Evening star., 1914-10-13
THE EVENING STORY.
The Fall of the Saints.

AS the river boat Werribee swunt
slowly into the landing stage at Pine
Creek, Mat Arlow hailed her skipper.
Got anything on tonight, Jeff?' h,
yelled.
Don't know of anything Horsley
told him. Just then Jackson, the en-
gineer, came up from below.
Say" Arlow remarked. after a mo-
ment's thought. "think you could rur
some gold up to Mullewa?"
Rather a long trip by water" Jack.
son observed. It's much shorter to
take it by road"
Haven't I worked long enough 70,
Ike Yensen? Arlow asked Didn't
send 400 ounces up by Tim Sheenan's
DIDN'T Ike swoop down on the govern
ment escort early in the spring and
help himself to the whole derned outfit
including my 300 ounces? He's on the
Warpath again. Held up the Red River
mail only yesterday and got a regis
tered dispatch crammed with opal
Guess I've helped to keep Yensen long
enough. I've got to get my gold to
the bank at Mullewa. and it's going
by a new route. You fellows'll have
to take 1t. Name your price"
But neither Jackson nor Horsley was
particularly enthusiastic over that
gold-carrying idea. Once in the past
they had fallen foul of Ike Yensen,
and they We're not anxious to repeat
the experience. They knew that Pine
Creek was full of his agents and that
consequently he was kept constantly
Informed of every ounce of gold that
was on the move.
Tell you what" Mat said. when he
noticed their hesitation. I'll give you a
hundred dollars to make the trip"
You come with us Horsley stipu-
of tod Av1n Low
II purposely hoisted out this
scheme to keep my gold away from
Yensen. he explained. "and If go
with you some of his spies are certain
wind. and he'll be down on US before
we've gone ten miles. 1 want you to
make this trip on your own. while I
ride up to Muilewa to be ready to
take the stuff to the bank in the
morning. Is it go?
Horsley and Jackson ultimately
reckoned 1t was, for 1t would be the
best paying trip they had ever under
taken.
take your tub up to Elbow bend"
Mat instructed before he left. THE
waters deep enough there to let you
run up alongside the bank"
Thus it came about that at 10 o'clock
the werribee, with three weighty boxes
on board. turned her head up stream
in the direction of Mullewa and painted
out into the night
As soon as the engine was running
smoothly Jackson came up from be-
low.
whats the cargo worth?" he asked.
as he went across to look at the
boxes.
Cant say the skipper told him,
"Reckon if We We're like most folk in
these parts,'' the engineer said.
thoughtfully. wed make it ours right
away
Horsley laughed.
Pine Creek as a community had but
slight respect for any of the COM
mandments. and least of all for the
tenth. In that town of excessive
greed the men who could be trusted
were few Rumor had it that Horsley
ever seen in the place, and. because
Of this reputation, they were always
referred to as 'The Saints" The
popular belief was that they could do
never been really subjected to tempta-
tfon.
The werribee was maintaining a
speed approaching six miles an hour.
when something went wrong with the
and coax 1t back into its regular
stroke. but was unsuccessful. The
grinding and pounding were deafening.
and the skipper, who had contemplated
snatching a few hours sleep. was COM
his thoughts turned to the freight, and
then a strange new feeling gradually
crept over him.
'I wonder If that COLDS safe there"
he muttered. unconsciously.
Seems safe enough, a grun voice
made answer from the stern
Horsley's form grew suddenly tense.
and his great hands grtpped the wheel
hard. Slowly he turned his head to
find himself looking into the glisten-
ing barrels of two revolvers. The man
that held them was sitting calmly on
the stern rail, and Horsley noticed
there was a peculiar stoop about his
shoulders. The moon was at the
strangers back. and consequently hs
bearded face was not plainly visible.
1--WE got the drop on you." he went
on, land / want Arrows gold. When
Ike Yensen wants a thing he usually
gets it, My boats towing alongside:
so, while your mates below, just lower
those three boxes over. Make a
move"
began to describe tiny circles. and
Horsley came to realize that it would
not be safe to disregard such a COM
mand. He lashed the wheel, and. pull
ing off the tarpaulin that covered the
one of them. He had the first box
ready to lower when the engineer
chanced to come slowly and noise
lessly up the ladder from the stoke
duck down. into the warkness again
in an instant. but not before he had
had ample time to take in the full
significance of that motionless figure
sitting on the stern rail. He had not
forgotten Ike Yensen.
From the engineroom Jackson got the
rifle he always kept close at hand.
Then, having carefully reclimbed the
ladder, he took hurried aim at Yen
sens chest and pressed the trigger. A
cry of anguish followed the report
as the man threw up his arms and
fell back into the river. jackson
sprang out across the deck and cut
away the boat. 1t swung round in
the current. and the man struggling
in the water astern grabbed the gun
vale. After a desperate effort he sue
ceeded In pulling himself In over the
bow.
did you hit himT' Horsley Queried,
after a moment of silence.
Don't insult me-" Jackson snapped