Part 32 (1/2)

Ahead and below the aeroplane could be seen a cl.u.s.ter of lights.

”Monument Rocks!” exclaimed Wandering William; ”here's where we play the hand out.”

Peggy, keeping a bright lookout for a good landing place, presently espied a sort of plaza in the center of the town. It was brilliantly illuminated by a number of arc lights and offered a fine spot for landing. She decided to risk a quick drop and swung the aeroplane downward at a rapid gait.

As the whirring of the propeller--like the drone of a giant locust--resounded over the town, people came pouring out from houses and shops to witness the descent. The crowd gathered so quickly that Peggy had difficulty to avoid hitting some of them. However, she managed to bring the aeroplane to a standstill without an accident.

A local policeman came up as they stopped, and to him Peggy entrusted the machine. Followed by Wandering William she darted off across the plaza and made for a cab stand immediately across it and just outside the depot. As she rushed up to the solitary rickety hack that was standing there and was about to step in a tall figure came rus.h.i.+ng out of the station. The train had just pulled in, and long before its wheels had stopped revolving he had leaped from it.

”Get to one side,” he shouted, grabbing Peggy's arm roughly and swinging her aside. ”I guess I'm first on this deal.”

”What do you mean,” demanded Peggy angrily; ”I had this cab first.”

”But now I dispossess you of it this way!”

The ruffian had his hand raised to strike when something happened.

A lithe, muscular form glided under the upraised fist, and the next moment there was a sharp crack as the newcomer's fist collided with the other's chin.

He went staggering backward and fell in a heap on the sidewalk.

A tall man with a broad brimmed hat came bustling up, followed by a small crowd attracted from the aeroplane by the disorder.

”Here, here, what's all this?” demanded the tall man in an authoritative tone. ”What does this mean?”

”That this man I've just knocked down is under arrest for partic.i.p.ation in the Laredo stage robbery and for numerous other crimes, including the larceny of some location papers he was about to file.”

The words came from an athletic young man who had felled Peggy's a.s.sailant. The girl looked up at him. In the electric light there was something familiar and yet strangely unfamiliar about his features, and his keen, kindly eyes.

”Why,” exclaimed Peggy wonderingly, ”it's--it's--”

”Wandering William, minus his wig and goatee, otherwise Sam Kelly, of the United States Secret Service,” rejoined the other with a merry laugh. ”I guess I'll go out of the doctor business now, since I've nabbed one of the men I was after. Now then, you rascal,”

addressing the ”romantic bandit,” who had scrambled to his feet, ”where are the rest of Red Bill's precious gang?”

”I don't know,” sullenly rejoined the prisoner.

”Oh, yes you do; but first of all give me those papers.”

”What papers?”

”The ones you brought here to file in the a.s.say Office.”

”I don't know what you're talking about.”

”Yes you do. Come now, or I'll ask the sheriff to search you.”

With a very bad grace the outlaw dove into his pocket and handed over a bundle of papers. Wandering Will--we mean Detective Sam Kelly--took them and handed them to Peggy.

”Those are more yours than mine,” he said; ”we'll file them in the morning or at any time there's no hurry now.”