The Jasper news., 1920-06-24

play Sans part until the proper time.
The train almost slid to halt from
the pressure Of the hard-jnmmed
brakes. A volley of shots rang out.
Curly slipped the mask over his face
and rose with 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 crisp order.
Hands upi Don't anybody move I"
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 sky" To do It thorough
ly, Curly flung a couple Of shots
through the ceiling. That was enough.
Hands went up without any argument,
most OF them quiverIng Gs from an
Arkansas chill.
Presently Cranston herded the pns-
sengers In from the forward coaches.
With them were most of the train
| crew.
Were cutting off the express car
aud going forward to lobe Wells with
II. 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"
Finei Curly was to stand out there
in the moonlight and let anybody In
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 II while he was run
ming forward to get aboard. Nothing
could have been slmpler-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 Culllson time to
reach the scene of action. Now they
would be too late. Unless Curly could
!, top II. the holdup would go through
ccording TO the program Of Soapy
nd not of his enemies.
The decision of Flandrau was In.
tantGneous. He slid down beside the
track into the long grass. Whipping
ZIP one Of his guns, he fred. AS II In
cracked twice. simultaneously. ne let
nut a cry Of pain. wriggled back for q
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.
WHATS up. Snm2 You hit3' he could
hear Blackwell whisper.
No answer came. The paroled con-
ylct 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"
II 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.
What about the kid7" Stone asked
Blackwell as the latter came up.
They got him. Didn't you hear him
yelp2"
Eyes, but did they put him out Of
businessf See his bodyl"
Blackwell had no intention of going
back into the hre zone and making
sure. For his part he was satisfied. So
he lied.
| "Yep. Blew the top OF his head or
Good" Soapy nodded. THAT'S
receipt In full for Mr.. Luck CulIlson."
Before many minutes the engine be-
gan to slow down. The wheels had
hardly stopped moving when Curly
crept out, piowed through the sand, up
the rubble Of a little hill. and into
draw where a 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
rightT
fright as the wheat. We're blow
ing open the safe now" Flandrau an
swered.
Moving closer. he saw thet his ques.
TONER was the man in charge Of the
horses, Though he knew the voice, he
could not put name to It's 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
| 70 afav on tho aeaA ~ hottta haa -.