The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1913-07-12

mot with US going the gait we was
that night" protested the conductor.
"AlI right-here goes. I'll have to
drop down to the ground and get on
from the outside to make 1t more real
istic. you know. Just 20 dOwp and I'M
lock the gate to that coach. will you.
old mani"
The conductor numbered through the
train. stopped here and there in his
course by the anxious inquiry Of I'm
patient passengers. but he was able
now to promise them a start in ten
minutes and there was q renewed
cheerfulness on board.
As the conductor quietly unlocked the
gate to the last car he heard the faint
clank of metal and bis ear was Instant
~ alert.
whats that7' he muttered into the
darkness.
Nothing but the ciank Of your gate.
old man." treasured the detectives
voice from the step.
II thought 1t sounded different" re
marked the conductor as he went back
through the train and left the rear
coach In the hands Of the detective.
1t had been planned that the detec-
tive should array himself like bandit
and hold up the passengers Of the last
coach. thus forcing them to give up
what Jewels they had, hoping thus to
discover the thief II he was among
the eight passengers In the last coach.
Ten minutes afterward. just as the
engine shrieked a warning blast that
they were once more In running order
and the air was filled with the sound
of rushing steam. the door Of the real
coach suddenly opened and the eight
passengers faced a genuine holdup.
Hands up" ordered the masked man
in the doorway as he held big re-
volver In either hand. There was in.
slant obedience on the part of the eight
passengers.
|. The masked man drove the four
moody passengers down to the other
end Of the car. where the card players
sat like statues, their hands high
above their heads. Quickly. deftly.
the man stripped them Of their Jewels.
ordered them to open their bags and
deliver their money and valuables.
Like a 1ash his weapons were here.
there and everywhere. Once he
caught the little brown man edging
away toward the door. and only the
cold of the steel barrel brought the
writhing passenger to a realization
that he must give up more than he
had lost before.
The highwayman left the brown
man for the last. One by one he had
stripped the others of everything that
was Of value. but still the missing
watches had not come to light Three
revolvers sasged the pockets Of the
bandit, for the bankers had been arm
3D.. Now they huddlsd. frightened.
nervous looking group. against the
rear door. while the brown mans turn
came at last.
Hands up!' ordered the masked man.
"They are up" protested the brown
man.
"Way up!' commanded the other.
The brown man stretched himself
on tiptoe. and the masked man held q
revolver to his ear while with the 9TH
er hand he deity went over the cloth
ing of the irate passenger When he
concluded he had collected in his pock
cts eight gold watches.
Immediately wrath b.Oke upon the
brown mans head. The seven travel
ing companions told him in language
more or less carefully chosen what
they thought OF him. The bankers
told what would become Of him when |
he reached the next station, and the
bankers wives said they bad known
from the beginning that he was des-
perate character.
Meantime the masked man was max
ing a slow backward retreat for the
door. He still held the tive revolvers |
leveled at the heads of the twice in |
jured passengers and was quite deaf
to their appeals for the return Of their |
property.
The brown man was explaining vol
ubly that he was detective and that
Instead of the masked man removing |
the stolen watches from his pockets |
they had come from the pockets of
the masked man, who had sklllfully
used ledgermain to plant the guilt on
the innocent passenger. None of the |
other passengers believed him. and so
they fell to talking and protesting un-
til the slam of the door brought them
to realization that the masked man
was going. and no was their property. |,
With beIated valor. the bankers
sprang to the platform to witness the |
form Of the bandit vanish In the shad-
ows Of the plain. They even heard his
hooking laugh as he vanished. but they
did not care. They were too engrossed
In 0nOfhar ma vino forf
Their coach stood solitary in tho
midst Of the plain. The remainder of |
the train had gone on and left 1t be-
bind. Afterward they knew that the
masked man had uncoupled the car
Just before he entered.
When the condncfor 6iscorarad thu