Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-05-22
M@hahons b. IL.Bafncs

less. crouched on the floor, her white
face uplifted.
The entire field stretching to the
river was clear to the view, the short
dry buffalo-grass offering no conceal
ment. To the right OF the coach, some
fifty feet away, was the only depres
sion. shallow gully leading dowr
from the bluff. but this slight advan
tage was unavailable. The sun had al
ready dropped from view, and the
gathering twilight distorted the fig
ures, making them almost grotesqut
in their savagery. Yet they could be
clearly distinguished, stealing silent
ly forward, guns in hand, spreading
out in wide half-circle. obedient tc
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 blacl
depths of the coach the three men
watched IN almost breathless silence
gripping their weapons, fascinated
determined not to waste a shot. Con
zales, under the strain, uttered fierce
Spanish curse, but Hamlin crushed his
arm between iron fingers.
Keep still. you fool!" he muttered
never glancing around. Let your gun
talkl"
The assailants came creeping on
snakes rather than men, appearing
less 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 dim
fieeting 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 nalf circle, hulking figure
perched on his pony's back, yet well
out of rifle range. He spread his
hands apart. clasping blanket, look
ing 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,
uttering one inhuman cry, and lay mo-
tionless; great volume of black
smoke wayered in the still air.
Wait! Wait until they get to their
feetl" 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
arms uplifted, their voices mingling In
savage yells. Like lightning he worked
his rife, heart throbbing to the ex-
oblivious to all else; almost
without realization he heard the deep
er 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
faced. over his body, to that front seat.
All he really knew was that those dew
lis 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
cling to right and left, crouching as
they ran. Two reached the stage
only one! One pitched forward, a re-
volyer bullet between his eyes. his
head wedged in the spokes OF the
wheel; the other Hamlin struck with
emptied rife-barrel as his red hand
gripped the door. sending him sprawl
ing back into the dirt. 1t was all the
work Of minute, an awful minute. In
tense. breathless-then silence. the
smoke drifting away. the dark night
hiding the skulking runners.