. none o that. Make a
straight haul for it,. d-n you. Throw
OIL that box. Lively, now. put up your
hands and get down. Every one of you
come out Of that.
Sadly the passengers obeyed A
palr OF slN'shooters, held in the hands
Of staIwart man. whose face was
partially concealed by n black mask,
hastcOed their descent, and in another
moment they were ranged in line, with
hands raised aloft, n meek, unhappy
cowcd group. At one end of the line
stood Slammons. swearing savagely al
his hard luck, at the other stood the
colonel. cool imrassive, digniGcd, con
hdent in the security of his concealed
treasure. The last 10 descend was the
wldow-but n widow no longer, for out
OF the coach there sprang an active
young fellow, smooth shaveu, dark, of
slender but sincwy build, dressed in
the conventional garb of the western
rider, and carrying in his hand n nickcr
plated slx-shooter. And this WAS Mrs
Ihompson-who did not speak Eng
lish.
The former Mrs. Thompson proceeded
to search the pockets of the iTckless
travellers and relieve them Of their val
uables. his associate keeping guard
meantime. Down the line he went,
doing his work Quickly but carefully,
but before lie was done The other be.
gan to grow impaticn;
Hurry up. Bart, >, he said. Ain:
You most through We're late 4"
"All done but this one. said Bart,
tho quondam widow, as he halted be
fore the colonel. .Hc s got four thou
sand dollars sewcd inside his shirt. I
guess II have TO pretty near rip the
old buck open TO get al if. y
Saying which he drew his knife and
with n quick movement slipped the
point through the coloncl's clothing,
cut 1T wide open and withdrew the
precious package.
- am sorry TO have inconvenienced
you, gentlemen - said the highway
man, bowing politely. "but | shan t de-
tain YOU much longer. as ! know YOU
are anxious to reach Milton. [ trust
this old gentleman pointing to the
rent IN the colonel s clothing, won ;.
take cold. He must be careful; gallant
men arc scarce nowadays. Now you
will all kindly stand rs you arc until
give The word. There are few !
friends of mine watching you from
those rocks, and | really wouldn Z JLo,'c |
If / was You. Their guns have all hair
triggers and are very Liable 10 20 tlf |
suddenly. You won t move, will yon;'
The passengers would not. Wild |
horses could not have dragged them |
from thnt spot, for Up in The r"cEs |
they fancied they saw two shining bar
rels covering them, md they were aeliu
lnely anxious TO rAnsln uri".. The twr
road agents vanished IN rho dusk. AMI |
an instant later q :iclr voice rang out |
In tones Of stern c0mmaul'
Into the coach now, anI get away, !
all of vou!'
The passengers obeyed with wonder
tul promptitudc. Outside they could
hear Slammons swearing strange and
forclble oaths at himself, the company,
the horses. coach and road agents. In