The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-09-15


ened speed warned Red the train was
stopping half m hour later, and when
it came to q painting pause he was 1t
the bottom Of . ladder, ready to drop.
A few yards out on the sage-brush
covered plain he lay fat, watching the
lanterns that told Of the search for
him.
Again the train started, and he vent
along, this time catching the rods unr
der an empty cattle car.
riding the rods" as . rule. Is NOT
distasteful to the seasoned hobo. but
Red had proper respect for the con-
tents of the bottle he carried.
Larkin had been on the watch and
had marked the car under which he
had swung.
Ten minutes later a new note In the
metallic clamor around him aroused
Red to action, and he worked his way
back over the rods until near the
swinging brake-beam.
Stretching forth a kn0tted 6st, he
obtained a grip upon an iron brace. A
foot below his body the roadbed fed
by.
A lurch that would tear him from
his hold meant death; but by q dis
play of strength almost incredible b.
pulled himself across the gap from the
rods to the beam.
There, crouching on the thick tia
Der, he strained his eyes. squinced to
| avoid the dust, striving to pierce the
| gloom in which that humping. whfrl-
ing. pounding menace approached ever
| closer.
| "Set a drag for me-damn himT
His voice was hoarse in its hate. "rn
get him! I'll get him!" he snaried.
| Larkin had tied a coupling-pin to
the end of a length of wire and low
| cred it beneath the cars. The heavy
piece of metal, rebounding from the
ties banged against the rods and floor
ing above with SCATTERING force.
Had Red remained on the rods be
inevitably must have been knocked
from his hold, to fall under the greedy
wheels.
Slowly Larkin let out the wire to its
extreme length and as slowly drew 1t
back
Then he hurled the drag from the
train and settled himself for long
ride. cursing the rule that prohibited
smoking on duty.
Under the car Frisco Red barred his
teeth in a cornered-dog smile as the
! flying pin approached within foot u
his perch and then receded.
"Not enough wire! Damn him" he
said. But I'll get him for that"
While the train rumbled across the
Kansas prairie, Larkin sat with his
heels dangling over the edge of car
roof and longed for cigarette, while
Frisco Red, clinging to the brake
beam. strove to protect his face from
singing bits of ballast and nursed
lurid thoughts of revenge.
The freight stopped after a run OF
! thirty miles, but Larkin did not even
trouble to investigate whether the
man still was under the car. He did
not think it was necessary.
When the train again was in motfot
. | he had started toward the engine t.
swap yarns with the cab crew, wheE
, | q Dulky USuIt up AAohAA -AAS
bumpers and barred his path.
, It was Frisco Red!
The railroad man did not hesitate.
He did not need to be told what the
, | others intentions were. The attitude
of the squat, thick-set form was in It
self a warning.
AS Larkin paused the fireman
l oYHfJ
the glare that flashed down the length
, of the train cleaned on weapon.
It was too late for Larkin to flee
= even had it been in his nature to do
so. The vengeful yeggman was hard
: " a dozen steps away.
: To run merely would invite bullet
e in the back. and the brakeman was Of
the sort who prefer their wounds b.
!. from the front.
o He Jumped forward. and the weapon
D spoke.
o A sudden lurch of the car sent tht
G bullet wide, but the gun again spat fir
/, in Larkin's face, and he felt a sting II
+ his shoulder.
n The yeggman was firing rapidly thu
| SpurtS OF udLle ITOiH HIS Wcukou
h muzzle seemingly scorching the other''
clothing. He was too close to miss.
: Larkin knew he had been hit. hi
i badly. perhaps fatally; but such wa
v his tremendous vitality. his brute cour
age that he kept advancing.
+ They now were but few pace
d apart. Frisco Red. his pistol empty
r threw it in the others face and the
clinched.
a Back and forth across the heavin
car top they struggled-twO viciOu
n animals gone mad with rage!
e Half the length of the car the
% rolled. twisting, straining, heavy fist
5. battering, and thick fingers clawins
gouging The brakeman volleye
n. curses.
h The yeggman fought in silence. lik
lie a man with a fixed purpose-to STAY
Iarkin was the better wrestler On