Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 153: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

COLD STEEL. The pair were now advancing toward the saloon along the opposite side of the street, where a slight shadow afforded them con- cealment. By the time they came opposite the building they had escaped altogether from the crowd, though looking thither over their shoulders, they could see the black press of people in the moonlight at the public edifice. Here the street was empty except for a few belated women and children running toward the assemblage. Madden’s hand suddenly gripped the en- gineers’ arm as they were about to step forth from the shadow to cross the street to the saloon. “‘ There he is,” the sheriff whispered. Vorse had pushed open the slatted door of his place and stepped outside. In the moonlight his figure and face were clearly _ visible; his thin, whipcord body and preda- tory face, and bald head as shiny and hard as a fish-scale. He wore no coat, while his ’ vest hung unbuttoned and open as usual. About his waist was an ammunition belt carrying a holster, as if he were prepared for action. Thus he stood for a time, hands on hips, motionless, his cruel, hatchetlike face di- rected toward the scene farther along the. street. Presently a man came running to him—Miguel, his bartender, who had been one of the two men serving out whisky to the workmen at the old adobe house, arid who, at the break-up of the spree, had run back to town to report to his employer. Now, it seemed, he had fresher news to give. “‘ Yes, it is the engineer, for a certainty!”’ he exclaimed, panting, as he stopped be- fore Vorse. ‘ The sheriff arrested him, and he now lies in jail there. It is said he fought and tried to shoot Madden, but that the sheriff was too quick, and blew the gun out of his hand. It is said, also, that the dam is blown into a million little stones, but men are riding there on horses to see for themselves. They will soon return. ‘“‘ Anyway, a fight there was up there un- doubtedly, for Madden brought in not only the engineer, but three other men, bound and handcuffed and struggling furiously, trying to strike and bite the crowd like mad dogs. From time to time the sheriff had 495 to beat them on the heads with his pistol, especially the engineer, who is the worst. I did not see them, but those who did said their faces were streaming with blood.” “All right. Go find José Molina and ‘ Silver’ Leon.” “‘ Are they not up in the hills with their bands of sheep?” | ‘“No. They are here. Look round till you find them; then send them to me.” ‘“That means something lively to hap- pen, eh?” Miguel said with a laugh. | He did not wait, however, for an answer, but set off at once for the court-house. . ‘‘T hope Meyer shows up soon with more men,’’ Madden said to Weir. ‘‘ Those two sheep-herders of Vorse’s are a. pair of snakes. He always hires that kind; and they probably have some more with them like themselves.” ‘““ Meyer is on the way with twenty men or so by this time. They had to come in wagons, as we had the cars. Atkinson ought to be able to stand off the crowd with . the half-dozen boys he has until the others arrive.” - While they had conducted this brief ex- change of opinions they had kept their gaze on the saloon-keeper, who continued to stand before his door. The cold and mer- ciless character of the man was never more revealed than now as he waited for his hired assassins to come to receive orders. Pos- sessing already a full knowledge of the plot, Weir and Madden were able to guess what culmination was now contemplated, and measure the true depth of the conspirators’ infamy. The sheriff especially boiled with inward wrath that they should expect to make him not only a dupe, but a tool in their crime. “It’s clear they never intended you to come to trial when arrested,” he said. “Certainly not. That isn’t the way they play the game. And I suppose Vorse there imagines the cards are all falling his way at this moment.” “‘ He’s going in.’ “Good! Now then!” Weir struck off across the street, striding forward at a pace Madden found it difficult to keep. As they neared the door, Weir loosened the gun in his holster. CELDOO© = O) Co S Co mM