Evening star., 1921-12-18

ishness of the plains, the old reck-
lessness and love of danger.
He was taking no risks; he could
only be recaptured for a prison es-
cape already accomplished. The
his mind-he had faced death many
times before: for instance. during bad
moments with a milling herd at
roundup. This was more like some
sort of game. One by one he cor
rallied the conductor. the porter and
the brakeman as they entered the
car, so that they might not pass the
word along to the rest Of the train.
Then he ordered the frightened pas
sengers-and the guards-to pass be-
fore him, dropping their contributions
into his cap as they came. For each
of them he had some joking remark.
To one who sobbed he returned gold
watch, a professed gift from a dead
mother. To another tiny ring-a
baby had worn 1t. To crying child
he tossed a silver dollar with his one
free hand and made the chuckling an
nouncement that he'd bounce her on
his knee If he wasn't so busy. Then
suddenly scooping the money into
pocket. he replaced his cap. pulled
hard at the air signal. and as the
brakes set fired a second shot through
the roof Of the car to hold the crowd
and made for the vestibule.
A we'll travelled road lay not fifty
feet away where he made the leap
from the coach, and he ran toward it,
his footprints showing plainly in the
clean snow. There, however. the pos
sibility of tell-tale tracks eliminated
in the hard-pressed path Of automo-
biles, he whirled swiftly. ducked into
the shadows, then dived for the truss
rods beneath the very coach he had
just left. Sprawled upon the Ice
coated trusses, he watched the feet
of the crowd as they milled about the
car, followed his tracks to the road,
to lose them there.
The conductor and brakeman were
attaching a telegraph key to the main
trunk line by means of q short" ele-
waited to the singing wires above on
bamboo pole. carried for the emer-
eency Of wreck or fire. Soon the key
began to click. Bart Carson knew
that the news Of his first real train
robbery was being sent to Rawlins
and thence to the world.
Presently he heard: Get those pas
sengers back into the cars" 1t was
the conductor who issued the COM
mand to the brakeman. "Al they're
doing is stamping out the trail. Raw
Inns is sending a posse and horses on
a special train. Well wait for EN- at
Barbee Junction"
The train rolled on through three
frieid miles to Barbee, carrying be-
meath a forward coach a man who
shivered in the icy wind that swept
the truss-rods. Hours passed. 1t
seemed before the special arrived.
Hurrying railroad agents dragged
their Gathering horses down the run
ways and sped back to the scene
of the robbery. The Pacific limited
thereupon resumed its journey across
the continent, leaving behind at the
little deserted station a half-frozen
man who crept to a Toulouse and
huddled there in comparative warmth.
Presently he crept forth and skirting
the deserted special" on the siding.
climbed the steps Of the caboose.
Like q curious boy. he entered ths
car which had brought posse-to
capture him. Clothing was scattered
about; a rife or two had been left
| in the rack. On a table lay pile
of sandwiches and cans of coffee.
Swiftly he slipped into coat, trousers,
heavy shirt and sweater from among
the variegated clothes. stuffed sand
wiches into the pockets and then, as
he found a stub OF pencil, wrote
hurriedly on a bit Of wrapping paper:
deer Sheriff, never go so far away
10 look for me. i'm only going to rob