The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-02-08

auhh 70 uth AN Oh
voice.
The big, dark stranger, the bearded
n who had whispered to his COM
rude In the bar-room and asked
Duane TO drink. had him covered with
n cooked gun. He strobe forward.
his eyes cleaning, pressed the gun
against him. and with his other hand
dived into his inside pocket and tore
out his roll of bills. Then he reached
low Mt Duane's hip, felt his gun. and
took It. His comrade stood in the
door with n gun leveled at two other
men, who stood there frightened.
spcechless.
"Git n move on, BILL" called this
fellow; and he took n hasty glance
backward. A stamp of hoofs came
from outside. or course the robbers
had horses waiting. The one called
Bill strobe across the om. and with
brutal, careless haste began to prod
the two men with his weapon and TO
search them. The robbcr in the door.
way called Rustic !" and disappeared.
Duane wondered where the Inn
keeper was, and Colonel Longstrcth
and the other two passengers. The
bearded robber had wheeled once
more. Duane had not moved n muscle,
but stood perfectly calm with his arms
high. The robber strobe back with
his bloodshot eyes { .ened upon the
girls. Miss Longstrc never fiinched,
but the little girl APPEARED about ,
faint.
Don't ynp, there! !" he said. low
and hard. lie thrust the gun close TO
Ruth. Duane had a little gun in his
pocket. The robber had missed 1t.
And he began to calculate chances.
"Any money, Jewelry, diamonds !"
ordered the rufiian, fiercely.
Miss Ruth collapsed. Thens he
made at Miss Longstreth. She stood
with her hands at her breast. Evil
IDENTIFY the robber took this position
&c mean that she had valuables con-
cealed there. But Duane fancied she
had instinctively pressed her hands
against a %throbbing heart.
"Come out with IT" he said. harsh.
ly, reaching for her.
Don't dare touch me !" she cried,
her eyes ablaze. She did not move.
She had nerve. She eluded two
lunges the man made Mt her. Then
his rough hand caught Mt her waist,
and with one pull ripped II nsunder,
exposing her beautiful shoulder, white
rs snow.
She cried out. The prospect of be-
Ing robbed or even killed had not
shaken Miss Longstreth's nerve ms
had this brutal tearing Off of half
her waist.
The rufian was only turned par
TALLY away from Duane. The gun was
still held dangerously upward close
TO her. Duane watched only that.
Then a below made him jerk his head.
Colonel Longstreth stood In the door
way in n magnificent rage. He had
no weapon. Strange how he showed
no fear! He beloved something
again.
Duane's shifting glance caught the
robbers sudden movement. He seem
ed stricken. The hand that clutched
Miss Longstreth's torn waist loosencd
Its hold. The other hand with It's
cooked weapon slowly dropped till 1t
pointed to the floor. That was
Duane's chance.
Swift rs a flash he drew his gun
and fred. Then the robbers gun
doomed harmlessly. lie fell with
blood squirting wei his face. Duane
rushed on: Of the room, across the
patio, through the bar to the yard.
In the gloom stood n saddled horse.
probably the one belonging TO the
fellow he had shot. His comrade had
escaped. Returning to the sitting
room, Duane found a condition up
proachlng pandemonlum.
The innkeeper was shouting TO find
out what had happened. Joel. the
stage-driver, was trying to quiet the
men who had been robbed. The wo-
man, wife OF one OF the men, had
come in, and she had Mysteries. The
girls were still and white. The rob
Der Bill lay where he had fallen. Like
n Gagged lion Longstreth stnlked and
roared. There came a quleter mo-
ment In which the %innkeeper shrilly
protested:
MAN, what're you ravln' aboot?
Nobody's hurt, an thct's lucky. 1
swear to God ! hadn't nothln' to do
with them fellers! |"
81 ought to kill you anyhowr" re-
piled Longstreth. And his voice now
astounded Duane, II was SO full Of
power.
Upon examination Duane found
that his bullet had furrowed the rob-
ber's temple and had glanced. lie was
not seriously injured, and already
showed signs of returning conscious
ness.
"Drag him out Of herel' ordered
Longstreth; add he turned to his
daughter.
Before the innkeeper reached the
robber Duane had secured the money
and gun taken from him and presently
recovered the property Of the other
men. Joel helped the innkeeper carry
the Injured man somewhere outsic b