Flowing Gold

me they had come, but darkness had invested it with unfamiliar perils, or so it seemed, for the headlights threw every rock and ridge into bold relief and left t

his attention from the streak of illumination ahead long enough to light ano

assenger declared. With pride he ann

lift a ton, in harness. And hoein' the garden, with their coin! It's like a woman I heard of: they got a big well on their farm and she came

wasn't crazy about comin' for you to-night. No

N

in' a chanc

river; with it he clung rigidly to the back of the seat as the car plunged and rol

e wheel shot a quic

e more chances th

w s

ce to life and limb; the coun

t night with a hatful of diamonds is my idea of a

e! One ne

hould, there's jus

itive, but it was plain that he suff

and take yo

take me

ders. "Well, I do, when it's put

all

me-both times. I s'pose I'l

't offer any

one,

d to be assu

nce at his companion. It was a peculiar re

el-and simultaneously his left arm slipped from the back of the seat and tightly encircled the latter's waist. He finished in a who

region overlying his liver, and now it was held there. It was unnecessary for Gray to order the car stopped; it

What

lbow," Gray warned, sharply. "Now,

ped with an incredulous grimace. Paralyzed for the moment with astonishment, he made no resistance, not even

oulder holster, as I suspected. I knew you had nothing on this side." Seizing his victim's upstretched right hand with his own left, he gave it a sudden fierce wrench that all but snapped the wrist, and at the same instant h

tly executed, even yet the objec

his teeth in a smile-"it is customary to permit the condemne

It's a hell of a jok

as if I we

o jab a gun in a man's bel

very rough! I might even have made you eat it. Now, inasmuch as you may be tempted to embellish this story with some highly imaginary details, I prefer that you know the truth. This is th

I'll be

e?… Never mind, I know him as Mallow. A shallow, trusting man, and, I hope, a better judge of diamonds than of character. As for me, I look deeper than the surface and am seldom dece

the unhappy owner of the automobile. "But,

nes. It is true that I'm one pistol to the good, but in view of the law against carrying lethal weapons, surely you won't prefer charges against me for removing it from your person.

to h

now by getting out….

slipped in behind the steering wheel, and drove away in

a stop and clambered out. Passing forward into the illumination of the headli

e with. It possessed enough hazard to lend it the requisite zest, it was sufficiently unusual to awaken his keenest interest; he experienced an agreeable exaltation of spirit, but no misgivings whatever as to the outcome, fo

bound to pass. It was an ideal country for a holdup; lonely and lawless. Derrick lights twinkled over the mesquite tops, and occasionally the flaming red mouth of some boiler gaped at him, or the foliage was illuminated by the g

shut in by banks of underbrush; as he drew nearer a figure stepped out and stood in silhouette until his own lights picked it up

swung it far to the right, brought it back with a quick twist of the steering wheel, and killed his motor. He was now in the di

oad was empty and the man who had hailed him was

's wr

e new arrival, where he had expected two, and the discovery appeared to

e he glimpsed a new figure emerging from the shadows behind him. Very clever! But, at least, his unex

enly conscious, meanwhile, of that other presence closing in upon him

. I've got

ng close to the left running board, and he held a revolver near Gray's head; the apparition appeared

as the words issued; through the slits two malevole

orward in justifiable amazement. "As I live it's you, Mallow!" Both highwaymen were in fr

w snapped. "Fris

ezing, barking, retching, blaspheming poisonously. Baffled fury followed their first surprise. Mallow tore the mask from his face and groped blindly for the weapon he had dropped, but before he could recover it, pain mastered him and he fell back, clawing at himself, rubbing at his eyes that had been stricken sightless. He yelled. Tony yelled. Then upon the startled night there burst a duet of squeals and curses, a hideous

vaporizing as it came, and at its touch, at the first scent of its fumes, their legs had collapsed, their eyes had tightly closed, and every cell in their outraged bodies had rebelled. It was as if acid had been dashed upon them, destroying in one blinding in

ms. He kicked Mallow's revolver off the road, and, holding his breath, relieved the other high-jacker of his weapon. This he flung after the first, then he withdrew himself a few paces and lighted a cigarette, for a raw, pungent

show signs of recovery, struggled to his feet and clawed blindly toward the

w," Gray said. "Fanc

the other man, stifled his groans, rose to his knees, and, with his hands clasp

ou needn't tell me how it hurts. I know." This proffer of aid appeared to throw the sufferers into new depths of dismay. They called to him in the name of

this soothing liquid he first washed out their eyes, the membranes of which were raw and spongy, and

are going that won't disturb anybody. Your eyes will get well, too, if you take care of them as I direct. But

, but in a short time the acuteness of their suffering had diminished sufficien

you to keep an eye on them-or, let us say, keep a foot on them. If you should be foolish enough to heave them overboard or try to renew your assault upon

misery of body and soul

and insurrectionary prisoners. It was efficacious, also, in taking pill boxes and clearing out dug-outs and the like. With some care one is safe in using it in an ordinary ammonia gun-the sort policemen use on mad dogs. Forgive me, i

hered complaints from the miserable figures bouncing upon the rear seat before Gray said: "I fear you are a selfish pair of rascals. Have

e of the chauffeur, they still had some c

ou going to

do, if you wer

sten to

ani

hat he means," To

my amusement. It sounds callous, I know, but, frankly, your unha

t. A coupl

tation,

on irritably. "Have a little

s executive ability. He loved excitement, he lived upon it, and much of his life had been devoted to the stage-management of sensational exploits like this one. As a boy

r elbowed his way through the crowd, Gray told him, in plain hearing of all, enough of his experience to electrify everybody. He told the story well; he even made known the value of his diamond stock; mercilessly he pilloried the two blind

ned the sort of care they required, then he made an appeal from the front steps of t

eance upon them were drowned in noisy appreciation of their captor. Gray became a popular character; men clamored to shake his hand, and complimented him upon his nerve. The editor of the local newspaper dragged him, protesting, to the office and there interviewed him. Gray was covered with confusion. Reluctantly he made known his identity, and retold th

wire. Gray sat at the editor's elbow while that enthusiast

by an admiring crowd; he was cheered as