The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-01-17

L
he did so. the man raised uncer-
tainly upon one elbow, the mask,
a bandana kerchief, still hiding
his features. Blood trickled out
OF his hair from a thin cash over
one ear.
He snatched the long neckeloth
from his own throat. and rolling
the man roughly on his face drew
his arms together. knotting his
wrists at the back. He worked
with fury, glancing up the noun
tainside. where, on the bare ridge
he saw the figure of Black Bart
running westward along it's crest.
parallelling the direction they
would take.
Disregarding his victims
groans, the dwarf swung him
over his great shoulders and
rushed at the stage. Hurting him
abruptly in upon the girl. he
slammed the door.
He dashed the horses down the
| dizzy trail, while above and far to
the right he saw the vanishing
outlaw Pickering through the
scattered pines.
AS they rocked around the
| nose of the last bluff he yelled
again. for ahead of him and mid
way down the Zigzag sheep trail
! was Black Bart literally drop
ping off the vertical cliff, from
crag to crag.
Hope he gets me stead OF a
horse" thought the driver. III
he drops one of them We'll go
over the mountainside like
rocket"
Bart knelt, resting his weapon
over the crook of his folded arm.
The splinters bit off from the seat
at Shorty's side. Then they both
fired.
Thank God. he amt trying for
the team" thought the dwarf.
and as they drew together he be-
held the others face, and saw
that rage rioted there so savagely
that 1t blinded him to his surer
revenge His mask was gone, and
Shorty knew that he alone had
seen the features OF the mysteri-
Gus road agent. AS they
tore up abreast, the others gun
belched again, and Shorty
felt the paralyZing stroke of
missile, while the ribbons slipped
from his left hand.
'Ye got mel" he beloved.
They swung down on to the
flat amid q spatter of gravel.
splashed through the ford of the
North Fork, and rushed scram-
bling up the bank to the Wire
Bridge Toll House. Old Charley
Crane appeared, followed by Win
tiers, the messenger.
whats up. Shortly" ques-
toned Winters. Sounded some
thing like a gun play back yon-
der. Who was it-Black Bart?"
Shorty nodded.
How'd you come out?"
"Oh! not too bad. got a little
something to show fere it." He
clambered down, finding 1t inn
possible not to swagger slightly,
for he felt an overpowering salts
faction. The safety of his lady.
the capture of a desperate, the
preservation of the company's
bullion; all this he had effected
single-handed-and against odds.
With the others crowding him
he jerked the door open, then his
jaw dropped.
The outlaw rested Imply on the
girls breast while she sopped at
his bleeding temple. Her clothes
were awry, her face tear-stained
and swollen.
1t was not this that abashed
the little man and shattered his
complacency, leaving him gasp
ing; it was the look of her eyes.
She flashed upon him the glare
of an animal at bay, while she
spoke words that left him be-
numbed.
you've killed him! Oh, I hate
you!" Then she addressed the
wounded man, unconscious OF
their presence: Link, speak to
me. It's Milly--Milly, your little
sister,"
Shorty slammed the door alb
ruptly in the faces of the others.
"Git some water and bandages,
Charlie, quick"
As the stocky driver wallowed
forth and climbed the wheel for
his three-mile Auburn drive, Win
tiers gazed at his companion sol
EMMY. Then, without facial dis
turbanee, one eyelid fell slowly
in wink OF great understanding,
and delying into a pocket he drew
forththe soiled and bloody half
of a bandannna. II had eyeholes
and string at the upper corners,
forming a rude road agents
mask. This he tore up and tossed
out of the window into the river.
AS | have allus observed" said
he, outside of wimmen folks
there's .nothin' more Unreliable
an deceiving than circumstantial
evidence-when it's destroyed"
(THE END.)