Bucky O'Connor: A Tale of the Unfenced Border

the descent from the pass to the capital of the State. The ten men who slipped singly or by twos out of the city in the darkness that evening and met at

en Mexicans, one or two of them tough old campaigners, the rest yo

?" asked O'Halloran, pee

el Garcia," answer

ung Mexican. They were lightly built, swarthy your men, possessed of that perfect grace and courtesy which can be found at its best in the Spanish races. Gay, handsome young cavaliers as they were, filled with the pride of family, Bucky thought them almost ideal companions for such a harebrained adventure as this. The ranger was a social democrat to the marrow. He had breathed in with the Southwest breezes the c

sent the careless, half-indifferent greeting which these two young sprouts of aristocracy bestowed on the re

l here?" a

up the rear. Forward, gentlemen, and may the Holy Virgin bring a happy termination to our adventure." He spoke in Mexican, as they all di

made comment on the smallness of their number. "O'Halloran must have a good dea

. The wagons have gone round by the road a

eople on it. Once I knew a gang to stick up a treasure train with three heavily armed guards pr

r if our plans slip a cog anywhere w

s forces with explicit directions as to the course to be followed by each detail. Very rapidly he sketched his orders as to the present disposition of the wagons and the groups of attackers. When the train slowed down

ascent, and here he meant to board the train unnoticed, just as it was pulling out, in order to emphasize the surprise at the proper moment and render resistance useless. If the

taken water and the signal for the start was given Then O'Halloran and Bucky slipped across in the darkness to the train and swung themselves to the platform of the last car. To Valdez, very much against his will, had fallen the task of taking t

it, and on to the next. In the sleeper they met the conductor, but O'Halloran quietly paid their fares and passed forward. As they had hoped

was at Chihuahua a certain black-eyed dona with whom he had expected to enjoy a pleasant evening's flirtation. It was confounded luck that it had fallen to him to take charge of the escort for the gun

e more coup like the last could be pulled off safely by his friend Wolf Leroy he would resign from the

y hoped they would, in order that he might get a little glory, at least, out of the affair. But of course such an expectation would be ridiculous. No, the journey would continue

no longer in motion. He also saw-and his consciousness of that fact was much more acute-the rim of a revolver about six inch

t sit quiet and everything will be serene. No, I

evolvers. Chaves' lambs were ranged on either side of the car, their hands in the air. Back came the lieutenant's gaze to the impassive face

on't be tempted to play with your gun and commit suicide. Th

entrance rang out a most disconcerting fusillade of small arms in the darkness without. Megales' military band, as O'Halloran had facetiously dubbed them to the ranger, arrived at the impression that there were about a thousand insurgents encompassing the t

sing a window, they passed them out to their friends outside. Meanwhile, the sound of an axe could be heard batterin

nt forgetful of the part he was playing. "I hope they'll be all right c

an," said Chaves, in Engli

Who shall say, whether American, or Spanish, or Bohem

mile his meaning grin. "Yet y

e. I am what you

he English l

complim

ving that you are in costume, that you

ort. "Believe me, lieutenant, I am no more di

e. His generalship was discredited. He had been outwitted and made to yield without a blo

terms, senor, God pity you," he

as much as his words. "I shall try to be careful not to off

Rodrigo leaped down from the cab of the engine. Slowly the train began to back down the incline in the same direction from which it had come. The orders given the engineer wer

hua as fast as they could be hurried, and the rest of the riders would guard them till they separated on the outskirts of the town and slipped quietly in. In order to forestall any telegraphic communication between Lieutenant C