The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-04-22

it. There we can blow open the SAT-
uninterrupted" Bad Bill explained
You herd on the passengers her
from the outside till you hear tive
shots. then hump yourself forward anC
| hop on the express car
Fine! Curly was to stand out there
in the moonlight and let anybody il
the car that had the nerve pepper
away at him. If they did not attend
to the job of Kidding him, his false
friends would do it while he was run
ming forward to get aboard. Nothing
could have been simpler-if he had not
happened to have had inside informa
ton of their intent.
He had to think quickly, for the
pans of him and his friends had been
deranged. They had reckoned on the ex
press car being rif1ed on the spot. This
would have given Cullison time tC
reach the scene of action. Now they
would be too late. Unless Curly could
stop it. the holdup would go through
according to the program of Soapy
and not of his enemies.
The decision of Flandrau was in
track into the long grass. Whipping
up one Of his guns, he fired. AS if in
answer to the first shot his revolver
cracked twice. simultaneously, he let
out a cry of pain. wriggled back for a
dozen yards through the grass, and
crossed the track in the darkness. AS
he crouched down close to the wheels
of the sleeper some one came running
back on the other side.
whats up, Sam? You hit?" he could
hear Blackwell whisper.
No answer came. The paroled con-
vict was standing close to the car for
fear of being hit himself and he dared
not move.
"Sam." he called again: then. Hes
sure got his"
That was all Curly wanted to know.
Softly he padded forward. keeping as
low as he could till he reached the
uncoupling the express car when Curly
dived underneath and nestled close to
the trucks.
From where he lay he could almost
have reached out and touched SSoapy
standing by the car.
"What about the kid?" Stone asked
Blackwell as the latter came up.
"1'hey got him. Didn't you hear him
yelp2"
'Y IS. but did they put him out Of
business? See his body?"
Blackwell had no intention of going
back into the fire zone and making
sure. For his part he was satisfied. So
he lied.
"Yep. Blew the top of his head off,
Good" Soapy nodded. ''That's a
receipt In full for Mr.. Luck Cullison."
Before many minutes the engine be-
gan to slow down. The wheels had
hardly stopped moving when Curly
crept out, plowed through the sand. up
the rubble Of a little hill, and into a
draw where a bunch of scrub oaks Of
fered cover.
A voice from in front called to him.
Just then the moon appeared from be-
hind drifting clouds.
"Oh, it's you, Sam. Everything all
right?"
Fright as the wheat. We're blow
ing open lHS Sd1e uOW' ISaI4uId u nu-
swered.
Moving closer, he saw that his ques-
toner was the man in charge of the
horses. Though he knew the voice, he
could not put a name to its owner.
But this was not the point that first
occupied his mind. There we're only
four horses for five riders. Curly knew
now that he had not been Mistaken
Soapy had expected one of his allies
70 stay on the field of battle, had pre-
pared for it from the beginning. The
knowledge of this frOZe any remorse
he young vaquero might have felt
He pushed his revolver against the
eeth of the horse wrangler.
"Don't move. you bandy-legged
or TIL fill your hide full of
loles. And if you want to keep on
living paddock that mouth of yours"
In spite of his surprise the man
caught the point at once. He turned
,ver his weapons without word
Curly unwound a rope from one of |
he saddles and dropped loop round |
he neck of his prisoner. The two men |
Mounted and rode out of the draw, the |
outlaw leading the other two horses.
As soon as they reached the bluff |
hove Flandrau outlined the next step |
u the program.
"WeU stay here in the tOrnilla and |
zee what happens, my friend. Unless |
ou've a fancy to get lead poisoning |
;eep STILL"