Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-02

Etc. Etc.
you'll never get It'll" The boys
voice was a hoarse whisper. "Not
while T."
Keep away, you fool" snarled
the Hawk, and fired--at The floor.
Mis- brain seemed Instantly in a riot
OF ironlcal mockery. He could not
fire at the boy---it was the boy who
had brought him here-and now the
other was upon him---like II wild cat
~ snatching at the automatic.
1t was only another step back
ward to the opening of the corridor,
and the Hawk gained it: but still the
boy chung on, fighting furiously- He
saw Lanson and the porter leap for
ward, hut for the moment that mat
tered httle--no more than one at
time could get at him In the con-
fined and narrow space here. To
hold the package rendered his left
arm useless. He dropped the pack
age to the floor, and Kicked 1t deftly
back behind him, as the hoy, with
both hands. wrenched and battled
madly for possession of the auto
matte.
They were swaying now, the two
Of them, humping their shoulders and
their arms and elbows against first
one side Of the corridor and then the
other. There was the crash of splin-
tering glass as they luntssd into a
window-another crash. louder, more
ominous, and with 1t a tongue of
flame, as tho automatic went off in
their hands-and something like n
red-hot iron scared the Hawks side,
and blur came before Ids eyes.
He reeled, recovered himself, and,
massing all his strength for the eff:
fort as, with a cry Of triumph, Mer,
idan closed again, he tore himself
free from the others grasp. There
was one wayne was sill In pos
session OF the Internationally one
way now. With lightning swing
he whipped the butt of the weapon
to the others head. backed rapidly
away ns the boy slid limp thing to
the floor, and, picking ur, the pack.
age as he moved backward, holding
the narrow corridor with his auto
matte, tho Lanson was kaeeling now
at Meridan's side, he reached the OBJ
.servation compartment, yvhirled, ran
FOR the door, opened 1t, and stepped
out on the platform.
He stood painting here, q little
dizzy, sort OF nauseatir.l, weakness
upon him, as he fumbled III his ,pock-
ct. He was not as Quick ns usual in
his work, not as expert Tlow In the
use Of his skeleton keys, hut, swiftly
for all that, he locked tho car door.
The ear and the engine seemed to
sway and lurch and ptts'h and toss
as they had never done before. Was
the speed greater? What was 1t? He
stumbled and nearly fell as he climb
ed to the tender. He fell. unable. to
maintain his footing In the shifting
coal. as hey reached the cab. There
was something hot and wet that
seemed to be working its way down
yhis leg; his side was giving him In
tolerable pain.
He looked at the package in his
hands, looked at it queerly for mo-
ment, and then his drawn lips parted
In the old whimsical smile, as he
lurched, forward and opened the fire
box door. The red glow filled the
cab and spread upward, unging the
sky with rosy highland the Hawk
thrust the package into the fire, and.
swaying unsteadily, watched it burst
into flame.
He glanced at the gauge now. The
steam was dropping rapidly. He
swept his hand across his eyes. He
had two things to do, and it seemed
as tho his brain cloggGd In its de-
cision as to which he should do first
The had to get more {ceal on the
fire, or else the engine would run
down, and he did not want 1t to run
down, for it must keep on going
long way, a very long way II pos
sible, after he left IT.; and he must
stop the flow of blood from his 4
wound somehow, or else
He put coal into the fire-box. It
was painful, dizzy work, and he spill
ed great deal OF 1t, and the Jumps
rolled over the floor Of the cab, and
he stumbled over the Jumps.
The Hawks teeth were biting into
his bloodless lips, as he finally shut
the ftre-box door. and, staggering to
the side of the cab, lifted up the en-
Packages Of banlnotes,, he found a
bunch of waste and sorle cord: and
then, Keeling with the lurch Of the
cab. reeling with his own weakness
that only an iron nerve held, back
from mastering him. he examined his
wound. found 1t, tho painful and
bleeding lprofusely, to tw only bad
flesh wound, and, making thick pad
of the waste, he laid 1T against his
side. and bound 1t, there by passing
the cord tightly several Zines around
his body. 1T was crude bandage,
but it should, at least check the flow
of blood-afterwards, ii, he had luck,
there would be opportunity for a bet
ter one!
His mind reverted, seemingly with
out yolition of his, to the fight in the
car. and he spoke aloud.
! guess" said the Hawk, II didn't
hit him as hard as twenty years in
the pen would have hit him
guess didn't hit him that hard"
He rested for a moment, sitting on
the floor of the cab; then from the
engineers box he removed the sealed
packages. the torn outgide wrapper,
and likewise an evening newspaper
which he found there. He wrapped
up the banI1lotes In the newspaper,
tied the bundle securely with the re-
mafnder of~his cord, replaced the
seat, and, crouched low enough on
the floor to be protected by the ten
der from, say, a shot fired thru the
observation window CT the private
car, kept his eyes Fastened on the
right Of way ahead.
IS The next station must be close at