Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

254 eighty miles. He always made it on time, on matter how much trouble he had. When time was lost it had to be made up, and it was made up. There was little passenger traffic on the mail lime, and few persons ever took a second trip in Munro’s car. A passenger crawled out of the old, rusty chariot in front of the post-office one even- ing. He was somewhat battered, but still a wag. When asked how he had stood the trip, he said: ‘““We had a blow-out every mile for the first fifty miles after we left Salton, but here we are, on time. ! a pair of seven-league boots. I'll bet odds he can make Barney Oldfield look like a crippled tarrapin.” If Munro had been any one else. this should have put his picture in the local hall of fame, but he continued to be just that fool “ Jew.” He had tried various jobs, and this was the first one he had been able to hold past the teething period. _ The city of Twin Hills, though eighty miles from a railtoad, put on some airs. And why not? It was a county seat, and had a population of almost a thousand— chiefly ranchmen who lived there in order - to send their children to school. The Twin Hills National was one of the richest banks in the State. Everybody~in town that didn’t have an automobile, had two. It was a hundred miles in the other direction to a railroad town, but it was a city, and the traffic from Twin Hills lay mostly that way. Salton was a jerk-water burg, and there was rarely a car on the mail route; except Munro’s tin travesty, long . since christened ‘‘ Seven-League Lizzie.” The mail route was a lonely way. Leav- ing Twin Hills in the morning, Munro drove _ to Salton by noon. At one he started back, and threw his mail bags into the Twin Hills post-office at six. There were many stops on the line—at mail boxes—but only two post-offices. One of these, D Bar, was twenty miles from Salton. The other, Hale’s store, was twenty miles from Twin Hills. Between them lay forty miles of open country, atmosphere, and an occa- sional mesquite thicket. It is common knowledge that spontaneous homicide, and rough cussedness, have been That driver has got ca THE ARGOSY. superseded by golf, poker and oil stock, in Texas. Yet, in recent years certain playful banditti have been matching wits with the rangers along the Mexican border. An ex- ceptionally active band was performing some unusual stunts, robbing a bank here to-day, raiding a village a hundred miles away to-morrow. By the time the rangers ‘reached the scene of ome crime, the out- laws were committing another outrage a hundred miles away. These genthemanly petiouiers were said to have ‘come across from Mexico, but the real knowing ones more than Ghisbeted that it was a mistake. The work was too smooth, and too speedy, for robbers from the land of manyana. It was _ strongly hinted that Kinch Bedloe, a former ranger, who had run amuck and escaped, after be- ing convicted of a crime, was at the head oi the band. Mr. Bedloe was known to be the best shot on the border, and to have a peculiar han- kering after ranger meat since the force ho turned against him. »-Munro had seca Kinch a few times, but it is doubtful if he would have known him by sight. On a gray November morning, as Munro was giving old Lizzie her daily ration of juice, he overheard a conversation between the garage man and another gentleman: “The bank was robbed over to Penasco, and the rangers is yellin’ for help. Reck’n maybe Sheriff Bill Trueheart and some of his depities will go over thar. I'll bet fo’ bits if Bill gets on the track of that Bedloe gang he’ll make ’em holler calf rope.” Thus the garage man, with a Texan’s faith in his own sheriff. “ Yes, I reck’n* so,” replied the other, ‘but Bill and his depities better stay right here at Twin Hills. Kinch Bedloe would just admire to raid this town, on account of him being tried and convicted in the deestrict co’t here.” ‘Oh, this is clean out’n their range.” ‘““ Range hell! Them fellers ain’t got no range. The last two robberies they does is over a hundred miles apart.” The further interesting conversation was lost in a sputter and roar, as.old Lizzie re- sponded to Munro’s patient cranking, took - the spark, and began to snort and tremble / (E@) Micboo S (E@)