"All right, then; I 'm with you. Get out of my way."
"I 've been in situations some peculiar, but this beats 'em all," Red
chuckled, crawling forward.
The robber by the car truck revived enough to realize that something was
radically wrong, and shouted a warning as he raised himself on his elbow
to fire at Skinny but the alert puncher shot first.
As Hopalong and Red emerged from beneath the car and rose to their feet
there was a terrific explosion and they were knocked to the ground,
while 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 time to see the engineer and fireman roll out of the cab and crawl
along the track on their hands and knees, dazed and weakened by the
concussion.
Suddenly, from one of the day-coaches, a masked man looked out, saw the
two punchers, and cried:
"It's all up! Save yourselves!"
As Hopalong and Red looked around, still dazed, he fired at them, the
bullet singing past Hopalong's ear. Red smothered a curse and reeled as
his friend grasped him. A wound over his right eye was bleeding
profusely and Hopalong's face cleared of its look of anxiety when he
realized that it was not serious.
"They creased you! Blamed near got you for keeps!" he cried, wiping
away the blood with his sleeve.
Red, slightly stunned, opened his eyes and looked about confusedly.
"Who done that? Where is he?"
"Don't know, but I'll shore find out," Hopalong replied. "Can you stand
alone?"
Red pushed himself free and leaned against the car for support: "Course
I can! Git that cuss!"
When Skinny heard the robber shout the warning he wheeled and ran back,
intently watching the windows and doors of the car for trouble.
"We 'll finish yore tally right here!" he muttered.
When he reached the smoker he turned and went towards the rear, where he
found Lanky and Billy lying under the platform. Billy was looking back
and guarding 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 foreman, they saw two men run across the track, fifty
yards distant, and into the grove, both going so rapidly as to give no
chance for a shot at them.
"There they are!" shouted Skinny, opening fire on the grove.
At that instant Hopalong turned the rear platform and saw the brakeman
leap out of the door with a Winchester in his hands. The puncher sprang
up the steps, wrenched the rifle from its owner, and, tossing it to
Skinny, cried: "Here, this is better!"
"Too late," grunted the puncher, looking up, but Hopalong had become
lost to sight among the rocks along the right of way. "If I only had
this a minute ago!" he grumbled.
The men in the grove, now in the saddle, turned and opened fire on the
group by the train, driving them back to shelter. Skinny, taking
advantage of the cover afforded, ran towards the grove, ordering his
friends to spread out and surround it; but it was too late, for at that
minute galloping was heard and it grew rapidly fainter.