Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-12-26

| Is7' &ENT GO,
Hamlin studied the distant feath
cred head-dress indicated, shading bii
eyes with one hand.
Il reckon maybe 1t is, Moylan," hi
acknowledged at last gravely. "Thos,
fellows have evidently got together;
we're going to have the biggest scraI
this summer the old army has had yet
Looks as though it was going to begi,
right here-and now. See there! TIL,
dance is on, boys; there they come.
they will try it on foot this time"
He tested his rifle, resting one kne,
on the seat; Moylan pushed the bar
rel of his Winchester out through thu
ragsed hole in the back of the coach
and the little Mexican lay fiat, hii
eyes on the level with the window-cas
ing. The girl alone remained motion
less, crouched on the floor, her whit,
face uplifted.
The entire field stretching to tn,
river was clear to the view, the short
dry buffalo-grass offering no conceal
ment. To the right OF the coach, som,
fifty feet away, was the only depres
sion, shallow gully leading dow
from the bluff, but this slight advan
tage was unavailable. The sun had al
ready dropped from view, and th,
gathering twilight distorted the fig
ures, making them almost grotesqut
IN their savagery. Yet they could b,
clearly distinguished, stealing silent
ly forward, guns in hand, spreading
out in wide half-circle. obedient t.
the gestures Of Roman Nose, who, still
mounted upon his pony. was travers-
ing the river bank, his every motion
outlined against the dull CLEAN Of wa
ter behind him. From the black
depths of the coach the three men
watched in almost breathless silence,
gripping their weapons, fascinated.
determined not to waste shot. Con-
gales. under the strain. uttered fierce
arm between iron fingers.
/ Keep still. you fool!" he muttered,
never glancing around. LET your gun
talk"
The assailants came creeping on.
snakes rather than men, appearing
Jess and less human in the increasing
shadows. Twice the Sergeant lifted
his Henry, sighting along the brown
barrel, lowering the weapon again in
doubt of the distance. He was con-
scious of exultation, of swifter pulse
of the heart, yet his nerves were like
steel, his grip steady. Only a dim
lneeting memory of the girl, half hid
den in the darkness behind, gave him
uneasiness-he could not turn and
look into her eyes. Roman Nose was
advancing now at the center Of that
creeping half circle, hulking figure
perched on his pony's back, yet well
out Of rifle range. He spread his
hands apart. clasping blanket, look
ling like great bird Tapping its wings.
and the ground in front famed, the
red flare splitting the gray gloom. The
speeding bullets crashed through the
leather of the coach. splintering the
wood; the, Mexican rolled.to the floor,
taittering one inhuman cry. and lay mo-
itionless; a great volume Of black
smoke wavered in the still air.
II Wait! Wait until they get to their
feet!" Hamlin cried eagerly. "Ah!
there they come-now unlimber."
He saw only those black, indistinct
figures, leaping out Of the smoke, con-
verging on the coach. their naked
cd thn{ svli
savage yells. Like lightning he worked
mis- rife, heart throbbing to the ex-
icitement, oblivious to all else; almost
without realization he heard the deep
ier below Of Moylan's Winchester, the
sharp bark Of revolver at his very
ear. Gonzales was all right, then!
GOOD! He never thought of the girl,
never saw her grip the pistol from the
,Mexican's dead hand. and crawl white
sfaced. over his body. to'that front seat
All he really knew was that those dew.
ills were coming, leaping. crowding
through the smoke wreathes; he saw
them stumble. and rise again; he saw
one leap into the air. and then crash
face down; he saw them break, cir
icling to right and left, crouching a.
they ran. Two reached the stage
ionly one! One pitched forward, re-
volver bullet between his eyes, his
head wedged in the spokes OF the
wheel; the other Hamlin struck with
tempted rifle-barrel as his red hand
igripped the door, sending him sprawl
ing back into the dirt. 1t was all the
work of q minute, an awful minute. in.
tense, breathless-then silence, the
Smoke drifting away, the dark night
hiding the skulking runners.
/ CHAPTER VI. 4
/ -. .aam. 158r g.. 90.