The Arizona copper camp., 1920-12-18

g1SINIIA. .lINHIA ApIIDR
Moore Lowered Himself at Arms
Length Over the Narrow Rock
Ledge.
nan yet struggled for breath, but was
eager for action. He showed his head
forward, listening.
"What do yer make o. that noise?
he asked, his words scarcely audible.
II heerd it afore yer come up" re-
turned Moore. '"Tain't nuthin' regu-
lar. 1 figure the Mex are goin' in
through that winder they busted. That
sounds their boots scaling the wall"
''Ever been inside?'
''Wunst, ter take some papers ter
Lacy
"Well, what's it like? For Gods
sake speak up-there's goin' ter be
h. to pay in a minute"
"Thar's two rooms; ther outside door
an winder are in the front one, which
is the biggest. The other is whar
Mendez sleeps, an thar's door be-
tween EN-
mo windows in the rear room?''
''None I ever see."
Sand just the one door; what sort
o. paftition?"
"Just plain log, reckon"
"That's all right, Jim,' and Westcott
felt the marshals fingers grasp his
arm. 81 got it sized up proper Who
ever them folks are they've barricaded
inter that back room Likely they've
got dead range on the front door,
an them Mexes have had all they want
tryin' to get to 'em in that way. So
now they're crawlin' in through the
window. There'll be some hullabaloo
in there presently to my notion, an I
want ter be thar ter see the curtain go
up. WharabOuts are we, Matt?"
"Back O. the bunk house. Whar do
yer want ter go? I kin travel round
yere with my eyes Shut
"The front O. Mendez' cabin" said
the marshal shortly "Better take the
other side; if that door is down well
take those fellows in the rear afore
they know what's happening" He
chuckled grimly. 'We've sure played
in luck so far, boys; go easy now and
draw yer guns"
They were halfway along the side
wall when the firing began again-but
it was not the Mexicans this time who
began it. The shotgun barked; there
was the sound of falling body; two
revolver shots and then the sharp ping
of a Winchester. Brennan leaped past
the boy ahead, and rounded the cor
tn
of the shattered door peering in, RI
fle yet smoking in his hands. With
one swift blow of a revolver butt the
marshal dropped him in his tracks, the
fellow rolling off the steps onto the
ground With Outstretched hands he
stopped the others, holding them back
out of any possible view from within.
"Quick now, before that bunch in
side gets wise to what's up. We've got
'em cornered. You, Matt, strip the
jacket off that Mex. an get his hat
bunch 'em up together, and set a match
to 'em. That's the stuff4 Now, the
minute they blaze throw 'em in through
that doorway. Come on, Westcott, be
ready to jump"
The hat was straw, and the bundle
of blazing material landed almost in
the center of the floor, lighting up the
whole interior. Almost before it
struck, the three men, revolvers gleam-
ing in their hands, had leaped across
the shattered door, and confronted the
startled band huddled in one corner.
Brennan wasted no time, his eyes
sweeping over the array of faces, re-
vealed by the blaze of fire on the floor.
Glands up, my beauties-every
mothers son of yer. Yes, mean you,
yer human catapiller. Don't waste any
time about it I'm the caller fer this
dance. Put 'em up higher, less yer
want ter commit suicide. Now drop
them rifles on the floor-gently,
friends, gently. Matt, frisk 'em and
see what other weapons they carry.
Ever see nicer bunch O. lambs, Jim?'Sl
his lips smiling, but with an ugly look
to his cleaning teeth, and steady eyes.
"Why, they'd eat outer yer hand.
Which one of yer is Mendez?"
''He dead, senor," one fellow man
aged to answer in broken English
"That heem lie dar."
''WelI, that's some comfort" but
without glancing about. ''Now kick
the guns over this way, Matt, and
touch a match to the lamp on that
shelf yonder; and, Jim, perhaps you