San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-18

tall stranger. who sat apart at
table in the shadows. This strange
didn't appear to have the remotes
interest in the talk of the Others
which was mainly about a former
citizen of Bolima who had disap
peared-a young man they calleC
David, who had brought lot OF raw
gold TO town one morning, saying h
had found rich lode on the other side
of the foothills. This young David
had promised to let his fellow Cit.
zens of Bolima in on diggings ada.
cent to his claim. He had "sold
some very rich mineral for currency
of the realm, and left for San Diego
TO get a pack and work outfit, but
he hadn't been heard of in several
months.
Null Akers now spoke: "Davey
didn't look like he just come in from
the mountains when he comes here
with his first stack. hears Mr.. Rob
Travis say in the assay office that
Davey's stack don't look like no gold
he's seen on this side of the border"
"Gold is gold" said Didsey.
"She sure is" said old Mul. AN
sure scarce and retiring by nature :;
but there was crushin' already done
on that stuff Davey brings in, not
one-man hammers, but machine-work.
There's some big mines over in Mex
leo chat transport their stuff half
cleaned like that from the mountains
TO the mills"
sour Dayey," said Tollier Dip.
you hints that he's been Robin
Mexican pack-train, an / had my
heart all set that he had found old
MeConachie's lost lode over in Haun-
ted Valley
"Fm sayin' as what Mr.. Travis
says Mul answered patiently. ALSO
Mr.. Travis says: Dave Icomb was
in a hurry when he was here. and
kept pullin' up his shirt collar to cover
a bullet scar in his threat That scar
might have something 10 do with
man bein' peaked-like Davey looked.
''Then over at Bidyards, where Mr..
Travis boards, he happens to hear
some one bring up the old subject of
the Transcon train robbery, and how
the man holdin' up the day coach
was shot in the neck by q ranger from
Little Top"
"But the train gang run off the
= bandits outside that night, and there
wasn't a dellar taken from the ex-
press or mail cars" said Tollier Dip.
@The man inside, workin' on the pas
sengers of the day coach, didn't get
away with no three jack-loads of rot
ten ripe ore"
The tall stranger now came forward
showed the badge of n forest ranger
Excuse me, genetlemen," he said,
his words slightly muffled and imped-
ed. my name is Billings. l am
stationed on Little Topnot and I'd
like TO sit in to this conversation. "
(Which is accorded" said Didsey
Drier.
"What sort of looking young man
was this Davey you speak off"
"He wasn't tall exceptional" Did
sey began.
"Nor short, either" said Tollier
Dip.
HE was smoOth-faced and inno-
cent" Didsey resumed, land could
look up into your face winnin'- like
and amiable. He wasn't handsome"
"He wasn't bad-loOking, either, "
said Tollier Dip.
"Could he shoot?" Ranger Billings
inquired suddenly.
"Dave Ilcomb could shoot" said
Tollier Dip. "Didsey, you're not for.
gettin' as how he knocked the last
shoebutton off a rattler's tail in
Lucar's back yard"
"The young man / have reference
to could shoot" said the Ranger
clearing his voice. "He wasn't tall
and he wasn't short. As to his being
amiable / couldn't state, because he
had a mask on at the time-I refer
to the bandit on Transcon day coach
east-bound on the Ragged Wrer
grade" said the Ranger
Chairs drew nearer.
"You was on that train?" aske,
Tollier Dip.
Il was on that train" said tn
Ranger. 81 was on the back seat o
that particular coach. The maske,
young man came forward filling hi
pouch and kidding the passenger
along, as he took what they had
When he was a little less than hal
the way through the coach I LITE,
sudden from the seat and let driv
one shot, which he ducked success
full. Also, he fired back, making j
advisable for me TO loll behind III
last seat"
~Then you kidded him from benin
the seat you had elm back of, sal
Tollier Dip. THAT is, accordin' t
the papers"
(which is correct" said the Rar