The Little River news., 1920-06-30
thing. You'll understand the dfstinc-

non presently"
 Mr. Cullison, nlease-I admit I ,one wrong. hadn't ought to have gone in with Cass Fendrick. He Thr'ad me to kill you, but wouldn't"
 ky had let Cullison take the cen q L. the stage. He had observed yrown. distress mount and ride the
 irIlH Now he stepped in to save he Hian "ilh an alternative at which l Blackwell might be expected not to ,lEteh eagerly perhaps, but at least 0 ba driven toward
 This man is my prisoner, Mir. Gull , son. From what I can make out you ought to strip his hide off and hang it out to dry. But I've got first call on him. If he comes through with the | truth about the w. & S. robbery I've , got to protect him."
 Luck understood the ranger. They were both working toward the same end. The immediate punishment of | this criminal was not the important is- l sue. It was merely a club with which | to beat him into submission, and at ! that moral rather than a physical one. BUt the owner of the Circle c 1 knew better than to yield to BGcky too l easily. He fought the point out with him at length. and finally yielded re- uctantly, in such way as to aggra vate rather than relieve the anxiety of : the convict.
 ] "All right. You take him first" he finally conceded harshly.
 Bucky kept up the comedy. .'Ill take him, Mir. Cullison But if he tells me tile truth-and if find out it's the whole truth-therell be nothing doing on your part. He's my prisoner Un- derstand that"
 Metaphorically Blackwell licked the hand of his protector. q aim to do what's right, Captain O'Connor. What ever's right. You ask me any ques tions"
 "1 want to know all about the W. & $. robbery, everything, from start to finish"
 Honest. wish could tell you. But don't know a thing about it. Cross my heart, l dOn't."
 'No use, Blackwell. If Pm going to stand by you against MT. Cullison, you'll have to tell the truth. Why, man, I've even got the mask you wore and the cloth you cut it from"
 q reckon it must a-been some one else, major. Wisht could help you, but can't"
 Bucky rose "All right. If you can't help me, can't help you. MT. Gull lison I reckon I'll run out and have some supper. Do you mind staying ] here with this man till 1 get back"
 No. That's all right, Buclly. Don't hurry. I'll keep him entertained" Perhaps it was not by chance that his l eye wandered to blacksnake whip hanging on the wall.
 OConuor sauntered to the door. The frightened gaze of the prisoner clung to him as if for safety.
 "Major-Colonel-y ain't a-g0ing," he pleaded
 "Only for an hour or two. I'll be back. wouldn't think of saying good by-not till we reach Yuma" With that the door closed behind hiu1. Blackwell cried out, hurriedly, eagerly: Mister OConnor! Tn tell you everything-every last thing. MT. Culllson---hes aiming to kill me soon as you've gone"
 I've got no time to fool away. Blackwell. Pm hungry. If you mean business get to if. But remember that whatever you say will be used against you"
 "I'll tell you any dog-goned thing you want to know. You've got me beat. Pm plumb wore out--sick. : man can't stand everything.
 "Sit down. There's good dinner waiting for you at Clune's when you get through"
 His story was that he had found on the street letter that had inadver- tently been dropped. It was to Jordan of the Cattleman's National bank, and it notified him that $2O,000 was to be shipped to him by the w. & S. Express company on the night of the robbery. Blackwell resolved to have try for it. He hung around the office until the manager and the guard arrived from the train. made his raid upon them. locked the door. and threw away his mask. He dived with the satchel into the nearest alley. and came face to face with the stranger whom he later learned to be Fendrick.
 Fendrick. whe had heard the shout. ing of the men locked in the express eAice. stopped the robbeF. but Black wei broke away and ran down the alley. The sheepman followed and caugat him. After another scuftle the convict again hammered himself free. but left behind the hand satchei con. tainiag the spOiis Fendrfck (so he later explained to BlackweIf) tied cord to the handle of the bag and dropped 1t down the chute of iaun. dry in such . way that 1t could later be drawn up. Then he hurried hack ts the express office and released the prisoners After the aAcisement had