Evening star., 1921-12-18

a few more trains. SO you better
hurry. look for me tomorrow night.
BART CARSON.
X y 4 X
pRAVADO. perhaps! But in the
mind Of the desperate was an
other, different impulse. He had
confessed to q crime that he had not
committed when detectives were
nearing the trail of the right man.
He had been tricked-but when he
had told his story they would not be-
lieve him. There was at least one
way. to him. that he could prove it.
and this was the way. Walter
Walker. whom he had saved from
prison. had robbed express cars and
mail coaches in the ordinary manner
and striven his best to hide his iden-
tity. They must at least admit that
When the early morning train for
Salt Lake stopped for water just be-
fore dawn a tall man applied to
sleepy porter for q berth in the tour
ist sleeper, and got it. But when
that porter gave the first breakfast
call the berth was empty. And that
night another train was robbed.
And the night following! In vain
posses sought to trail the tracks in
the snow. but in some way they were
always. defeated. tricked intA ludic-
rous mistakes. For working against
them was a man who had spent his
life in the open, who knew the hills
and scraggly country Of that portion
Of Wyoming as a teacher knows his
textbooks. Out into the open coun-
try he led them. hot upon the scent.
only to double like q jackrabbit al
most within their range of vision.
Another train would be robbed that
night!
The reward climbed from a thou
sand to two. then to Ave. to seven
finally to ten. The guards were
doubled, but a guard is only q human
being with a gun, and the advantage
depends upon the man who first gets
the drop. Bart Carson always held
the winning cards Of surprise. Once
they loaded the vestibules with armed
men waiting for him. And while they
waited he stepped from q closet Of a
Pullman where he had secreted him.
self at a division point and held up
the one car without the guards being
the wiser. The immediate task COM
pleted, he back to the door, stood at
one side, shouted and shot. AS the
guards ran in he ran out. That was
all.
It was four days later that Bart
Carson crouched in the shadow Of the
watertank at Landslide for what was
to be his Anal roundup" He had
counted his proceeds. A few hundred
dollars more would put him past the
three Thousand mark he had set. With
that sum in his possession he could
go where he chose, could take the
trail and hold 1t until he had gained
the thing he sought. After that
The glare Of a headlight interrupted
his speculation. He flattened himself
against the heavy timbers, fastening
as he did so the last buttons Of a
dirty Jumper" suit that he had pill
fered from a switch shanty, together
with an equally grimy railroader's
cap and q lantern. His face was
smeared with engine grease. The cap
visor was low over his eyes. AS the
locomotive took on its supply OF
water he came forth. his lantern
lighted, and chatted with the engf-
neer. Then down along the train he
went, his lighted "hayburner" over
his arm. and as the porter swung
aboard at the "highball" he followed,
to pass the guards. and to stride
slowly through the Pullman as the
train gathered speed.
There was one coach that he had
left untouched on every train-the OBJ
seryation car at the rear. lnstinc-
lively he knew that the guards would
not be watching for him there to-