The Coming of Cassidy-And the Others

fast, furious fun to anyone who could find humor enough in his make-up to regard it so. Then came a long, wearying ride for the five men picked from the drive

these were playing cards near the baggage-room door, while two more lounged in a seat half way down the aisle and on the other side of the car. Across from the card-pl

and their shirts were also of wool. Around the throat of each was a large handkerchief, knotted at the back; their trousers were protected by "chaps," of which three were of goatskin. The boots were tight-fitting, narrow, and with

and as for "Dixie," it was hopelessly at odds with the other two. But they were happy, exuberantly so, for they had enjoyed their relaxation in the city and now w

fancy dictated, and as behooved cowpunchers with money in their pockets. Now they were glad that every hour reduced the time of their stay in the smoky, jolting, rocking train, for they did not like trains, and this train was particularly bad. So they passed the hours as best

ile the dyspeptic, nervously twisting his newspaper, wished that he were at his destination. The baggage-room door opened and

ughter arose continually and the fat man joined in

ace down on the board an

e on a varigated flush

red of it," laughed the fat man, bracing hi

d that an' found I did n't have no varigated flushe

Red puffed slowly at their large, black cigars and spoke infrequently, both idly watching t

ng, but he received no reply, for his co

t of hot, sulphurous smoke caused Hopalong to look up at the br

ially. "Why in thunder do

etched energetically and grinne

for three hours yet,"

ain," moodily complained Red as the singing beg

nd seated himself on th

might be

end, who was slapping the cushions to see the dust fly out: "Hey, let

at the card-players

always sing like

t sometimes

he le

singing 'Dixie,' now.

in't 'D

that is, m

what's the

ed, yawning and stretching. "Just wait till they

ons. Say, you must be a pretty ni

" answered

day about a month ago. We was the wrong end of

ou get?" asked Hopalong qu

brakeman, while the dyspeptic stopped punching holes in his time-card and listened. The

any did we get! Gosh! we didn't ge

d you draw, you Pi

t dealing, an' I would n't tel

can ask,

u can,

e?" cried Hopalong,

uld sa

wned th' wh

ey

ing-up must have been s

es he allus has better,"

nnect. When we got into the gulch the train slowed down and stopped and I started to get up to go out and see what was the matter; but I saw that when I looked down

play at th' same tim

n another feller come in the car; he was the one that did the cleanin' up. All this time there had been a lot of shootin' outside, but now it got worse. Then I heard another whistle and the engine

t none," grumbled H

"we found a wreck. And we found the engineer and fireman standin' over the express-messenger, too scared to know he would n't

elp him!" Hopalong exc

die with him," rep

s valise, "I 'd like to see anybody try to hold me

our bald spot about that ti

perceived the weapon, a

'-iron, stranger," gra

e owner, proudly. "I paid

d grinned broadly: "I reckon that'd k

t it out of that grip. Think a train-robber is going to let you unpack? W

r's belief in the hip-pocket fal

aboard when you was stuck u

count passengers in

aggressively: "We 're

ertain

head to stick us up, you see what happens. Don't you kn

ot!" cried t

asserted the conductor emphatical

Then they brace th' door of a car full of people. While they climb up the steps they can't see inside, an' then they go an' stick thei

right!" enthusiastica

n in so many gun-festivals that we would n't stop to think. If any coin-collector went an' stuck his ugly face against th' glass in t

out the time we have the section-camps' pay on boar

n this train now, and I 'm worried to deat

then," the puncher replied. "It

ucceeding mile. Small woods occasionally hurtled past and banks of cuts flashed by like mottled yellow curtains, shutting off the view. Scrub timber stretc

neral. If they let us alone I don't reckon we 'll

ld n't sit still nohow with a fight going on,

manded his friend. "Anyhow, you ai

lug yore new somb

olf plugs my war-bonnet he 'll be some sorry, an' so 'll his fo

whispered, "get off at th' next stop, shoot off a gun, an'

king for no excitement, an' I ain't paid to amuse th' passengers. I

as he came even with

for?" he asked, his ha

ter; the tank

t?" asked Billy,

replied Lanky. "You call

back lazily. "I shore wish I was on my c

window. "Well, we 're moving again. It won

same window. There was noticeable an air of anxiety, and the fat man tried to read his magazine with his thoughts far from the printed page. He read and re-read a single paragraph sev

as the bank of a cut blanked out the view. "It was

id you draw, Skin

a straight flush,"

re through all right,"

pins as the train slowed down and stopped with a suddenness that snapped the passengers forward and back. Th

ing over the land. A babel of shouting burst from the other coaches and, as the whistle shrieked without pa

ching, gained the center of the aisle, intently peering through the windows, their Colts ready for instant use. Hopalong and Red were

!" cried Skinny, wh

d face appeared on the farther side of the glass. Hopalong fired and a splotch of re

e brakeman. "They 're at the m

ong, leaping toward the door, c

platform and jumped to the ground on the

whispered Skinny. "That 'll bri

plied Red, dropping quickl

be surprised, all rig

assengers and to forestall concerted resistance. The robbers could not distinguish between the

it in a small grove ahead of him: "Well, we know

dow and Hopalong stopped his finger just in time,

the gunman, angrily. "

ed and Skinny fired instantly. The legs bent, their owner fallin

e!" gritted Skinny. "Now we 'll

mediately over their heads. Then Red glanced up to see what it was that sizzed, saw the glowing end of a three-inch fuse, and blanched. It was death

palong. "We 'll p

worse 'n

ir heads, dragging and up-ending heavy objects again

this messenge

o be-he 's

Have they tumbl

g for the explo

it till they come out to see

ed: "Wait

I 'm with you. G

eculiar, but this beats 'em all,

ing was radically wrong, and shouted a warning as he raised himse

ile a sudden, heavy shower of stones and earth rained down over everything. The two punchers were not hurt and they arose to their feet in tim

aches, a masked man looked out,

up! Save y

ar. Red smothered a curse and reeled as his friend grasped him. A wound over his right eye was bleedin

t you for keeps!" he cried, wipin

s eyes and looked about confused

e find out," Hopalong repl

ned against the car for support

g he wheeled and ran back, intently watching

re tally right he

arding their rear, while his companion watched the clump of trees where the second herd of horses was known to be. Just as they were joined by their f

outed Skinny, openin

the door with a Winchester in his hands. The puncher sprang up the steps, wrenched

g had become lost to sight among the rocks along the rig

o shelter. Skinny, taking advantage of the cover afforded, ran towards the grove, ordering his friends to spre

of the train: "Where's t

got away," L

ove. "Don't none of you fools shoot!

t you, Red,"

t count," R

d Lanky, grinning at the man who was leaving the woods. "He

at cannon some time

what I found sizzling on a rod under th

use 'stead of blowing everything

as some hasty

a windy," cried Billy. "An' Skinny, he went u

adly: "Hey, reckon ridin' in th' c

ed Skinny. "What'

t man with his head and arm out of the window, blazing away into the air, which increased the panic in the coaches. Hopa

out his fine, six-dollar gun t

d if anything busted loose. It's a good thing he did n't come t

et th' stampede," Skinny remarked, mounting the

inking into their seats, frightened into silence. Skinny and his companion did not make a reassuring si

ls," sobbed a woman, staring a

elry," replied Skinny, earnestly. "C

rom him. "How many times do you want us to tell you we do

ntleman, who kicked and struggled and squealed, as he grabbed at the stanchions of seats to stay his progress. Red stepped aside between two seats and let his friend pass, and then leaned over and grasped t

sgust. "Stop that infernal noise! You fat fellers

de, rolled off his perch and sat up, now more angry than f

trage! I'll have you hung fo

shore deserves it. I told him more 'n

and yo

gged Hopalong. "I

a titter ran along the car and, fuming impoten

a six-dollar gun,

," Hopalong replied. Then he turned to reply to a woma

could be, arose and ran to Hopalong and, impulsively throwing he

frightened and embarrassed pu

flamed even more red as he made fra

desperately. "Leg

s on his feet instantly; fearing that he would have to go through the ordeal his friend was going through, he fled down the aisle, closely

car, grinning, and Skinny asked a

he arm, but he 's repaired and out bossin' the job of clearin' the rocks

I 'm shore gla

mall token of my gratitude?" as

his sombrero, a flush

don't want no pay. We w

my appreciation of your courage, just something to

embarrassment would permit. Then there was a rush toward him and, having visions of a shirt loo

track, under the supervision of the conductor, and H

nning sheepishly, "I was s

he was carrying and

death by a purty female girl! If I 'd 'a'

Oh, no! You wouldn't 'a' run! You'd d

d," Skinny laughed. Then, turning to t

ut it took the starch

n't wonder,

on't waste any time gett

t of gun-fightin'

you want to go any place when you 're broke, cli

obli

car: "Hey, Jackson! You can

ring that the conductor was talking with a gu

g. Didn't you hear that dynamite go off? If they hadn't fished it ou

nd Red had been pointed out to him as the man who had saved his life, he leaped to the ground and ran to where that puncher was engaged in

here 's some cayuses in that grove up

n' get 'em with yo

o of them being pack-animals, and they led them f

dled cayuses, an' two o

y in th' saddle instead of in that b

inny. "Leather beats car-seats any time.

twenty

ong th' track, too,

with the train-crew: "We 're some glad we ro

" Simms replied, "for th

aving their sombreros and bowing to the heads and h

and emptied it into the air, his companions doing likewise. Suddenly five reports rang out from the smoker and they cheered the fat man as he waved at them. Th

"won't th' fellers home on th' ranch be a whole lot sor