The Little River news., 1920-07-03

SaIe, whereas Curly WOulO go OD anu play Sam's part until the proper time.
 The train almost slid to a halt from the pressure of the hard -jammed brakes. A volley of shots rang out. Curly slipped the mask over his face and rose with a revolver in each hand. He had been sitting at the end of the car, so that nobody noticed him until his voice rang out with a crisp order.
 Hands up Don't anybody moveF
 An earthquake shock could not have alarmed the passengers more. The color was washed completely from the faces of most of them.
 "Reach for the roof. Come, punch hole in the skyl" To do 1t thorough ly, Curly flung couple of shots through the ceiling. That was enough. Hands went up without any argument. most of them quivering as from an Arkansas chill.
 Presently Cranston herded the pas sengers in from the forward coaches. With them were most of the train crew.
 "We're cutting off the express car and going forward to 'Dobe Wells with 1t. There we can blow open the safe uninterrupted" Bad Bill explained. "You herd on the passengers here from the outside till you hear two shots, then hump yourself forward and hop on the express car."
 t0 0cfnr In the moonlight and let anybody tR the car that had the nerve pepper away at him. If they did not attend to the job of riddling 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- tion of their intent. He had to think quickly, for the plans of him and his friends had been deranged. They had reckOned on the ex- press car being rifled on the spot. This would have given Cullison tiE1e to reach the scene of action. Now they
 would be too late. Unless Curly could step it. the hoIdup wou'd eo t:roIgh s.:rordipE to the prOfral- O. So3py and not Of his enemies. Tre decision of F]a,.t.rl YES in stsntsneous. de slid down 3e. 'd- the tr ok into the long grass. Whi: ping up one of his guns, he fired. As if in answer to the first shot his revolver cracked twice. Simultaneously, he let out cry of pain, wriggled back for 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. "What's up, Sam? You hit?" he could hear Blackwell whisper. No answer came. The paroled con- vict was standing close Go the car for fear of being hit himself and he dared not move.
 "Sam," he called again; then. He's
 sure got his."
 That was all Curly wanted to know Softly he padded forward keeping as low as he could till he reached the empty sleepers. brakeman was just uncoupling the express car when Curly dived underneath and nestled close to the trucks.
 From where he lay he could almost standing by the car. "What about the kid?" Stone asked
 Blackwell as the latter came up.
 "They got him. Didn't you hear him
 yelp?"
 "Yes, but did they put him out of business? See his bodyT 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. "Thats a
 receipt in full for Mr. Luck Cullison." Before many minutes the engine be gan to slow down. The wheels had | hardly stopped moving Swhen Curly crept out, plowed through the sand, up the rubbe of little hill. and into draw where 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?"
 "Right as the wheat We're blow Ing open the safe now." Flandrau an swered.
 Moving closer. he saw that his ques- tioner was the man In charge of the horses. Though he knew the voice. he could not put a name to It's owner. But this was not the point that first occupied his mind. There were only four horses for Ave riders. Curly knew now that he had not been mistaken. Soapy had expected one of his allies to stay on the field of battle, had pre- pared for 1t from the beginning. The knowledge of this frOze any remorse the young vaquero might have felt.
 He pushed his revolver against the teeth of the horse wrangler. NDopf move vOu h0ndv-loUund