THE HOLD-UP OF THE RED LIMITED
"Take it easy! Don't lose your heads. We are safe for the moment," urged
a voice that sounded like Sheriff Ford's. Whoever it was, his words
brought a measure of quiet to the excited passengers who were shivering
in the aisle in scant attire.
The passengers then sought their berths again and began dressing, for
there would be no more sleep for them that night. Outside of the car
there was not the slightest indication that anything out of the ordinary
was occurring. An ominous stillness enshrouded the scene. Some one, more
curious than the rest, stepped to the front platform of the sleeping car
and, opening the vestibule door, looked out. The Overlanders learned
later that it was Mr. Ford.
A rifle shot roared out, whereupon the sheriff prudently stepped back
and closed the door. Several smothered screams were heard, and then
silence once more settled over the car.
Up to the present time not a word had been heard from the Overland
Riders. The curtains of their berths hung motionless, and Stacy Brown's
snores were louder than ever. Perhaps they were all asleep, but how that
could be possible in the circumstances it would be difficult to
understand.
The voice of Sheriff Ford once more focused the attention of the
passengers on him.
"Men," he said, addressing the passengers from one end of the car, "this
train is being held up, but it does not look as if the passengers will
be disturbed. If they are not, it means that the bandits are after the
express car, in which, as I happen to know, there is a large amount of
gold for shipment to the Pacific Coast for export. I am an officer of
the law. The fact that I am not in my own county is sufficient excuse
for my sitting down and letting the bandits have their own way, but I'm
not that kind of a critter. I'm going out to take a hand in this affair,
and I ask all the men in this car, who have weapons, to join me.
Provided we get help from the other cars of the train, we can, perhaps,
drive the robbers off. How many of you men are with me?"
Two passengers stepped out from their berths. The curtains of the berths
occupied by Lieutenant Theophilus Wingate and Captain Tom Gray were
thrust aside, the curtain hooks rattling on the rods overhead, and they
were revealed clad in shirts, trousers and boots, each with a revolver
strapped on, sitting quietly on the edge of his berth.
"Isn't there another _man_ in this car?" questioned Ford sarcastically.
At this juncture Grace Harlowe, Elfreda Briggs, Nora Wingate and Emma
Dean stepped out into the aisle, each wearing a revolver at her side,
and Emma very pale and shaking in the chill air.
"We are not men, but we are ready to do whatever you wish, Mr. Ford,"
announced Grace.
Ford smiled and nodded.
"I thought so," he said. "This appears to be about all we can depend
upon. As for you young women, my hat is off to you, but this is no job
for women. It's a man's job. What you can do, however, is to mount guard
over this car and protect the other women. Can you all shoot?"
Grace said they could.
"Very well. Guard the vestibules, but in no circumstances open the
vestibule door. The other passengers will please remain in their berths
to avoid the possibility of being shot, and you young women will be
careful that you do not shoot the train crew. Challenge first, then
shoot, if you are not positive as to who any person is. Have you men
ammunition?"
"Yes," answered Hippy. "Lead us to it. We haven't had any action in so
long that we are going stale."
"We will go out by the rear door," announced the sheriff. "Please do not
use your weapons until you are ordered to do so. The most we can hope to
accomplish is to drive the bandits off--make them think they are
attacked by a posse. There isn't much chance of our being able to
capture the gang or any of them, much as I should like to do so. Yet I'm
going to try to get hold of at least one. All ready!"
"Be careful, Hippy darling," begged Nora as the little party moved
towards the rear of the car.
"You watch my smoke," chuckled Hippy.
"Good luck," smiled Grace, waving a kiss to Tom as he turned to nod in
return for her parting words.
Ford stepped out into the rear vestibule and peered through the window
into the darkness.
"I'll go first," he said. "You follow when I give the signal. Not a word
from any of you. Wait!" Lifting the trap-door in the vestibule floor,
the sheriff let himself down on the steps, then cautiously stood up on
the outside, revolver in hand for use in case of trouble.
"Come out!" he commanded in a low voice. "There appears to be no one
here. There goes the express car!" he added as a slight jolt of the
train was heard. "They've cut out that car and are going to pull it up
the track a piece and force it open. We'll have to hurry."
Ford started on a run, the others falling in behind him.
Up to this time no one had given Stacy Brown a thought, but as the party
was leaving the sleeper something awakened him. Then Stacy heard someone
say, "robbers!" The fat boy tumbled out into the aisle in his pajamas.
"Wha--what is it?" he demanded sleepily.
"The train is held up," answered Grace.
"Oh! Wow!"
"Yes, and Tom, Hippy and Mr. Ford, with two other passengers, have just
gone out by the rear door to see what they can do to help us out,"
announced Miss Briggs. "You are a fine brave fellow to sleep through all
this uproar."
"They have gone to capture the bandit outfit and get their heads shot
off for their pains," jeered the voice of a male passenger from the
forward end of the car.
"You're a brave man, aren't you?" chided Emma, directing her remark at
Stacy.
The fat boy blinked sleepily, then all of a sudden he woke up to a
fuller realization of the situation. Emma's remark had passed unnoticed,
but the taunt of the cowardly passenger had sent the blood pounding to
Stacy's temples. The boy snatched his revolver from his grip and buckled
on the holster, starting for the rear door at a run.
"We can't all be heroes," he flung back at the passenger who had jeered
at the Overlanders. "Some of us are born cowards with a stripe of yellow
a yard wide through us. Go to sleep, children! I'll bag the lot of 'em
and fetch 'em back for you to look at."
Stacy fell through the opening in the platform, the trap-door still
being open. In the fall, he bumped all the way from the platform to the
ground, where he fetched up heavily in a sitting posture.
"Hey, you fellows! Where are you? Wait for me, I'm on the way," he
bellowed. "I've got the medicine with me. Sing out where you are."
The fat boy started to run along the side of the train. He could not see
his companions, but he was positive that they could not be far in
advance of him.
"W-a-i-t!" he shouted.
"Who's that?" demanded Ford sharply.
"It sounds like Brown of our party," laughed Hippy.
"For goodness sake, go back and stop his noise or we'll have the robbers
down on us," urged Ford. "Run for it!"
Hippy started back at a brisk trot, on the alert for the presence of
bandit sentries. He nearly collided with Stacy, and, knowing that the
fat boy was impulsive, Hippy feared that Stacy might take him for a
train robber and shoot, so he dropped down the instant he discovered his
companion.
"Stop that noise! Do you want to get hurt?" demanded Hippy sternly.
"'Course I don't. I want to hurt a robber. Where are they?"
"You will find out soon enough if you don't keep quiet."
"That's what I'm making a noise about. I want to call 'em out; then
you'll see what Stacy Brown and his little gun can do."
"You are not to use your revolver until Mr. Ford gives you permission to
do so. He is in command of our party. The bandits are supposed to be
somewhere ahead of us. Come along, but don't you dare make a sound.
Where have you been all the time?"
"Sleeping. Isn't that what folks buy sleeping car tickets for?"
"Hurry," urged Hippy, who ran on, followed by Stacy, stumbling and
grunting, making enough noise to be heard several car-lengths away. The
two came up with the others of their party at the front end of the
forward car, where Ford had halted.
"Where are they?" demanded Stacy. "I'm ready to capture the whole bunch.
All I want now is to be shown. I'm a wild-cat for trouble when I get
stirred up."
"Silence, young man! I'll do all the talking necessary. You will get
your wish for action soon enough, and I reckon you'll get some of the
brag taken out of you, too," retorted Ford sarcastically.
"Not if I see 'em first," gave back Stacy belligerently.
"What is the order, Mr. Ford?" questioned Tom Gray.
"We will go off to one side. It won't do to follow the railroad tracks.
To do so would surely draw the fire of the bandits. There are several on
guard not far from us," he added in a whisper, having been observing
closely as he talked. "I think I now know the lay of the land. Be
careful, all of you. If you will look sharp you will see that the
bandits have the treasure car near the mouth of the ravine that leads up
into the mountains."
"They've taken our stock car too," groaned Stacy.
"That's so. The ponies are gone, Ford," whispered Lieutenant Wingate.
"I reckon they count on making a get-away on your horses," answered the
sheriff. "We'll be able to block that game, I hope. Come!"
After having walked some distance parallel with the tracks, the
sheriff's party slowed down at a signal from their leader. Lanterns were
seen moving about beside the tracks a short distance ahead of the
sheriff. The safety valve of the engine was blowing off steam, the
blow-off growing to a deafening roar that died down only when the engine
pulled away from the express, baggage and stock cars. The locomotive
came to a stop a short distance from the three cars, then the sound of a
heavy object beating against the side door of one of the cars, was
heard.
"They're trying to smash in the door of the express car," whispered
Ford.
A volley of shots was fired at the car door by the bandits and was
promptly answered by shots from within the car. The men in the express
car appeared to be vigorously resisting the attack. They were firing at
the band outside with such good effect that the robbers soon ceased
their attempts to beat in the door with the section of a telegraph pole
that they were using for the purpose. A period of silence followed while
the bandits were holding a hurried consultation; then followed a
movement among them.
"Let me shoot! They're getting away, I tell you," urged Stacy excitedly.
"Not yet, young man. Those fellows are up to more mischief, and I think
I know what it is," answered Ford in a tense voice. "Men, we must get in
and get in at once or we shall be too late. It is time to move. Listen
to me, then obey promptly."