The Washington times., 1938-02-28

@~~S@
at POGO, who smiled narrowly,
then leaned out the window.
"They tell me there's q posse
following, sergeant" Cooper said.
Drop back with your men. Stop
the posse, inform them that the
prisoner is being taken to the fort.
Don't fight. If they insist on see
ing for themselves, ride down to
us. Well keep on. And leave my
horse, sergeant. Tie him to the
rear"
Right, sir" the sergeant said.
The stage groaned into motion
again. AS soon as it was around
the first bend in the road, POGO
ordered Van to tell Harry to pull
UP.
When the stage stopped, POGO
prodded Cooper and Van out. POGO
then: took the gun from Coop RS
side holster.
Hes a good horse" Cooper
said. Treat him we'll"
POGO only smiled and led the
horse up the road. Then he hol-
stored his gun, seized the name Of
the chestnut in his hands and,
while he skipped and danced away
from him, vaulted on.
) Immediately there was an ex-
\ ploSion. The horse wheeled and
reared, and POGO slugged his head
with his free hand while he
gouged his flankS to get him down.
He landed Stiff-legged and
started to pitch in tight, frantic
i circle. POGO stuck on him like a
burr. Cooper and Van and Harry
watched breathlesSly. It was all
over in minute. He settled down
and trotted out Of it.
| LEARNS KATE'S ROUTE
POGO smiled and pulled his hat
down tighter.
The army horses had almost
blotted out the tracks Of the buck
board, but now and again they
showed in the dust of the road,
POGO watched them all the way
down the slope and, when he saw
them turn off into the sideroad
in the foothills, he pulled up.
It didn't take more than simple
logic to interpret this move on
Cardowan'S part. The closest rail
road point was several miles along
the foot hills to the spot where the
train pulled over the pass and
down the slope. It. took on water
there. Cordowan and Kate could
have boarded her there.
POGO recalled the route. He
knew the track led straight east
for many miles, then dived down
into the badlandS that bordered
the desert, turned south once it
had dropped two thousand feet
and trimmed the desert in twist.
ing, lodging effort to avoid the
canyons on one hand and the sand
drifts of the desert on the other.
It kept north for miles doing
this, climbing a little too. Then,
Just before it came to the spur
that led to Christian City, It made
the pass that it was laboring
toward the whole afternoon.
POGO looked at the sun. Close
to noon. He had till almost dark
to make that pass. It meant
crossing miles Of San ions bench
land. skirting Fort Benjamin and
taking a few miles Of the bad
lands. He had a good horse, an
easy trail-and the knowledge
that If he did not reach Kate
Shayne by sundown, he would be
too late.
ALL KATE'S DOINGS
"All because I met a GIRL" he
reflected quietly. "A girl who
thinks I'm Just a killer-and q
man who thinks I'm not"
4
It was past noon when Cor.
dowan began to get sleepy. Thu
train had sloped down off the Sar
Jone bench into the deep and darH
canyons.
Kate and the old lady-Mrs
Bailey was her name, KatC
learned by whispered converse
tion-sat utterly still, too fright
ened to sleep and afriad to talk
Kate watched Cordowan, her eye.
smouldering.
Finally, when he knew tina
sleep was inevitable, he loungeC
to his feet and swayed against th'
rocking of the train.
Come along with me, both o
you." he commanded.
Il He led the way into the bag
gage car, and while Kate and tn,
old lady looked on, hunted tn
car through for any kind o
| weapon. He found only what h
4 had known before was there: tn
shotgun, the two Colts chucket
b out by the baggagemen. These h,
took and said. you can't get out
so don't try"
LOCKS UP WOMEN
Going out, he locked the solit
door behind him.
Kate watched the door lon
after he had left.
Hes mad" Mrs. Bailey Sai'
calmly. who is he?"
Kate told her. told the who'll
horrible story. beginning with tn
theft at the peak and bringing /
up to where Cardowan had seize
her at the hotel in Rincon ant
kidnapped her.
."Your poor child" Mrs, Bale.