Bert Wilson in the Rockies

rate En

d at each other in consternation. From the platform came the sound of a scuffle, interspersed with oaths. Then, through the narrow corridor that bordered the smoking-room, hurried two men, pushing the terrified negro porter ahead

way on either side with scarcely a break to the horizon. They had time to make up, and on these open spaces the engineer had let it out to the limi

were kept busy making trips to the buffet car, from which they returned with tinkling glasses and cooling ices. Collars wilted and conversation languished. Women glanced listlessly over the pages of the magazines. Men drew their traveling caps over their eyes and settled down for a doze. Here and there a commercial trave

types of young American manhood. None of them were over twenty, and their lean, bronzed faces, as well as the lithe alertness of their movements, spoke of a life spent largely in the open. They were brimming with life and high spirits. E

like frolicsome colts turned out to pasture. There was hardly an incident of the journey that did not furnish to their k

s calmed somewhat by the heat and spirit

azily. "Isn't it nearly twelve o'clock? I wonder when tha

the others. "The rest of us ea

ey say that no one has ever been able to eat a quail a day for t

ect," began Tom complacently, and th

ed tone. "When you disciples of 'plain living and high thinking' get at the dinn

ely. "Anyway," consulting his watch, "it's only half-past eleve

om. "I don't know when a mornin

heat and the long distance between stations. It's a

rt," said Tom, cynically. "N

ican bandits and the Chinese pirates? Something cert

is cut and dried and pared and polished, until there are no rough edges left. Think of the fellows that made this trip across the continent sixty years ago in their prairie scho

put in Dick

lace, with its cushioned seats and electric lights and library and bath and soft beds and rich food and servants to wait upon us. We're pampered

or Young Lochinvar, or the Three Musketeers, or Robin Hood. I can see him bending a bow in Nottingham Forest or breaking a lance in a to

hose fellows of the olden time h

dn't stay there long. There were too m

rlds to conquer. Even in these "piping days of peace" that they so much deplored, they had shown an almost uncanny ability to get into scrapes of various kinds, from which sometimes they had narrowly escaped with a whole skin. Again and again their courage had been severely tried, and had stood the test. At home and abroad, on land and sea, they had come face to face wit

seldom diverged. Together they had gone to college, where their athletic prowess had put them in the first rank in sports and made them popular among their comrades. On the baseball diamond they had played their positions in brilliant fashion, and on the football gridiron they had added to their laurels. When Bert had been chosen to go to the Olympic games abroad, his "pals" had gone with him and exulted in his glorious victory,

ve, the quick decision, the magnetic personality that marks the born captain. It was not merely that he was endowed with strength of muscle and fleetness of foot and power of endurance that placed him in a class by himself. He might h

studies, with which, unlike many athletes, he never allowed sport to interfere, it had taxed him heavily in mind and body. And it was with unfeigned

appearing. Bluff, rough and ready, generous and courageous, his sterling qualities had won t

surroundings. At a turn in the road he had suddenly found himself in the presence of twenty or more guerillas, headed by the notorious El Tigre, whose name was spoken with a shudder throughout Mexico. They had bound him and carried him off to their mountain retreat. Bert and Tom, an hour later, discovered the cause of his absence and immediately started in pursuit, determined to save their comrade or die with him. But first they had disclosed the situation to Melton, who had sworn in his rage to follow aft

and it was with the utmost cordiality that he had crushed their hands in his strong grip and urged them to visit him at his ranch in the Rockies. Since then he had been East on a business trip and had been present on that memorable day when Bert, with the ball tucked under his arm, had torn down the field in the great race for the goal that won the game in the last minute of play. Then he had renewed the invitation with redoubled earnestness,

g lazily with a heavy paperweight he had bough

the rough,"

ally. "I wonder if he--Great Scott, what's that?" a

s above the improvised masks. There was no mere bluff and bluster in that steady gaze. They were ready to shoot and shoot to kill. Their lives were already forfeit to the law, anyway, and in that rough country they would get "a sh

e passengers. The first instinct was to hide their valuables or dro

m with an oath. "I'll kill the

r at once. Beneath its deadly insistence, hands were upraised one after the other. Resistance at that

d spoke to his companion, without

t. These gents-and ladies," he leered-"will hand over their coin and jewelry,

, the one addressed as Bill started i

oney," shouted his companion. "And mind," h

into the hat. Women were sobbing hysterical

oaned Tom d

ls in our bags

e was always at his best when danger threatene

carcely moving his lips. "Dick, back me up when

on the window led

e outlaw captain, Bert murmured a few words. They

sign of resistance and the leader relaxed his caution eve

and the collector, relying on the vigilance of his companion, was compe

t in front of

w," he snarle

though to get out their mo

Bert's fist shot up in a tremendous smashing uppercut. The man st

aperweight straight at the outlaw captain. It caught him full between the eyes. His pistol fell

rain and hand had worked in such absolute unison that disaster had come on

age. But the danger was past. The leader was unconscious, and the other, badly beaten and cursing horribly, was hel

the band, who had been left to guard the engineer and fireman. The miscreants saw them coming, however, and realized that the game wa

gave the signal. There was a scramble to get aboard, t

se of the courage and presence of mind that had turned the tables so swiftly and gallantly. The spoils were retrieved and distributed among the rightful owners, and

revolver had been taken from his belt. Of a stronger mold than his accomplice, he disdained to vent his rage in useless imprecations and relapsed into s

ter the tumult had somewhat subsided, they once more we

't," responded Dick. "

hem down from third base to first," laughed Bert

rs; "and talking about wings," he added, turning to Bert, "there's no discount on yours. That fist hit like

ked together. If any one of you hadn't 'come through' at the

hat did it," said Dick, cl

ehead, sure eno

seat. "There was a whole lot of luck about it, anyway. If we hadn't had the pa

e paperweights in the world wouldn't ha

u fellows have put me and the company under a load of gratitude and obligation that we

of 'the quick or th

e next station. There's a hand bill in the baggage car describing a band of outlaws that the authorities of three States have been after for a long time for robbery and murder,

er the nervous strain of the stirring scene in which they had been th

m for a moment an

o," he asked slyly, "that in this little old

till quoting, "nothing