Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1912-09-05
non then that we'd best

surrender"
OF course-since we can't run"
Wedgewood broke in impatiently!
well, l consider it a dastardly out
rage. I'll not submit to it. I'm a
subject OF His Majesty the"
You're a subject OF His Majesty
the Man Behind the Gum said NAL
lory.
81 shall protest, none the less"
Wedgewood insisted.
Mallory grinred a little. Have you
any last message 10 send home to
your mother"
Wedgewood was a tritie chilled at
this. "D-don't talk Of such things" he
said.
And by this time the tra%in-robbars
had hastily worked their way through
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 a few short sharp com
mands, Strengthened the d~isorderly
rahble into a beautiful. line, with all
palms aloft and all eyes wide and
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 just
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 slung
the ~feed-bags Of their horses, to serve
as ~receptacles for their swag. Their
shirts were chalky with alkali dust.
Their legs were encased in heavy
chaparejos, and they carried each a
pair Of welIused Colts re~yolvels that
looked as big as artillery.
When the passengers had showed
and jostlad into line. one Of the men
jabbed the conductor in the back with
the muzzle of his gun, and suarlcd:
Now speak your little piece, like 1
learned it to you"
The conductor, like an awkward
schooIboy, grinued sheepishly, and
spoke, his hands in the air the while:
Ladies and gents, these here par.
ties in the black tides says they want
everybody to hold his or her hands
as high as possible till you git per.
mission to lower EN-; they advise YOU
not 10 resist, because they hate the
sight Of blood, but prefer it to argu.
meut."
The impatient robbers, themselves
the prey Of fearful anxieties, broke in,
barking like a pair OF coyotes in a
tumble of commands: Now, line up
with your backs that way, and no
back talk, These guns shoot awful
easy. And remember, as each party
Is nnlsnea with they are to turn
round and keep their hands up, on
penalty of gittin' 'em shot off. Line
up! Hands up! Give over there!"
Mrs, Jimmie Wellington took her
tlhle aDout moving into position, and
L. I -
Hei UeiIDei "tIoH brought a ho"l Oh
"i"'n from Tue ooDer Get INTO that
nue. you.
MIS- Wellington "hlrled on him:
no" uafe you you brute? And she
'uIneu up her nose at the gun.
IT Nio conductor interviewed:
Del'eF oDey' mauane; heS an ugly
i"u.
l uouI HlHd Deln8 robbed, said
N'S' Jiu.IIle' OuJ / won't endure
ruueness'
Inc Tohoer shoCh ms mead IN de-
SpaIF' ana ne H!ed 10 "liher her with
sarcasm LaFaohS, maIaseIIy, would
you De so hioo ana conaescehdln as
10 SJep IA'o JAal 5'eEe car before
p.oW your NusD&1o s. eoi-DIame mead
Oh.
lAI5 Drought her TO terms. she
H'Sleueu TO Hef pace. pHt put out a
It.lial'I's mana on jimmie, VINO need
el JIG restraint certainly to save
my oeat LusOaAo' Ion STRIKE him,
J'illIlle.
I1en eaeh man stuck one revolver
A!Lo us convenient holster, and, COW