The Washington times., 1938-03-03


the coach drew closer to the
looking at the coupling, saw it
"Nowl" she cried.
Kate seized the pin and pulled.
1t slipped out easily ). SHE looked
up, Joy in her face, and then 1t
washed out. The baggage coach
was pulling slowly away from her,
and Mrs. Bailey, in their haste.
had forgot to come across.
Jump" Kate cried.
Mrs. aBiley looked and only
shook her head. Already it was
too late, and the space between the
cars had started to grow.
"T can't" she said simply
Even as she said It, something
moved above them. Kate looked
up, and in that one brief second,
she saw Cardowan leap the dis
tance between the two car roofs.
And then they pulled away from
each other, the baggage car seem.
ing to speed ahead without the
weight of the coach's pull, and the
coach stopped and slowly started
down the hill.
Kate backed into the door, her
breath held, as Cardowsn swung
down from the overhang, gun in
hand.
His face was dark and twisted
with fury. He snarled. "You
damned rneddlesome fool"
CHAPTER XII
THE LAST PAY DAY
Kate's throat was knotted with
fear as Cardowan brushed by her
and through the car to the brak-
ing wheel on the rear platform.
Holstering his gun, he grasped
the wheel and spun 1t to take up
the slack. Already the car was
gaining momentum on the down
grade and the brakes clamped on
with q screeching Of steel on steel.
Kate saw the track swing out Of
sight through the rear door, heard
the clack of wheels on the switch,
then saw q new and curVing track
swing into sight.
Cardowan called furiouEly,
Come here, damn you, and help
mel"
And hearing that, Kate knew
that she was lost either way, foy
II she escaped this hurting an5
runaway car which had Q down
grade for many miles ahead
Cardowan would turn on her with
insane fury.
Across that long and tolling
benchland, POGO could look back
and see for miles. 1t was early
afternoon before he picked up the
long string Of dark specks that
told him the army was finally on
his trail. But he did not slacken
his speed, nor spur his horse.
On q high rockrim in late after.
noon he pulled up and looked
south. He looked for many long
minutes and finally spotted q
Smudge Of smoke against all that
vast and rocky waste. It would be
the train laboring up the long
grade.
POCO'S HOPES DIE
Later, much later, the canyons
seemed to fall away, and the grade
leveled off and he knew he was
almost to the top of this ridge
which the pass crossed, but mile
to the west of the tracks.
He urged his horse as much as
he dared. When he pulled UP on
the rim of a deep valley. he looked
across it. There, half a mile be.
yond, he saw the black and red
train swing into sight momentar'
lily as it swung into the cut of the
pass. His stomach balled up inside
him, and he rammed his spurs
into the gelding and shot him
down the slope. He was too late
he knew he was too late, but he
would try.
He cut up the far slope, achieved
the ridge, then slanted down the
long slope toward the valley to the
north.
Ahead now. a half mile below,
he could see the train standing
motionleSs in the cup Of the val
ley. Figures stood by it, but he
was too far to distinguish them.
They walked back a few yards on
the track, paused. then turned
back to the train.
And then, when he was half.