Part 48 (2/2)
Bridge alth of the street to the corral His pony o whose capture e was on the road to liberty
”I hate to do it,” thought Bridge; ”because, even if he is a bank robber, he's an American; but I need the money and in all probability the fellow is a scoundrel who should have been hanged long ago”
Over the trail to the north rode Captain Billy Byrne, secure in the belief that no pursuit would develop until after the opening hour of the bank in the , by which time he would be halfway on his return journey to Pesita's camp
”Ol' ot for him,” mused Billy ”Say!” he exclaimed suddenly and aloud, ”Why the devil should I take all this swag back to that yellow-faced yegg? Who pulled this thing off anyway? Why me, of course, and does anybody think Billy Byrne's boob enough to split with a guy that didn't have a hand in it at all Split! Why the nut'll take it all!
”Nix! Me for the border I couldn't do a thing with all this coin down in Rio, an' Bridgie'll be along there most any time We can hit it up soh Why, say kid, there ht of it”
A frown suddenly clouded his face ”Why did I take it?” he asked hi fine fer poor, bleedin' Mexico? If I was a-doin' that they ain't nothin' criuy that owned the coin If I was just plain crackin' a safe on ain an' I can't be that--no, not with that face of yours standin' out there so plain right in front of h you were there yourself, askin' me to remember an' be decent God! Barbara--asn't I born for the likes of you, and not just a measly, ornery s of Knibbs's:
There ain't no sweet Penelope sosea, and hear the rigging hu lips that fly before the out-bound shi+ps, And I can hear the breakers on the sand a-calling ”Come!”
Billy took off his hat and scratched his head
”Funny,” he thought, ”how a girl and poetry can get a tough nut likeout in back of Kelly's 'ud say if they seen as goin' on in my bean just now They'd call me Lizzy, eh? Well, they wouldn't call ettin' soft in the head, but I'ood with hts and so Billy had unconsciously permitted his pony to drop into a lazy walk There was no need for haste anyhow No one knew yet that the bank had been robbed, or at least so Billy argued He ht differently upon the subject of haste could he have had a glimpse of the horseman in his rear--twoup the distance at a keen gallop, while he strained his eyes across the er search for his quarry
So absorbed was Billy Byrne in his reflections that his ears were deaf to the pounding of the hoofs of the pursuer's horse upon the soft dust of the dry road until Bridge was little more than a hundred yards froure of the fugitive in full view and hisrapidly with seductive visions of the one-thousand dollars reward--one-thousand dollars Mex, perhaps, but still quite enough to excite pleasant thoughts At the first glie had reined his ht thereby be lessened He had drawn his revolver fro spurs to his horse for a sudden dash upon the fugitive when the man ahead, finally attracted by the noise of the other's approach, turned in his saddle and saw hie's co-like in his quickness, drew and fired The bullet raked Bridge's hat from his head but left him unscathed
Billy had wheeled his pony around until he stood broadside toward Bridge The latter fired scarce a second after Billy's shot had pinged so perilously close--fired at a perfect target but fifty yards away
At the sound of the report the robber's horse reared and plunged, then, wheeling and tottering high upon its hind feet, fell backward Billy, realizing that his mount had been hit, tried to throw himself from the saddle; but until the very moment that the beast toppled over the e belt which, as the anih horn of the Mexican saddle
The belt slipped fro, and Billy succeeded in throwing hi, however, was pinned beneath the animal's body and the force of the fall jarred the revolver from Billy's hand to drop just beyond his reach
His carbine was in its boot at the horse's side, and the anie rode to his side and covered him with his revolver
”Don't move,” he com your earthly endeavors right here and now”
”Well, for the love o' Mike!” cried the fallen bandit ”You?”
Bridge was off his horse the instant that the familiar voice sounded in his ears
”Billy!” he exclaimed ”Why--Billy--was it you who robbed the bank?”
Even as he spoke Bridge was busy easing the weight of the dead pony fro broken?” he asked as the bandit struggled to free himself
”Not so you could notice it,” replied Billy, and a moment later he was on his feet ”Say, bo,” he added, ”it's ayou dropped little pinto here, for I'd a sure got you my next shot Gee! it makes me sweat to think of it But about this bank robbin' business You can't exactly say that I robbed a bank That money was the enemy's resources, an' I just nicked their resources That's war That ain't robbery