Part 17 (1/2)
”Well, he got away, Jennie,” said Jack, regretfully, as he entered the post office again
”I'lad of it!” she exclaimed impulsively
”What!” he cried
”I ht have shot you, Jack!”
”Oh, thanks for your care,” he laughed, ”But I e could have gotten hi feather in my cap”
”I don't care for caps with feathers,” Jennie retorted ”But what in the world do you suppose he wanted, Jack? And why did he pass himself off as a post office inspector?”
”So he could have a chance to look over your records And heot you out of the place
”That was his gaht be called expenses out of their hold-up of me They had their trouble for their pains, and I suppose they hen they found out the valuable letters they took were only duht be couess he et control of the secretto work Those fellows are desperate But this one didn't get anything”
”He cah,” Jennie said ”Only for you I suppose I would have been foolish enough to go out and leave him in the office alone There wasn't et a new supply of stamps yesterday, nearly fifty dollars' worth If he had taken thee as stamps,” said Jack ”I knohat he was after--it was the real Argent letters Well, he got away froh the et ready for the back trip”
But Jack did not have too through, Jack followed the previous instructions he had received and relad he did not have to take the night Tide His pony was quite shaken up by the fall, and a little lame Jack himself felt sore and stiff, and it wasthe evening in Jennie's company, than to ride the lonely ht the men who had kept on with the pursuit came back to report that they had lost the trail of the ood his escape, at least for the tiet hiets a start on that horse of his,” thought Jack
When Jackto deliver the , the pony express rider was ent
”Just a ith you, Jack,” said the us letters that were taken away from you, I suppose?”
”I should say I did!” Jack exclaimed ”Why, have they found them?”
”No But it doesn't matter about them I want to tell you now that the real papers and letters--the ones that contain the inforht now And I want to ask you to be specially careful about theent”
”I know you will, Jack, but I want to caution you, not only about them, but about your own safety There are a nuet possession of that package of docuent suddenly ceased speaking and looked around They were out in front of the hotel, near a cluent suddenly made a leap behind the shrubbery
CHAPTER XVI