Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

592 ing to get a crack at that Red Handker- chief!” “ Huh!” the sheriff grunted. Then he spurred up his horse and started down the street, the rest of the bunch fol- lowing, hot-foot. When I could see only a big cloud of dust, TI strolls over to the express office, tickled to death. I’d got out of a bad jam with- out losing my rep. It was enough to make anybody happy. So when that fellow, Saunders, comes rushing into the office a few minutes later, all out of breath, I was as cool as they make ‘em. “ Heard about the holdup?” he gasped, running his hand through his sandy hair, “ Down at Purple Rocks—the Red Hand- kerchief and his gang!” “ That’s old stuff!” I spouted. “ The sheriff’s after em long ago—sorry I couldn’t have gone along!” “J was on the train,’ he went on, his hands shaking like he was going to have a fit. ‘‘ They cut the engine and express car from the rest and made our men take them a mile farther on. There, they killed the crew, pulled the fires, and looted the car, I was the only one who had nerve enough to foot it into town, past that horrible sight, after they’d left. All the others started to hike to Belford, down the road, away from the Red Handkerchief and his gang.” I looked at the sweat pouring off his red face. ‘ You must have been scared proper, _ Mr. Saunders—hurrying into town like this. You could have saved your wind, ’cause the Red Handkerchief and his gang would never hang around these parts a moment longer than they could help. I'll bet they’re almost to the Colorado by this time!” “Tt wasn’t that!” Saunders frowned. “ But when I came to the express car, I saw they’d dumped the safe outside and tried to blow it up.” “ Tried!” I shouts. away with it?” “They did not! The safe’s alongside the tracks, dented and blistered, but as sound as the day it left the factory.” “Then the Bright Lode’s pay roll is still inside?” I cried. ‘‘ What luck!” | “Jt must be! That’s why I hurried—to “ Didn’t they get . ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. get you to go down and get it out. You must know the combination since you’ve had the safe in this office at one time.” I scratched my head. “I know the com- bination of the safe all right.. But now I’m not so sure the Red Handkerchief’s headed for the river. Seeing how he didn’t get the biggest part of the swag, he might be still sticking around.” “N onsense!” Saunders grunted. ‘“ The Red Handkerchief knows by this time that he couldn’t crack one of those manganese steel safes in twenty-four hours. And it’s a cinch it’s too big and heavy to carry away on horses. He’s given it up as a bad job! I'd go down with you myself if I wasn’t so blamed tired.” I was still a little leery about going down to the car. While I knew it would be quite a feather in my cap to bring in the Bright Lode’s pay money before the sheriff got back, I couldn’t feel quite sure just where the Red Handkerchief was. And if I took a big gang along, they’d get all the credit —not me, I walked to the door, thinking it over. The fellow what had charge of the little station was standing outside, looking at the sky. “Heard anything more about the hold- up?” I called. “* No—only that they’re headed for the river with the sheriff about ten miles be- hind. An Indian just brought in the news —dhe passed ’em a few miles out.” That. seemed to settle the matter. With them bandits headed for the Colorado, and the sheriff tearing after ’em, I needn’t be afraid to go down and open up that safe! But I didn’t quite like the idea of going all alone. And Saunders was in on the thing anyhow! [I turned to him. “ Tl lock up and go down and open ’er up if you'll go along. You see, I don’t know just where the car is—it ‘ll save a lot of time.” “I’m pretty tired,” Saunders groaned, “but we’ve got to get that money into town.” “ How about that light hand-car over at the station?” I asks. “ Good idea!” Saunders cries. ‘ Get it, -and Tl go along!” TA (ECO AME JOOKS (E(@)