The Meeker herald., 1913-11-08

to recover the watches for thsss psspsA
or at least collar the thIsf."
provided be didn't make estaway
In the night after be booked 'sm." 10
marked the detective dryly.
mot with u going the gait We was
that night" protested the conductor.
"All hxht-bsfs goes. I'll have 70
drop down to the ground and ret on
from the outside to make It more real-
lstic. you know. Just 70 dows and I'M
lock the gate to that coach. will you.
old manf'
The conductor numbered through the
train. stopped here and there In bis
course BY the anxious inquiry Of Inn
patient passengers. but be was able
now to promise them start In ten
minutes and there was q renewed
cheerfulness on board.
AZ the conductor quietly unlocked the
gate to the last car be heard the faint
ciank OF metal and bis ear was instant
" alert.
whats thatr' hs muttsrsd into the
darkness.
.Nothins but the clank Of your gate.
old man." treasured the detectives
voice from the step.
II thought II sounded different" r.
marked the conductor a. be went back
through the train and left the rear
coach In the hands Of the detective.
It 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 be was among
the eight passengers In the last coach.
Ten minutes afterward. Just a. the
engine shrisked warning blast that
they were once more In running order
and the air was Oiled With the sound
Of rushing steam. the door Of the rear
coach suddenly opened and the eight
passengers faced 4 genuine boldup.
Hands up.' ordered the masked man
In the doorway a. be held q big ~
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. deity.
the man stripped them Of their Jewels.
ordered them to open their bags and
deliver their money and vaiuables.
Like 4 dash his weapons we're 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
writing passenger to 4 realisation
that be must give up moro than be
had lost before.
The highwayman left the brown
man for tho last One BY one be had
stripped the others Of everything that
was Of value. but still the missing
watches had not come to light Three
revoIvess sag.ed the pockets Of the
bandit, for tbs bankers had been arm
"a. Now they huddisd. Z frightsnsd,
nsryous lookiAg group. against H.
rsar door, willis ~ brown mans turn
came at hast.
"Hands upr' ordered the mashed man.
'Thsy arc up" protested the brown
man.
sway upr' commanded the other.
The brown man stretched himself
on tlptoe. and the masked man held
revolver to his ear while with the 9th
or hand be daftly went over the cloth
ing Of the irate passenger. When he
concluded he had collected In his pock-
eta eight gold watches.
Immediately wrath broke 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 tho
bankers wives said they had known
from the beginning that be was des-
perate character. f u
Meantime the masked man was max
Ing slow backward retreat for the
door. He still held the tive revolvers
leveied at the heads Of the twice In.
jured passengers and WA quite deaf
to their appeals for the return Of their
property.
Auc OhVW1 huAu WaD UAptaAuA0S VIZ
ubiy 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 skillfully
used ledgermain to plant the guilt ON
the innocent passenger. None Of the
other passengers believed him. and 20
they fell to talking and protesting IN
til the slam Of the door brought them
to realization that the masked man
was going. and 70 was their property.
With belated 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