The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-06-06


toy, broke it open, and displayed an
empty cylinder.
Where are the pills that go with
it," he said.
"Oh, Sammy wouldn't let me have
any bullets. He was afraid I'd hurt
myself"
Mallory returned it, with bow. 1T
would make an excellent nut-cracker."
Aren't you going to use it," Mrs.
Whitcomb gasped.
Its empty" Mallory explained.
But the robbers don't know that!
I Couldn't you just overawe them with
it?"
mot with that" said Mallory, "un-
less they died laughing"
Mrs. Wellington pushed forward:
Then what the devil are you going to
do when they Gomez"
Mallory answered meekly: IF they
request it, I shall hold up my hands"
And you won't resist?" Kathleen
gasped.
mot a resist"
And he calls himself a soldier!"
! sue Suc0T0u
Mallory writhed, but all he said
was: "a soldier doesn't have to be a
jackass. l know just enough about
guns not to monkey with the wrong
end of EN-"
Coward" she flung at him. He
turned white, but Marjorie red, and
made leap at her, crying: Hes the
bravest man in the world. You say a
word, and I'll scratch your eyes out. %
This reheartened Mallory a little,
and he laughed nervousiy, as he re-
strained her. Kathleen retreated out
of danger, with parting shot: Our
engagement is off,
Thanks Mallory said, and put out
his hand: will you return the brace.
let?"
Il never return such things said
Kathleen.
The scene was so painful and such
an anachronism that Dr. Temple tried
to renew q more pressing subject:
TITS your opinion then that we'd les,
surrender"
Wedgewood broke in impatiently:
well, / consider it dastardly out
rage. I'll not submit to it. I'm q
subject of His Majesty the"
You're a subject of His Majesty
the Man Behind the Cum" said Nal
lory.
Il shall protest, none the less,'
Wedgewood insisted.
Mallory grinned little. "Have you
any last message to send home to
your mother?"
Wedgewood was a trifle chilled al
this. "D-don't talk of such things" he
said.
And by this time the train-robbers
had hastily worked their way through
I the other passengers, and reached the
frantic inhabitants of the sleeper
"Snowdrop."
Hands up! Higher!! Hands up!"
With a true sense of the dramatic
the robbers sent ahead of them the
most hair-raising yells. They arrived
simultaneously at each end OF the
aisle, and with few short sharp com
mands, Strengthened the disorderly
rabble into a beautiful line, with al
! palms aloft and all eyes wide anG
wild.
/ One robber drove ahead of him the
conductor and the other drove in Mr.
Manning, whom he had found trying
to crawl between the shelves of the
linen-closet.
The marauders were apparently
cattlemen, from their general get-up
Their hats were pulled low, and JUS
beneath their eyes they had drawn
big black silk handkerchiefs, tied be
! hind the ears and hanging to the
breast.
Over their shoulders they had slune
/ the feed-bags of their horses, to serve
as receptacles for their swag. Theil
shirts were chalky with alkali dust
| Their legs were encased in heav!
chaparejos, and they carried each {
pair OF well-used Colts revolvers thai
looked as big as artillery.
When the passengers had showed
and jostled into line. one of the mer
| JcUDSU luC SOuQuCtOI Ill Tic UdCh VIII
the muzzle of his gun, and snarled
Nov speak your little piece, like
learned it to you"
The conductor, like an awkward
schoolboy, grinned sheepishly, ant
spoke, his hands in the air the while
| Ladies and gents, these here par
ties in the black tides says they wan
everybody to hold his or her hand:
as high as possible till you git per
mission to lower 'em; they advise 70,
not to resist, because they hate tn,
sight of blood, but prefer it to argu
ment."
The impatient robbers. themselve.
the prey of fearful anxieties, broke in
barking like pair of coyotes in i;
tumble of commands: Now, line III
with your backs that way, and NJ
back talk. These guns shoot awful
easy. And remember, as each party
is finished with, they are to turf
round and keep their hands up, OF
| penalty of gittin' 'em shot off, Line
up! Hands up! Give over there!"
Mrs. Jimmie Wellington took hel
time about moving into position, anC