The Ely miner., 1942-12-17
CHAPTER Nv

SIdSG SLUp III d plt Va oAPAAA>
where they nooned, ate at long
oilcloth-covered table and changed
horses.
Then piling back into the stage
and, with crack of Long Peters
whip, they were again on their way.
On the high seat, rolling his clga-
rette, Cole Cody looked well pleased
with the world. He had handed the
two ladies up into the coach.
They swirled away through Fid-
dler's High Pass, curved hazardous
ly along the steep sides OF Indian
Mountain, made a descent with
brakes squealing into Long Valley,
and then began climbing again, and
so the bright afternoon slid away ana
shadows began running out across
their way and, from the gloom OF
Dark Canyon, they saw a star.
But it was daylight again when
they crested the next rocky ridge,
and Long Peters, fiinging out his
whip and sending his horses along
with a rush where there was
stretch of downhin slope, SAID TO
Cody,
Look sharp, way down there and
straight ahead, and maybe youn
see the sun flash on windows IN Bald
Eagle. It's only twenty mile from
here. And inside the hour, when
we start down the Georgia Road
you'll see it again, only it'll be
lamps by then. Hold your hair on,
young feller!"
Once Cody thought that he did see
a flash of light on twenty mile dis
tant windows, but it was merely
wink and a CLINT and he might have
fancied it. The sun was almost
down; it was hidden by a pine
studded shoulder of the mountains
as they rocketed down into another
steep-sided little valley.
1t was gone for the day when they
swept upward again, and the stars
were out in earnest. Even yet there
was no deep dark, a thickening
dusk, rather, closing in about them,
with the stars at their shining best.
Cole Cody put back his shoulders
and breathed deep, the glory OF the
oncoming night lovely thing, the
night air strong and clean and
heady, the tang of pines upon 1t
like spice.
Then all of a sudden and without
warning, startling him out of rev.
erie fit for the hour, the stage driver
cursed explosively and jammed on
his brakes and leaned back against
his reins until he pulled his horses
back on their launches, punched
and struggling, with the front wheels
against the wheeler's rurnps. Quick
cries of alarm burst from the
coach's interior. Cody stared won
deringly at what he could see Of the
drivers face.
"There's a tree across the road, u
nuttered Long Peters. And Cody
leaning out and peering closely al
last saw it; not ten feet ahead o1
the leaders. Long Peters had seer
it first, and in time before the coacf
had piled up on it, it being Long
Peters business to keep his eye:
ON the road for-Well, for things like
a fallen tree.
''Now, that's funny"
'Sit tight! Not so damn funny
Cody. That tree didn't put itsel
there. It's a hold-up. Some damn
fool must have thought was carry
ing a Wells Fargo strong box. Well
amt"
A voice, a deep, rumbling, roughl,
unpleasant voice called, :,
"Take it easy, driver. It's hold
up"
It was hard to make outswher
the voice came from. On one sid
of the road was steep slope pitch
ing brokenly down into the dar
depths of a ravine whence rose tn
rush and swirl of hidden stream
on the other side was the rising fan
of the mountain, made secret plac
with its timber and with clumps an
thickets of manzanita and chaparr;
and mountain laurel. So it was clea
enough that the highwayman We
somewhere on the upper side, bl
there were a hundred shadowy spo'
there to harbor him.
All the while the driver had bee
BUSY with his tugging reins, ar
the messages from his strong hant
ran along them like an electric fort
along wires, and little by little
uuieted his team Now his body didn
seem to move, but his hands di
stealthily. He wrapped the reil
about his high mandrake;
groped behind him and pulled ca
bine out slowly and got it across b
knees.
eff l could only get glimpse
that" Cody heard him mutteril
to himself, his voice hushed wi
yearning
"You heard mel" the voice CALI
again.
"Yes, l heard you'll" Long Pete
called back, moving his body lit
to one side and the other, crani
his neck, praying for that longe
for glimpse. "You must be Graz
This is the Bald Eagle stage, hol
bre, and there's no strong box on
You ought to know that much"
"I'm not after any strong box.
what tell you and nobody wo
get hurt. You've got passenger
want to talk to. Tell him to ST
along and / won't even hurt hi
But he'd better bring with him WI
he's carrying, or I'll cut his dar
ears off. It's Andy jenkins. Get
move on and you can get 60
again"
ANDY Jenkins?" said Cole CO
under his breath. who's Andy j.
kins?"
''That little scraggy, buck-tootf
feller. l don't know anything ab
him. He turned slightly to call bs