The spectator., 1920-06-11

from the outside till you hear two shots. then hump yourself forward and hop on the express car" Fine! Curly was to stand out there In the moonlight and let anybody Tn 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 1t 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 time to reach the scene of action. Now they would be too late. Unless Curly could stop 1t, the holdup would go through according to the program of Soapy and not of his enemies.
 The decision of Flandrau was in- stantaneous. He slid down beside the track Into the long grass. Whipping 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 to the car for fear of being hit himself and he dared not move.
 "Sam," he called again; then. Hes 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. A brakeman was just uncoupling the express car when Curly dived underneath and nestled close to the trucks.
 From where he lay he could almost have reached out and touched Soapy standing by the car. nat aDOut tHe k1u StOfle aSheu Blackwell as the latter came up.
 "They got him. Didn't you hear him yelp?"
 Yes. but did they put him out of business7 See his body?" 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 ofr.' Good" Soapy nodded. That's a receipt In full for Mir Luck Cullison."
 Before many minutes the engine be- gan to slow down. The wheels had hardly stopped moving when Curly crept out. plowed through the sand, up the ruhble of little hill. and into n draw where bunch of scrub oaks of fered cover.
 X voice from Tn front called to him. Just then the moon appeared from be hind drifting clouds. rightT
 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 name to Its owner. But this was not the point that first occupied his mind. There were only four horses for five 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. Don't move. you bandy-legged maverick. or I'll fill your hide full of holes. And if you want to keep on living paddock that mouth of yours" In spite of his surprise the man caught the point at once. He turned over his weapons without word. Curly unwound rope from one of the saddles and dropped loop round | the neck of his prisoner. The two men mounted and rode out of the draw, the 
 outlaw leading the other two horses. As soon as they reached the bluff above Flandrau outlined the next step In the program. "We1l stay here in the tornilla and see what happens. my friend. Unless you've fancy to get lead poisoning keep still"
 Who in Mexico are you?" the cap tured man asked.
 "It's your showdown. Skin off that mask"
 The man hesitated. His own re volver moved few inches toward his head. Hastily he took of the mask. The moon shone on the face of the man called Dutch. Flandrau laughed. Last time they had met Curly had rope around his neck. Now the situa- ton was reversed.