Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-01-18
CHAPTER VI.
Eavesdropping.


Soapy Stone, alias You Know Who.
". then you'll take the 9:57,
Sam - .,.
After more: whispering, "Yep, soon
as you hear the first shot =. cover
the passengers ="
The listener lost what followed.
Once he thought he heard the name
Tin Cup, but: he could not be sure.
Presently another fragment drifted to
him. g. :, make our getaway and
cache the plumber =" ..,'
The photograph lifted up its voice.
This time it was II Love. a Lassie."
Before the song was ffiished there
came the sound Of shufIling feet. One
of the men in the next stall was leav-
ing. Curly could not tell which one,
nor did he dare look over the top Of
the partition to inG out. He was
playing safe. This adventure had
caught him SO unexpectedly that he
had not found time to run back to his
room for his six-inch gun. What
would happen to him if he were
caught listening was not q matter Of
doubt. Soapy would pump lead into
him till he quit kicking, slap saddle
on q broncho and light out for the
Sonora line. ..
As the phonograph finished unex-
pectedly-some one had evidently in
terrupted the record-the fragment
of q sentence seemed to jump at Curly.
". so the kid will get his in
the row." :
1t was the voice Of Soapy, raised
slightly to make itself heard above
the music.
Take. care" another voice replied,
and FlanGrau would have sworn that
this belonged to Blackwell. ):
Stone, who had been sitting on the
other side of the table, moved close
to the Daroled convict. Between him
and Curly there was only the thick
ness Of plank.
:. don't like It," Blackwell
was objecting sullenly.
"Males 1t safe for Us. Besides
Stones voice grated like steel
rasping steel, every word distinct
though very low-'T swore, to pay off
Luck Cullison, and by C I'M going
to do it," i.
Again they fell to whispers. The
next word that came to Curly clearly
was his own name. :;
Luck Culllson went his bail. I
learned it this mo'ning."
"The son-of-a-gun. It's cinch he's
spy. Reckon he knows. anything"
mo. Can't"
"If I thought he did"
"Kecp your shirt on, Lutte. He don't
know q thing. And you get revenge
on him all right. Sam will run with
him and his friends while he's here.
Consequence is, when they find the
kid where we leave him they'll sure
guess Curly for one of his pardners.
Tell you his ticket is good as bought
to Yuma. He's horse thief. Why
shouldn't he be train robber, too?
That's how jury will argue"
Once more the voices ran together
indistnctly. 1t was not till Blackwell
suggested that they so and get q drink
that Curly understood anything more
of what was being said.
The outlaws passed out of the little
room and stroiled forward to the bar
Curly had heard more than he had
expected to. Moreover, as he congrat-
ulated himself, his luck had stood up
fine. Nobody in the sunburnt territory
felt happier than he did that minute
when he struck the good fresh air of
the alley and knew that he had won
through his hazardous adventure
alive.
The l-$t thing that Flandrau did
was to walk toward the outskirts of
tho town. where he could think 1t
out by himself Before he reached
Arroyo street Curly came plump
against his old range-matc, Stats
Davis. Flan,irau caught him by the
arm. Hello, Stats. You're the man
I want"
'Im pretty busy today" Davis an
swcred stiftly.'
"ForSet it, This is MORE lmpor-
tant." B.
"Come along and take q walk. I
got something: to tell YOU"
Reluctantly Davis fell in besi6e him.
Gall right. Cut it Short I've got to
see man." 4
Hell have~to wait" Curly could
not help chueIling to himself at the
evident embarrassment Of the other.
The impish impulse to devil" him had
its way. you're a man Of experience,
Stats. Ever hold up a train? Some Of
my friends are aiming to hold up one
shortly. If you'd like to get in Ill
say good word for YOU"
. Davis threw him look that
dreliched like ice water. II expect
you and me are travelling different
trails these days, Curly. You don't
mean it, of course, but the point is
I'm not going to joke with you along
that line. UnAerstand?'
"Wrong guess, old hOss. ! do mean
It"
l. <Ire,r- Nnn