The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-10-08
CHAPTER XIII.
Tower w,

Tower w.
At the end of long and neglected
hall ON the second floor of the old
bank block in Hill street, Whispering
Smith had a room in which he made
headquarters at Medicine Bend; it
was in effect Whispering Smiths
home.
The door of the room in the course
of many years had been mutilated with
keyholes and REINFORCED with locks
until it appeared difficult to choose an
opening that would really afford en-
trance; but two men besides Whisper
ing Smith carried keys to the room
Kennedy and George McCloud. They
had right of way into it at all hours,
and knew how to get in.
McCloud had left the bridge camp
on the river for Medicine Bend on the
Saturday that Marion Sinclair-whose
husband had finally told her he would
give her one more chance to think it
over-returned with Dicksie safely
from their trip to the Frenchman
ranch.
Whispering Smith, who had been
with Bucks and Morris Blood, got back
to town the same day. The president
and general manager were at the
Wickiup during the afternoon, and
left for the east at nine o'clock in the
evening, when their car was attached
to an east-bound passenger train. Nc
Cloud took supper afterward with
Whispering Smith at Front street
chophouse, and the two men separated
at IL o'clock. 1t was three hours
later when McCloud tapped on the
door Of Smiths room, and in mo-
ment opened it. Awake, Gordon?"
Sure; come in. What is it?"
"The second section of the passen-
ger train-Number Three, with ex-
press cars-was stopped at Tower w
tonight Oliver Sellers was pulling;
he is badly shot up, and one of the
messengers was shot all to pieces.
They cracked the through safe, emp.
tied it, and made, a clean getaway"
Tower W-276 miles, Have you
ordered up an engine?"
YES"
"AclCS hcIlucuy.
A second voice answered: Right
here"
Strike light, Farrell. What about
the horses?'
They're being loaded"
"Is the line clear?"
Rooney Lee is clearing It,"
Spike 1T, George, and leave every west
bound train in siding, with the engine
cut loose and plenty of steam, till we
get by. It's now or never this time.
Two hundred and seventy-six miles;
they're giving us our moneys worth.
Who's going with us, Farrell?"
Bob Scott, Reed Young, and Brill,
if Reed can get him at Sleepy Cat.
Dancing is loading the horses"
Il want Ed Banks to lead a posse
straight from here for Williams
Cache; Dancing can go with him. And
telephone Gene and Bob Johnson to sit
down in Canadian pass till they grow
to the rocks, but not to let anybody
through If they want to live after
see them. They've got all the instruc-
tons; all they need is the word. It's
our friends. You can head Banks off
by telephone somewhere If we change
our minds when we get trail. Start
Brill Young and good man from
Sleepy Cat ahead of us, George, If you
can, in baggage car with any horses
that they can get there They can be
at Tower w by daybreak and per-
nj In. n
there, and we shall have fresh horses
for them. I'm ready, 1 guess; let's
go. Slam the door, Georgar" In the
hall Whispering Smith threw pocket.
light on his watch. II want you to put
us there by seven o'clock"
Charlie Sellers is going to pull
you," answered McCloud. Have you
got everything? Then we're off," The
three men tiptoed down the dark hall,
down the stairs and across the street
on noiseless run for the railroad
yard.
The air was chill and the sky clear,
with moon more than half to the
full. Lord, what night to ride."
exclaimed Whispering Smith, looking
mournfully at the stars. We'll
planned, well planned, l must admit"
The men fastened toward the yard,
where lanterns were moving about the
car OF the train guards near the Blue
Front stables. The loading board had
been lowered, and the horses were be-
ing carefully led into the car. From a
switch engine behind the car a shrill
cloud of steam beloved into the air.
Across the yard a great passenger en-
CINE, its huge white side-rod rising and
falling slowly III the still light of the
moon-one of the mountain racers,
thick-necked like an athlete and deep
chested-was backing down for the
run with the single car almost across
the west end Of the division. Train
men were running to and from the
: