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Show Plainly disconcerted by this bold skepticism Crazy Horse withdrew. To add to the tremendous excitement caused by the medicine man's avowal three young men rode into the village shortly after the noon hour, returning from a scout between the Grand and Heart rivers. They brought with them horrible trophies in the shape of ha-mnn ha-mnn hands and feet tied to their lances. Their arrival wis greeted with the firing of guns and much yelling and howling. The three ponies wore feathers feath-ers In their tails and manes to show they had ablj abetted their masters. The lances were passed over to the squawa to dance before being struck up before the Strong Heart lodge to which the scouts belonged. Alarmed by the noise Scissors stepped outside to Investigate. Soon he was back, his face looking pale and sickly. "Some poor devil of a soldier who strayed and got lost, or who wandered off hunting," he told Dlnsdule. "Butchered. "Butch-ered. The village is crazy. It mukes It bad for us. They've tasted blood. They won't be satisfied until they've wiped us out." "If there was one soldier there must be more behind him," said Dlnsdule hopefully. "He was a soldier. They brought In enough of his clothes to prove that. Crazy Horse Is In his lodge trying to figure out how many more there may be, and where they may be. I believe It means Genernl Crook has struck the Little Missouri, or even the head of the Heart. I knew something would happen today. It's lucky for us that the scouts taw nothing of Crazy Horse's messengers to the Short Medicine Medi-cine Pole hills. But they'll be coming back any time now. When things begin be-gin to break they come with a rush." It was some time before the village quieted down sufficiently for public Interest to revert to Sorrel Horse and his boast. The medicine man, when he could gain a hearing, proudly pro- Pay Q rave I ." By : HUGH PENDEXTER Copyright by Ths Bobbs-Merrlll Co. CHAPTER XI r -... 12 The Show-Down. On the second morning after Dins-dale's Dins-dale's .exhibition of marksmunshlp Scissors Jumped, from hla couch and announced: "Something will happen today. 1 feel It. , The waiting Is ended. I am waken wltshasha, and I know the wait-' wait-' ' frf will be ended today. Get up and - be ready for whatever happens. We have much to do." Dinsdale sprang to his feet, crying: "Show me something to do. It ' teems as If I bad been In this cursed place a million years. What shall I ior "First, eat your breakfast. The girl TVer- rMs bringing It now. I must see Sorrel Irwse and finish our trade." "How do you happen to know so much about Injuns?" curiously asked Dinsdale after the girl had placed the food on a robe and had departed. "Played with Sioux boys when I was boy. After I became wakan I forgot lots of things, but what I learned Jug could hold no more Scissors re-' vealed the climax of the medicine by teaching the medicine man how to work gently In Inserting the stopper deep enough to remain In place and yet to prevent any air pressure on the mouth ; only he said nothing about pressure, as the Indian would not have understood. Sorrel Horse simply understood the manipulation of the stopper was the wakan way of doing It. Had he been told to plus1 the jug whlle one hand was held high above his bead his faith would have been as great and the mystery no more profound. pro-found. "Now lift it by the handle," said Scissors. The hand of SoTrel Horse shook convulsively con-vulsively and he could scarcely grip his fingers about the handle. He was on the threshold of conquering the greatest mystery he had ever attempted. attempt-ed. To haver Tunknn break a Jug In his hands hud been astounding. But to be permitted by the stone god to break a Jug and then fill It with water and then to break It a second time surpassed sur-passed his wildest dreams of wizardry. wizard-ry. Even Sitting Bull, himself, could not do It.' He lifted on the handle and the Jug rose from the ground and remnlned intact in-tact The medicine man stood holding it, tils small eyes protruding, his breath coming In gasps and the sweat oozing from his copper forehead as he felt the close presence of the gods. Scissors explained the wakan way was always to place the jug on smooth, level spot. Under his directions the medicine man lowered the Jug to the ground. Scissors took his paper and scissors snd cut out two ponies, each having a white rider, and laid the pictures on the ground and solemnly directed: "Now If your heart Is clean, now If you will do as you have said by the white men, Tunkan will hear you. Break the jug by taking out the stopper." stop-per." Of course the Jug collapsed and the rivals, a small band of warriors. All of these except the leader bad dismounted. dis-mounted. As Scissors stared at the mounted warrior he cried : "American Horse! American Horse has returned. Look I He's pointing to the north, and brandishing his rifle. Now they're breaking to run back to the lodges. By heavens I The pontes sre being brought up I It can mean only one thing I Crook's soldiers have reached the head of Heart river. Crazy Horse goes to stop him from making the Black hills. They don't even wait for Shunca-luta to prove his medicine I Here's the trail I Now let's see your heels !" The loud outcry at the north end of the street, quickly swollen to s deafening deafen-ing chorus of yells and punctuated by a rapid discharge of hund guns, caused more than one citizen of Dead-wood Dead-wood City to fear that Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull were uutklng good their threats and were sweeping Into town st the head of their copper-colored hordes. But as the clamor reached Kitty their Schemer's place, swept on by Keno Frank's gambling hall, and was added to by those In front of San JuanWoe's big tent, It took on a rude rhythm and at intervals inter-vals burst into a reassuring staccato of wild cheering. Then the tents and buildings farther south knew something some-thing momentous had happened, but that no danger was Imminent. The soldiers are coming! The soldiers sol-diers are coming !" shrieked a woman from the second-story window of store and tenement structure. This was accepted as the truth for a minute, min-ute, as the woman's coign of vantnge was much superior to those milling s round In the street "No soldiers I Two men !" howled a boy from the top of a pine. Then a solid mass of exclamatory humanity came Into the view, swallowing swal-lowing disorganized groups as fast as reaching them, and .only the 111 re- cbaser demanded more Information as to bow the two managed to escape. "Always could do It," Scissors shrilly cried. "I'm wakan wltshasha. We ran away when the Indians weren't looking. American Horse? Tes, we saw him when he came to lead his braves to the Heart. Crazy Horse? Certainly. He's the big man; stack him up against red or white and he's big. Four bits. Why weren't we killed offhand? Why, I'm wakan, I tell yon. Used to live In their villages. Then there waa Dinsdale with some very pretty revolver magic. He's a cool one. Made Crazy Horse bung out bis eyes. Yes, sir; four bits. Thank you." San Juan Joe conducted Dinsdale to the rear room, and after sending a boy for a tray of drinks and making sure his guest was comfortably seated be eicl alined : "Well, this knocks me! Can't make It real. When Pyrites came back without with-out you and snld you'd already started start-ed for here with Scissors, I knew something had happened. When he told about you making a big killing at cards and described the fellow I decided de-cided the agents had got you. Knocked him off his pins when be arrived and found you hadn't shown up. Now give me the stoj." "First tell me about Jim Omaha. Has he been here?". "To h I with Jim Omnlta ! Haven't seen anyone that could be him. Give me the yarn." Dinsdale told of his meeting the man Easy and winning his money; how he and Scissors ran away from Easy's gang only to fall Into the hands of the Indians at Bear butte. After sketching bis experience among the Indians he dolefully added: "And that little pleasure trip cost me four thousand dollars and leaves me without even a grubstake." "Four thousand Is nothing," scoffed San Juan. "There is a big game waiting wait-ing for yon. A very big game. Yon didn't lose your nerve at Slim butter' "You're my own kind," he said. "Itll net ns at the least an even forty thousand thou-sand apiece. If any of our numbei cashes in, his share will be evenly divided di-vided And It's likely there will be more than two hundred thousand on the coach. Why, man 1 with your metal to back me I can find games bettet even than the treasure-coach I Tm through running a gambling place. Keno Frank's been cutting Into my trade. If It wasn't for the big game I'd have to clean him up with cards or guns. But now I can see half a million apiece before we finish." "Not so fast," quietly cautioned Dinsdale. "I must have a stake. Ill go In on this. I'll do Inside work and take the big risk but always providing provid-ing the other men are all right Who are they?" " 'Horseshoe' Webb will work on the Inside with you." : "Just how? What are we to flol Explain," curtly demanded Dinsdale. "He's hired . as one of the guard You'll be hired as another. There will be ten other guards. We've planned It so you two, working with the three ol us, who will be In ambush, can tak care of the ten guards and not shed a drop of blood." "That's all right. Now who are the others?" 1 "I make the third mnn. Bud Roach from Crook City Is the fourth. I can't tell you who the fifth man Is." "Then It's all off and 11! forget all about It just as I promised," declared Dinsdale. "You'll know everything once we've got the stuff. Even Horseshoe Webb or Roach doesn't know Number One, the leader." "Don't like It. Never did like going It blind. When I tie up with a man to do risky work I want to know his face, his heart. I want to know him down to the ground," firmly demurred Dinsdale. Dins-dale. "But you know me. If I vouch for the chief that ought to be good enongb for you. Webb and Roach know me. claimed It was his new medicine tnat hud enabled the young warriors to make their kill. The young girl who brought In their dinner was too overcome over-come with excitement to answer any questions. At first Dinsdale refused to eat, but Scissors Insisted until he swallowed some meat. Scissors would not let him leave the couch for fear some curious savage would spy on them and discover the truth. After the shouting and dancing had ceused, the aknclta began parading through the village and crying "Shunca-luta will make a new medicine, they say. lllyu pol (Come on!) Hlyn pol" As the camp police passed a lodge It was a signal for the Inmates to come out and fall In behind them. Crnzy Horse took his place and as the procession reached the prisoners' lodge he halted and looked Inside and asked Scissors to come andwltness the .new medicine. Continuing to fan Dinsdale, the picture pic-ture jnan ceased Ills chatting long enough to reply. "He hss had an evil dream. The ghosts are fooling him. My white brother needs the bear song." And he pointed down to the patient, who groaned and tossed about. The akaclta went their way, calling on all the people to follow and do Sorrel Horse due honor; the two lines of eeger spectators. Including Crazy Horse, made for the grassy slope. Scissors watched their departure through the opening, and then made sure the adjscent lodges were empty. Darting back to the lodge he pulled away the bundles of antelope skins and made a peep hole with his scissors. scis-sors. Only two lodges stood between them snd tt" bluffs, and neither showed any signs of life. "Now we are ready," he whispered to Dinsdale. Dinsdale came to his feet and started for the opening, but Scissors drew him back and closed the flap, and said: "Out the back end will be better." He dropped on his knees and bad pulled a hide to one side when both were startled at the sound of a step by the entrance. Snatching up a kettle ket-tle left by the girl he motioned for Dinsdale to gain the couch. But before be-fore Dinsdale could get In proper position posi-tion the (lap was pushed hack and one about Indians seems to have remained with me. Sometimes I find myself singing some of their old songs, songs I hadn't thought of for years." They made short work of the meal, v and Scissors said: "Stick by the lodge. I'll finish my talk with Sorrel Horse very quick." "And you said there was work to do," grumbled Dlnsdule. "We've spent our last night here If we're ever to see Deadwood City again," assured Scissors. At these words Dinsdale became nervously alert and eager. The Inmates of the village no longer voided Scissors, or pretended not to see him; but he knew there was only one man In the Tillage who did not wish to see him writhing under the Ogalala knives. He walked aimlessly aimless-ly among the lodges and approached the lodge of Sorrel Horse In a casual manner. On reaching It Scissors halt- ed to watch Sorrel Horse go through hla morning custom of hanging his medicine bag to the medicine pole out-aide out-aide the entrance. "It Is time," mumbled Sorrel Horse without looking at the white man. "The ponies are ready. Two Knives Talking Talk-ing will pay for them now?" "He comes to pay. But the medicine medi-cine will not work until he has reached the ponies." Sorrel Horse led hlra Into the lodge and dropped the flap, snd said: "The young white man will be very alck when you go back to blm. He will be sick from eating too much meat Two Knives Talking will stay by him to make him well. He cannot leave his sick brother to watch Shunca-luta break jugs on the open place outside the village. All the Ogulala will want to see the new medicine. While they watch, the white men will go among the bluffs and follow the pony trail outh where they will And ponies hobbled hob-bled and feeding. Two guns are there and a bundle of dried meat. Now x will the white man pay?" And he pointed to an array of jugs and several kettles filled with water. Scissors picked up a Jug and found It filled to within a few Inches of the mouth. He eismlned the stopper to make sure It would exclude all air and then handed It to Sorrel Horse and told him to cork the Jug snd break It 1 water escaped once the plug was removed. re-moved. Scissors advised: "Have the little water-girl help yoa hold the Jug when you fill It. Be sure It stands on a level place. If a Jug breuks In more than two pieces do not try to 1111 It. Such a Jug is weak and does not please Tunkan. Two Knives Talking goes to look after his sick brother." Dlnsdule was nervously walking about the lodge, snapping his fingers, his flushed face betruylng his highly strung nerves. He was surprised to have Scissors abruptly command: "Me down and be sick." "What the devlll" exploded Dlnsdule. Dlns-dule. "You , have eaten too much meat and wild cherries. You are very sick. Lie down." "You're crazy." ' "You must pretend to be sick," Scissors Scis-sors elucidated. "Sorrel Horse will show his medicine' to the village this afternoon. We cannot be there. One white man sick ; one white mun watching watch-ing over him." "We're lighting out this afternoon?" hoarsely whispered Dlnsdule, clutching Scissors' hand and hurting It. "Why couldn't you say that at the start?" "I say It now. Some time this after-hoon. after-hoon. I would like to wait until evening, eve-ning, but I do not dare. I am wakan, and I can hear the pounding of a pony's hoofs. Some one Is riding to this village." "Darned If I know when to take you seriously," muttered Dinsdale "You'll get me to hearing and seeing things next But If I'm sick, here goes." And he flopped down on the robes. "Now while I suffer please tell me what you've been up to." "Before I spend time talking the village vil-lage must know you're sick," snld Scissors. He ran out the lodge and called to one of the akaclta and asked that the roots of ssge snd wild licorice licor-ice be brought him so he might sing the bear song over his sick friend und cure htm. The roots were quickly brought, presumably pre-sumably ohtnlnecWrom the medicine bag of Sorrel Horse; and word was spread throughout the village that one of the prisoners was 111 There wet those who declared thut Sorrel Horse was recovering his medicine and wss ".sot my gun nerve," grimly retorted Dinsdale. "And what I want first of all Is two Colt forty-fours. I brought a new Winchester forty-four from the Butte. But I feel undressed without my hand-guns." "Yoa shall buy as good a brace as there Is In Deadwood City. That means, as good ss any In the world. Yoa did mighty well to pull old Scissors Scis-sors out of the fire." "Now get this right He pulled me out Sabe? He's an entirely different man among Injuns. I believe he's In-Junized In-Junized until he's more red than white. Not only knows their lingo like a book but he knows their different songs snd secret societies. He says he used to live near one of their big villages and played with red youngsters when he was a boy. That was before his mind went back on him. In here he's halfwitted. half-witted. Matching wits against Sorrel Horse, the medicine man, he's as smart as a Yankee peddler." "I knew from pictures he cut out that he knew a lot about their village life. They caught him early this summer sum-mer and he was with them quite a while." "I don't reckon he'd been In any danger dan-ger at all If I hadn't been along. But to get back to my present trouble. I'm broke " "Not while I have an ounce. And the tables have been doing mighty well, thank you. Little off now, but I don't care," snld Sun Juan. "I'll take enough for eats and drinks until I can make some real money. What's the big game you've been bragging brag-ging about? Your message to Rapid City made roe curious." San Juan Joe studied the reckless face In silence for a full minute, then glided to the door and opened It quickly quick-ly to make sure there was no eavesdropper. eaves-dropper. Returning to the table, he poured out two drinks, and demanded: "If you don't care to sit In will yoa promise never to tell what I'm about to tell you?" "Think I'd spoil good sport?" hotly asked Dlnsdule. "If I don't sit in I'll never breutlie it to a living soul." "Thut's good enough for me. This Is the game," and he leaned across the table and lowered his voice to a whisper. whis-per. "Several business men In this town believe the hills are beginning to i m numDer two in tne psrtnersmp. i give them their orders. But they're Ignorant dogs. They might talk too much when drunk. Say they did and I got Into a pickle. The chief, unknown, un-known, Is left free to get me clear. You're different, of course. If you'd come from Rapid City when sent for, the chief would have been willing, perhaps, for you to know him before we work it But It's too late now. After we've corraled the gold you'll know him and like him. "Dinsdale, that's the way the game lays and you'll have to take It or leave It. Pat sorry, but I can't tell you any more. If It was for me to decide I'd put all the cards down face up. The chief will be there and will hold the ribbons. You'll meet him Immediately after we've got the stuff." Dinsdale swallowed his drink and pursed his lips thoughtfully. Finally he slapped his band recklessly on th table and decided. "All right I drop. I'll go It blind, drinking on you. I'm broke and haven't any choice. But it's the last time I work without knowing every man who's sitting In. Safest way is to go It alone." "Good I" cried the gambler. "I'll circulate around and make everything ready. ' By tomorrow night 1 ought to know definitely when the coach la to start. We'll hope It'll be fat." "They may bold It back till the soldiers sol-diers come." "If they could be sure the soldiers will get here ahead of the reds. As It Is, Patrick & Saulsbury are threatening threat-ening to pull off their stages unless they csn have an escort of troops. If It looks like the Indians will t buzzing around this gulch they'll start the treasure-coach at once. Depends on what they think the chances are. That's what I'm going to find out." He turned to his desk and from behind a drawer pulled out a large bag of dust and tossed It on the table, saying: "Spending money.' Sorry It Isn't greenbacks. I'll O. K. you at the tables so you can play on L O. U.'a If yon want action. We'll settle after dividing the gold." . "Just a word more. Bandy Allen? The man I killed. Was he one of the gang?" "We Ran Away When th Indians Wsrtn't Looking." malned indoors. San Juan Joe rushed from his tent, rifle In hand. The front ranks broke and erupted to each side and allowed Scissors and Dinsdale to stand revealed. With the yell of an Apache San Juan dropped his rifle and ran forward to shake hands with the two meu. Old Pyrites was another an-other who fought hla way through the mob to add congratulations. The procession came to a halt, for the street ahead wa filling with men and women and children. A man with mighty lungs climbed to the top of a freight wagon and bellowed: "Pete Dinsdale and Scissors, who - we all reckoned had cashed In, escaped es-caped from the Injuns and have came hack. They say Crook and bis soldiers are on Heart river, that it's a race between be-tween him and Crszy Horse to see whether white or red gits here first. Sitting Bull Is expected to join 'em with five thousand bucks. Our two citizens were chased from Slim Butte to the Belle Fourche by a small band San Juan laughed In deep amusement. amuse-ment. "We'd never trust a loose-tongued dog like that He stuck up some stages, I reckon, but he worked alone, or with the Rapid City outfit" "I knew he wasn't getting his dust by working. I tried to get away from the poor fool. But It was him or me." "French Curly and Big George riled him up by telling him you had bluffed hlra In the Bed Rock. He thought be must get you to get back his reputation. reputa-tion. You did a good turn for the town. It was a mistake for me to send yoa away. Instead of being flred up over It the people knew after a few hours that yon weren't to blame. Why, some even talked of putting you In as marshal. Wild Rill was picked for that Job, but McCall stopped him." "If Wild BUI was marshal now I wouldn't want any of this treasure game. And If Jim Omaha blows In, and I know It, you needn't bother to hunt for me. I'll be gone for good." "Bump! Omaha Is overrated. Railroad Rail-road man. No good up here on this kind of work. Thst word I got must have been a fnlse trail." (TO BS) CONTINUED.) by striking the stefper with his fist Sorrel Horse nervously followed Instructions In-structions and wss much cast down when nothing happened. "It Is because you have no medicine f your own," explained Scissors. "Now I will give you a medicine." And he removed the stopper and pointed It to the earth, the sky and the four winds. Then with a mug he dipped water from a kettle and filled the jug to overflowing and gently In- - aerted the end of the stopper until It stood upright. "Now strike," he commanded. Sorrel Horse obeyed, snd this time the hydraulic pressure rewarded his efforts snd brought I glare of triumph to his eyes. His chest expanded and be softly boasted : "They say he will have a new name. They ssy he can break Jugs." Scissors eyed him suspiciously and pulled forward another Jug, only half fall, and releasing the stopper curtly directed : "Break thst Jug." Sorrel Horse confidently struck the stopper and the jug remained Intact. As the medicine man hung bis head In bitter disuppolntment Scissors told htm: "I have tnken the medicine away frcm you so you will know It Is my medicine snfl will not work If I do not get away from the village. Now I will give the medicine back to you. Bring water and fill this broken Jug." As he spoke he fitted the two pieces together, the cleavage being clean, snd eeld them In place while Sorrel Horse with tremlillng hands lifted a kettle sua ooured in th wateev When Ui killing the white man's medicine. But when It was understood that Scissors was using licorice, the medicine the bear digs up, and wss singing the bear song, there was much doubt ss to the efilcacy of Sorrel Horse's magic. Then to Increase the tension Sorrel Horse Instructed the akaclta to announce an-nounce to all the lodges that after the sun started down the west he would break a Jug on the river s!oie snd prove that he was a favorite of the stone god and that Tunkan still worked through him. "He hss stolen the white man's medicine! med-icine! They really say It does what he tells It to do!" Joyously shouted some. Crazy Horse was Infected by the excitement ex-citement and called at the prisoner's lodge after having a talk with Sorrel Horse. When he stuck his head Inside It whs to behold Dinsdale, eyes closed, I tossing his head from side to side snd I mumbling incoherently. Scissors sat beside him snd fanned him with s fun of eagle feathers, and as he swung the feathers he softly sung the bear song. "The young man Is sick?" asked Craiy Horse. "He is very sick, but 1 shall make him well after two sleeps," replied Scissors. "Shunca-luta breuks a Jug after the sun crosses MatO Tlpl." "lie talks like an old woman. He cannot break Jugs," scoffed Scissors. "After he tries and falls, snd rovers his head with his blanket, and Is hiding hid-ing in his lodge, let Tashunca ultco remember what the white man told him." of the akaclta sines in nis head. He had noted the cessation of the sH-k man's moaning. He blinked his eyes to get rid of the sunlight and beheld Dinsdale stealing toward the conch. He opened his mouth to emit a yell, when the kettle struck him on the back of the head, smashing the skull. As the man fell forward on his fnce, half Inside the lodge, Dinsdale seized his shoulders and dragged him completely com-pletely In, and Scissors dropped the flap. "Now wt must go, no matter how many are outside," muttered Scissors. They crawled under the back flap and bending low, rsn by the two lodges snd began ascending a dry gully. gul-ly. They reached the pine growth on top of the bluffs just as the Indians on the slope began yelling loudly. Dinsdale Dins-dale believed Sorrel Horse had succeeded suc-ceeded with his Jug medicine. Scissors Insisted the medicine man could not reach the climax so soon, even If he forgot the warning that the medicine would not work unless the prisoners had time to reach the ponies. "Some one must have returned to the village snd discovered the dead guard. Probably a couple of them left to watch us," he nervously explained. ex-plained. They scrambled np another terrace and cume to a faint trail running to the south. From the elevation, also heavily wooded, they could look down on the village and the slope. That , their escape wss now known was proved by the Indians on the slope. The entire mnss wss dancing and shouting wildly, and waving arms, i Tbeu Scissors made out some new a of Ogululu. They killed their horses In the race and came the rest of the way on foot Three cheers and a tiger I" The cheers were given; more guns were discharged. Mayor Farnum made his way to the escaped prisoners and shook each by the hand. "We supposed you were dead," he said. . "All the credit for our being alive belongs to Scissors," said Dinsdale. "He knows more about Injuns than Crazy Horse does." "I'm wakan," spoke up Scissors. "Used to plsy In a Sioux village years ago. What I did was nothing. But If Crook doesn't make this gulch ahead of the Ogalala you want to prepare fur a lot of trouble." "Make room so they can get In somewhere and rest," cried San Juan. Still cheering, but not so boisterously boisterous-ly now thst Scissors had given his warning, the crowd parted and the gambler led the two men Into the tent and toward the hidden entrance of his house. But Scissors at once responded respond-ed to his environment and with paper snd scissors ready begun searching for customers It seemed to Dinsdale that a mask hud dropped over Scissors' face the minute he got back among the tables; and never did he do such a trnde as now. Inatead of profiles he cut out lodges and ponies and other bits of Indian village life. These were eagerly eager-ly snapped up as souvenirs by men who did not know whether they were to be victims of Teton cruelty, or live to welcome Crook. And each oar- plsy out except for those who locate und develop quartz mines. They sgree with me it'll be easy to hold up one of the treasure-couches. Profit two hundred hun-dred thousund and upward. There! Now you know I'm a bad-man." His black eyes bored Into Dlnsdale's to observe how he received the startling star-tling confidence. Dlnsdale's face remained re-mained expressionless. He tasted his drink and sold: "If the ropes are rigged It ought to be simple and easy. I could get tne stuff alone. Getting away might be harder." "Harder than the Ogalala job?" queried San Juan, and he grinned wickedly. "This Isn't sny confessional," coldly retorted Dlnsdule, his eyes half closing. clos-ing. "But every one knows, or ought to, that It's easier to hold up a stage than a train. A stage Is boy's play. If I hud my wad I'd gurnble you I could slip on a mssk and hold op any stnge on the line with two corncobs for guns pnssenger-conches, bf course." "I believe you," softly cried San Juan. "Of course you've got all the necessary neces-sary Information r "A, B, C," assured the gambler. "There will be five of us, snd you're to be one of the two to work on the Inside. In-side. Does thst scare you?" "I don't scare," growled Dinsdale, beginning to look ugly. "Trying to make sure I've got my nerve? All I ssk Is to have my chance to get clesr. There's only one man I don't want studying my face Jim Omaha." San Juan Joe laughed In deep satisfaction. |