The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-04-25
SOPSRlchT 1912 BY A.C.MCluRG p co

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
| hIty feet away, was the only depres-
sion, 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, guns 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 duh 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 fierce
Spanish curse. but Hamlin crushed his
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
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
feeting 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, a hulking figure
perched on his pony's back, yet well
out Of rife range. He spread his
hands apart, clasping blanket, look
ing like great bird tapping it's 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 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, indistinct
figures, leaping out of the smoke, con.
yerging on the coach, their naked
arms uplifted, their voices mingling In |
savage yalls. Like lightning he worked |
his rife. heart throbbing to the ex-
element, obivious tc 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 dev.
lis we're 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. 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 minute, an awful minute. in |
tense, breathless-then silence, the |
smoke drifting away, the dark night |
hiding the skulking runners.