Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

COLD STEEL. A few mocking shouts resulted. These were gradually increased until the Mexi- cans, now being joined by scores of others from the street, became a howling, cursing, hysterical mob, crying Sorenson’s and Burkhardt’s innocence, calling down im- precations on the heads of the sheriff and the engineer, stirred by certain lawless spirits. to wilder and wilder passion. Weir and Madden had not been stand- ing still. The crowd was not yet numerous enough at first or bold enough to attack. Moreover the two men held their pistols well in view. Forcing Sorenson ahead, driving apart those who blocked their way, they pushed across the yard, until a few paces from the jail. One Mexican, a ranch-hand from one of Vorse’s ranches, wearing a great, high- peaked felt hat and chaps, insolently thrust himself before the trio, spitting at Weir’s face and in Spanish begging companions to help him release Sorenson. His right hand was resting on his holster as if but awaiting an excuse to use his gun. | “Get to one side,” was Weir's harsh order. : The man’s answer was a string of foul curses. Like a panther the engineer leaped forward with raised hand and struck the fellow on the side of his head with revolver barrel, dropping him where he stood. As the crowd remained suddenly mute, unmoving, their howls quenched at this swift reprisal, Weir spoke to Madden: “Quick! To the door!” Each with an arm in Sorenson’s, they made a run for the jail, passed through the. line of armed guards, and for the moment were safe. The sheriff lost no time in ‘dragging the prisoner inside and when pres- ently he stepped forth again, locking the door after him, he showed a relieved face. “T put irons on him, hands and feet,” he informed Weir. ‘ He’s out of the way, at any rate if we’re in for a row.” That was exactly what appeared in pros- pect. Only the rifles in the grip of the two dozen men about the jail kept the now thoroughly aroused mob from rushing for- ward. From yelling it had changed to low, fierce murmurs that bespoke a more des- perate mood. 505 “We ought to move the men somewhere else,’”’ Steele Weir stated. ‘‘ Pretty soon they’ll go for arms and then we'll have real trouble.” | “IT arranged while you were gone to transfer them to the county seat in the next county,” Madden said. ‘‘ Telephoned the sheriff; he’s expecting them. To-morrow we can take them to Santa Fé, out of this part of the country, till time for their trial. I placed the automobile your man brought Burkhardt in from the dam and another machine back in the alley; they are there now in the shadow.” ‘Good. The quicker you take them, the better. They ought to be gagged when brought out. Get them here to the door; the men who are to drive should have the cars ready, engines going—” ‘““That’s fixed. Your superintendent will drive one car and one of the engineers the other; they can slip back there at once. Six more of the guards are to go with us.” ‘All right. You know who they are. Station them here at the door to rush the prisoners back the instant you’re ready. Have them go round to the rear on the dark’ side of the jail; they should get a good start before they’re discovered.” Madden called from the line Atkinson and the men whom he had chosen to accom- pany him on the night ride. A brief parley followed. Then he and two of the engi- neers went inside the jail, while the super- intendent and cne young fellow stole away in the shadows toward the spot where stood the cars. Meanwhile the throng had grown until it filled all the space about the rear of the court-house and formed a mass of human bodies on which the checkered moonlight played reaching to within half a dozen paces of the jail. A shot rang out and a bullet struck the jail. It was like a match lighted near powder that if allowed to burn would set off an explosion. One shot would lead to others from reckless spirits, to a volley, and in the end to an onslaught. Perhaps that was the reasoning and the purpose of the man who had fired. In any case, it must not be repeated. Weir strode forward toward the crowd. “If that man, or any of you, want to NOO (C(O) S Co mM