The Bottineau courant., 1912-09-06
CHAPTER xxxvIIl.
Hands Up!

: All this time Lieutenant Mallory
had been thinking as hard as an OF!
dcer in an ambuscade. His narrowing
experiences and incessant defeats OF
the past days had unnerved him and
shattered his seIf-confdence. He was
not afraid, but intensely disgusted. He
sat absent-mindedly patting Marjorie
on the back and repeating: .'...'
Don't worry, honey; they're not
going to hurt anybody. They don't
want anything but our money. Don't
worry, I won't let 'em hurt you"
But he could not shake on q sense
of nausea. He felt himself a repre-.
sentative Of the military prowess Of
the country, and here he was as help
less as man on parole.
/; The fact that Mallory was SOL
der occurred to q number of the pas
sengers simultaneously. They had
been trained by early studies in those
beautiful works of fiction, the school
histories of the United States, and by
many Fourths of July, to believe that
the American soldier is an invincible
being, who has never been defeated
and never known fear.
They surged up to Mallory in a
wave of hope. DR.. Temple, being near
est, spoke first. Having learned by
experience that his own prayers were
not always answered as he wished,
had an impulse to try some weapon
he had never used.
Young man." he pleaded across the
back of a seat, will you kindly lend
me gun?" E
Mallory answered sullenly: Mine is
in my trunk on the train ahead, damn
1t. If had it I'd have q lot of fun"
Mrs. Whitcomb had an inspiration.
She ran to her berth, and came back
with a tiny silver-plated revolver.
"I'll lend you this. Sammy gave it
to me to protect myself in Nevada
Mallory smiled at the .22-caliber
toy, broke it open, and displayed an
empty cylinder.
Where are the pills that 60 with
it," he said.
"Oh, Sammy wouldn't let me have
any bullets. He was afraid I'd hurt
myself"
Mallory returned 1t, with q bow. 1T
would make an excellent nut-cracker.' =
aren't you going to use IT." Mrs.
Whitcomb gasped.
''It's empty" Mallory explained.
"But the robbers don't know thatl
Couldn't you just overawe them with
it,"
mot with that" said Mallory, ''un-
less they died laughing"
Mrs. Wellington pushed forward:
''rhen what the devil are you going to
do when they Gomez"
Mallory answered meekly: If they
request It, shall hold up my hands. =
"And you won't rssist?' Kathleen
gasped. Z. B
.""Not a resist .
::And he calls himself . soldier!" ("
shs sneered.. .if
Mallory writhed. but all hs said
was, "a soldier doesn't have to be Z
jackass. know just enough about
gums not to monkey with the wrong
end Of 'em.' '' IS. ~ @ 3sssstst
Il Coward she hung 1t him. He
turned white. but Marjorie red. and
mads : leap 1t her, crying: "Hs's ths
bfaHSst man in, tho world. Ton say .
wsrl. and I'll scratch your syss out, =
This reheartened Mallory little.
and No laughed ''nsrvousiy. . NJ fs.
Stfaided; hSts D Kathls1ii rrstrsatsd iout
4 lofsdalger; with 81 parting shot; Our
ssngagement is Of. !" Il; 81
h1hks." ." mallory said. and put ont
m hkAa: .wills yoa rstura the sbrAse.
slst9 II 81 IS fs.3g
+ never rsturn such things" sa14
Kathleen. 3.I !. 35iS
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