Evening star., 1923-02-18
Dramatic Incidents Of Action,
Color. Thrills, SURPRISES and
the Girl Who Was Back IN IoOa.

Old Mul Akers was there and
u Tollier Dip. Dipsey himself
waA present; also a tall stranger,
who sat apart at a table in the
shadows. This stranger didn't appear
to have the remotest interest in the
talk Of the others, which was mainly
about former citizen OF Bolima who
had disappeared-a young man they
called David, who had brought a lot
OF raw gold to town one morning,
saying he had found a rich lode on
the other side of the foothills. This
young David had promised to let his
fellow-citfzens of Bolima in on dig
Gings adjacent to his claim. He had
sold some very rich mineral for
currency Of the realm and left for
San Diego to get q pack and work
outfit, but he hadn't been heard of
in several months.
Mul Akers now spoke: "Davey
didn't look like he just come in from
rhe mountains when he comes here
with HIS first stack, Ehears MIR. 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 bor-
DER 49, '-..:t' .-';
Gold. is gold" said Didsey, =
''She sure is,'' said old Mui. An
sure scarce and retiring By nature.
But there was crushin' already done
on that stuff Dayey brings. in, not
one-rnah hammers, but machine work.
There's some big mines over in Mex
ico that transport their stuff half
cleaned like that from the noun
rains to the mills -
Our Davey.' said Toliier Dip.
You hints that he's been robbin a
Mexican: pack train, an. ] had my
heart. all set that he had found old
McConachie's lost lode over in Haunt
ed valley"
I'm. 'sayin' as what Mr.. Travis
says" Mul answered patiently. ALSO
Mr.. Travis says: Dave Ilcomb was in
a hurry when he was here and kept
pullin' up his shirt collar to cover a
bullet scar in his throat That scar
might have somethin, to do with
a 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 a ranger from
Little Top"
But the train gang run off the
bandits outside that night and there
wasn't a dollar 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" ...-.
:. X y X
THE tall stranger now came for
i ward from the shadows and difn-
IDENTIFY showed the badge OF a forest
ranger.
Excuse me. gentlemen" he said.
his words slightly muffied and i'm
peded "1Iy name is Billings. I am
stationed on Little Topnot and I'd
like to sit in to this conversation"
which is accorded" said Didsey
Drier.
what sort Of a looking young man
was this Davey you speak of"
"He wasn't tall exceptional" Did
ssy began.
.Nor short, either" said Tollier Dip.
"Hs was smooth faced and inno-
cent Didsey resumed. "and could
look up into your face winnin'-
like and aIniable. He wasn't hand
some:
He want bad-looking. either" said
Tollier Dip.
Gould he shoot?" Ranger Billings
inquired suddenly.
"nave 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 Lu-
cas- backyard"
1.-THE young man I have reference
70 could shoot said the ranger,
clearing his voice. HE wasn't tall
and he wasn't short. AS to his being
amiable. I couldn't state, because he
had a mask on at the tme-I refer to
the bandit on Transcon day coach
eastbound on the Ragged Wren
grade" said the ranger.
Chairs drew nearer.
"You was on that train?" asked Toll
l!er Dip.
II was on that train" said the
ranger. II was in the back seat of
that particular coach. The masked
Young man came forward, filling his
pouch and kidding the passengers
along as he took what they had.
When he was a little less than half
the way through the coach I lifted
sudden from the seat and let drive
one shot, which he ducked success
full. Also, he fired back. making 1t
advisable for me to loll behind the
last seat"
Then you kidded him from behind
the seat you had clim' back Of" said
Tollier Dip. THAT is. according to
the papers,
which is correct" said the ranger.
Neither OF US had drawn blood by
this time. was figuring. to get him
before he got to me, and the bandit
was figuring the same. His figures
worked out: He didn't wait for me to
begin. This that buzzes little when
talk" indicating his upper lip. isn't
birthmark. It was from one of that
bandits shots. His other shot took
to myself about as close to the place
where I.wear the rangers badge as
man can assimilate a forty-five slug
and prosper much afterward."
But you got him after that--accord-
ing to the papers" breathed Tcllier Dip
Eyes. 7 registered in his neck, after
had been sentenced to three months
In the hospital"
THERE was another silence before
i the ranger added:
"Of course. there isn't any. COM
parison as to which of those bullets
hurts the most now"
1T don't look so bad. ranger. 1t
was only at first / thought you had
hair-lip," said Mr. Dreir
Mul Akers eased the tensions: II