Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-15

the rush of the wind whipped at his
face; a deafening roar sang in his
ears. The Fast Mail usually ran fast;
but the Butcher was running like u
dare devil, and the bark Of the ex-
haust had quickened now into a
single full-toned note deep as thun-
| der.
With a sort of grim placidity, the
Hawk chung to the lurching rail. Far
ahead along the right Of way. shaft
of light riven thru walls OF blackness.
played the headlight Shadowy OBJ
jects, trees that doomed up for an in
slant and were gone, showed on the
edge of the wavering ray. They tore
thru a rock cut, and, in the confined
space and in the fraction Of a second
| it took to traverse 1t, the roar was
| metamorphosed into an explosion.
! And then suddenly, as tho by magic.
the headlight shot off at Il tangent,
and the glistening lines of steels. that
were always converging but never
meeting. were gone, and the ray fell
| full upon a densely wooded tract
where leaves and foliage became a
soft and wonderful shade of green
under the artificial light. The Hawk
braced himself--und just in time. The
| ten wheeler, unchecked. swung the
curve with a mighty lurch. off drivers
fairly lifted from the rails. She
seemed to hang there hesitantly for
GREATNESS instant, then with "A
crunch, staggering. settled back and
struck into her stride again.
The thunder OF the exhaust ceased
abruptly. and the speed began to
slacken. The Butcher had slammed
the throttle shut. AT the end OF the
headlights ray, that was straight
along the track again, red light
flashed up suddenly three times and
vanished. Tie Hawk leaned farther
out, tense now, straining his eyes
ahead. 1t was evidently Number Four
and Number Seven signalling from
''five-mile crossing"
The Butcher began to check with
the air" And now, in the head
lights glare, the distance shortened,
the Hawk could discern large
wagon, drawn by two horses, that APP
pestred to be backed up close to the
right-hand side OF the track. Two
/ forms seemed to be Juggling at the
! horses, which equally seemed to be
plunging restively--and then, being
on the wrong side OF the car, the
angle of vision narrowed and he could
see no more.
The Hawk turned now-his eyes on
the door Of the car. There was a pos
sibility, little more than POSSIBLE
ity, that the men inside. knowing that
they had reached their destination.
would come out this way. No--he
had only to keep hidden from the men
ont there with the wagon until the
car stopped-the men within were
sliding back the side Scec. re swung
himself still farther out on the foot
rung: then, curving back with the aid
of the handrail, nattened himself
against the side Of the car.
They were close up to the wagon
4 now, and he could hear voices cursing
/ furiously at the horses. as the fright
ened animals stamped and paved.
And then the car bumped and jerked
to a standstill, and the Butcher was
bawling from the cab:
Take the horses put, you blamed
fools, and tie em back there on the
road a bit till we're gone! Wed have
Il sweet time loading the wagon with
them doing the tango every second!
Take 'em out! Wen back the wagon
up against the car"
| The Hawk lowered himself silently
to the ground--to find that the car
had come to a stop directly over a
road crossing. The men in the car
! had joined their voices with the
Butchers, and in the confusion now
the Hawk slipped quickly along the
: side of the car. stole around the rear
end, and from that point OF vantage
stood watching the Butcher and his
men at work
He could see quite plainly, thanks
| to the light from the cars wide
open side door that flooded the scene.
The horses had been Embarrassed,
ard were being led away along the
road. One of the men in the ear
jumped to the ground, as the Butcher
called out, and together they backed
| the wagon close up against the car
doorway; and then, presently, the
men who had accompanied the
horses. one carrying q lantern, came
running back. The Hawks eyes.
from a general and comprehensive
survey OF the scene. fixed on the man
who until now had not left the car,
but who had now sprung down into
the wagon and was running a short
plank, to be used as a skid evidently.
up to the threshold OF the car door.
4 " q - oH 4
the wagon. The light shone full in
the, mans face.
! Number Six-Crusty Kline!" con-
fided the Hawk softly to himself.
I'm glad to know that. The last
time chummed with Crusty was
back in little old Sing Sing. Guess
he got out for good behavior
thought he was elected for five
spaces yeti"
Crusty spoke now, as he jumped
back into the car.
Look here, Butcher, I'm telling
you again, this guy in here's in pretty
bad shape
Never mind about that" replied
4 the Butcher roughly. Get the safe
! out! All hands now! We've got no
time to monkey with him. He'll
come around all right, I guess-any-
way, it's none Of our lookout"
The men were punched together
now, three in the doorway Of the car
and two in the wagon, the safe be-
tween them. The Hawk was study
ing one Of the two who stood in the
wagon. One was White Jim, as he
already knew, but the other had had
his back half turned, and the Hawk
had not been able to see his face.
Tho 20 eli 4 :,