Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-05-30
Wu,LaIom Barnes
COPYRIGHT 1879 81 A.c.rrcluRe 8 G

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, a shallow gully leading down
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 grotesque
in their savagery. Yet they could be
clearly distinguished, stealing silent
ly forward, gun in hand, spreading
out in a wide half-circle. obedient to
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 a shot. Con-
zales, under the strain, uttered a fierce
Spanish curse, but Hamlin crushed his
arm iron myers.
Keep still, you fool" he muttered,
eve glancing around. Let your gun
talk"
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 a swifter pulse
OF the heart. yet his nerves were like
steel. his grip steady. Only a dim
f1eeting 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 enter OF that
creeping half circle. a hulking figure
perched on his pony's back, yet we'll
out Of rife range. He spread his
hands apart. clasping a blanket, look
ing like a great bird Tapping its wings,
and the ground in front famed, the
red fare 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; a great volume of black
smoke wavered in the still air.
Wait! Wait until they get to their
feet!" Hamlin cried eagerly. "Ah!
there they come-now unlimber."
He saw only those black, tndistinct
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-
element, oblivious to all else; almost
without realization he heard the deep
Ell below Of Moylan's Winchester, the
sharp bark Of a revolver It 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-
volver 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 a minute, an awful minute, in
tense, breathless-then silence, the
smoke drifting away, the dark night
hiding the skulking runners.