Part 10 (1/2)

”Say, young feller, none of your fresh talk now!” cried one of the men, fiercely. ”I won't stand it!”

”No, let's get it over with,” remarked another.

At these words a chill of fear, such as he had not experienced before, seemed to flash over Jack. Did the men mean to harm him--put him to death, perhaps, to hide the living witness of their crime? He tried to be brave, but again came that faint feeling, and his head ached where he had been struck--ached cruelly.

”Yes, lets finish and get a move on,” agreed the man on the horse. ”Here, one of you take the pouches, and another hand me the ropes. I'll have him triced up in a jiffy.”

Jack breathed more easily. He was only to be bound then, as the outlaws of the mountains usually did bind the stage drivers or express messengers whom they robbed. There seldom was a killing, unless the victims resisted or shot at the hold-up men.

One of the three unmounted men advanced to Jack, and began loosening the fastenings of the mail and express pouches.

”Don't touch them!” the pony rider cried. ”Leave those mail sacks alone!”

So vehement was he, and so much energy did he put in his voice that, for the moment, the man was startled, and drew back.

”What's the idea?” he asked.

”That is government property!” went on Jack, trying to follow up the impression he had made. ”You are interfering with the United States' mail.

And I don't need to tell you what sort of a crime that is! You won't have to deal with me, you'll have to answer to the government, and the inspectors will be on your trail inside of twenty-four hours! Don't you touch that mail!”

For a moment the men did seem impressed by Jack's sharp warning. Then the man on the horse laughed, and said:

”Oh, quit your talking. Go on, take the sacks and we'll get away. We can't stay here the rest of the night!”

”Say, he has a pretty lively tongue,” observed the man who was loosening the sacks from Jack's saddle. ”He gave me a start for a second or two.”

”Forget it! Yank 'em off and come on.”

Jack felt that it would be useless to protest further. Besides, there was a growing feeling of sickness and pain. The man took the express and mail packages and tied them on one of the three horses.

”Now then get off, you pony rider!” ordered the man on the big horse. ”Get off, and get off quick! We're in a hurry and we're done fooling!”

”What--what are you going to do?” faltered Jack. He was beginning to be afraid of what was to come.

”We're going to tie you up so tight that you won't get loose in a jiffy,”

was the answer he received. ”You say the inspectors will be on our trail inside of twenty-four hours. Well, maybe they won't if you can't get loose to give the alarm. So we're going to tie you up.”

”That won't prevent the alarm from being given,” Jack said. ”When I fail to arrive there'll be a search made, and they'll find me.”

”That's right,” Jack heard one of the unmounted men say in a low voice.

”He's right about that.”

”Oh, what of it?” impatiently asked the man on the horse. ”Of course this thing is bound to be found out sooner or later. I expect that. But we can gain a little time by trussing him up with ropes. Now come on--be lively.

Get off or I'll yank you off, and I won't be easy about it, either!”

Jack felt it best to obey. He leaped from the Saddle, and then, with a sharp slap on the flank of Sunger, he cried to his pony: ”Go on, boy!

Home!”