The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-08-31

was Il jolting crash and a mu.i.pl
squeak from the girl
OH lasting disgrace! Shorty had TAX,
ell cut the corner post of the hotel
porch.
For many endless minutes he sat in
a blue funk; then gradually his emo
tions quoted for the girl chattelel
gnIly. either obiivious to his shyless
in the perfect beauty of the ride or
f,:snl,g !; rrcterna tural interest in the
ragged scenery through which or above
which they rolled, for tie road follows
the comb OF the great divide between
the north and middle branches of the
river. Away down at the tip Of this
granite tongue. far across the main
river. lies Auburn.
Hundreds of feet below them yleam-
Cd Tho ,tt7d',' fork. o~',c witt; the SIT
Of t'ir hydraulics that roarod amid thc
heavy timber.
Under the girls tactful loquacity the
dust dissolTed i'll Shorty's mouth. the
CONSTRUCTED paralysis left his arTnX,
and SOUNDS; born of intellect begall to
hut Approximately rhetoric of Il kiid
Then as the Wine of her presence rose
II his head he Strengthened in his seat
His sturdy lI2s braced themselves more
:stii.iy AGAINST the iron box. AMI he
drove With q skill and dash that sur
pliscd himself. Down the grade they
fled, t he old coach yawning dlulnkpnly
t!llnIJtrl
whose long sides overhung green red
wood tops OF tail, naked bluffs.
Never IN his life had the little man
been so lna" in the company of the
unknown sex. and now this unWontel
intimacy with its most lovely mcmber
together with the sense Of bein- in a
n!ea@n>e her protector. stimulated Em
Strangely His chest swelled round
and tull. and he thought:
If the boys could only see me now.
amt sWeatin' a bit Occasionally
he stole furtiTe sidewise chances. then
stared fixotllv ut the thirsty road ahead.
planting, tho impressions of this lady
in his memory that they might later
grow ami bloom into marvellous retGin
isccnee. Manfestly such visitation
~ this could, in the economy of ut
fairs. occur but once in a lifetime
100 You always carry a gum" the
Girl inquired, gazing doubtfully at
&horty's holster, from which protrldel
a carved ivory pistol butt. smootuel
by much usage
yep | learned the habit as
baby"
It's an awfulIy big one, isn't IT,"
Sure. Nm she jumps like q goat
too, First time shot her she bucbpl
me through fence an' then kicked at
ne twice under the bottom rail We've
got acquainted now. though. an she
knows more'n some Swcles. Want to
try herr"
"No, not hastily diSclaimed the girl
1T might friohten the horses"
"Not on your life they're used to it,
"Taiut over two weeks ago that Black
Bart shot up the Auburn Kid-Wels
Fargo man, YOU know. lie WAS settin
right where you arc.
"What do yeu mean said the young
lady, moving unoasily. "Who is Black
Rart;"
Shorty eazed incredulously at her,
but she smiled into his eyes till he
suddenly felt chills racing madly up
his spine.
r-ah-ain't you heard about Black
Bart, the outlaw? You must live
plumb out of the world New York?
| thought SO. Folks down your way
is clean off the map, amt they? Well,
this Bart is a road agent With leanin's
toward politencss an of an
aim I beg your PARDON he STAN
mered. while his face grew red and
hot Them little cusscs hide around
the back Of my mouth among the hol
Ter teeth jest layin' to hop out like
that"
go on. please"
"Nobody's ever seen Black Bart's
face, though more than one claims
mostly slleritfs an Wells Fargo direc-
tors He works alone, an shotgun
messengers sort of Iilos him. They
must be associated with something sad
in his past, for he's acquired such an
aversion to en- that he's laid out five
in eight months
"M hat Il horrible cleatnrc,' said the
lady With heat.
"Oh, he MIGHT be considerable worse.
S'posin he couldn't shoot straight, for
instance. He'd pUncture me some day,
As it is, | hold my mitts up, chew to-
baeevr un throw him the box when
he's through divcrtin himself with nay
escort sort Of like his nerve, too,
taclllin' job single handad,''
lie ought to be shot," said the pas
sen@er with emphasis
"Mebbe SO, but | couldn't do it. 1t
wouldn't be reg lar, I'm the driver,
and drivers amt supposed to draw
yards in the game. Besides, / amt a
a@htin' man. If took a shot at Black
Bart an missed he'd Just insert his
telf into the landscape am lay for me
on my next trip"
The Young lady studied for some mo
.nontS.