The Untamed

by Max Brand

  CHAPTER XVIII

  CAIN

  Hardly a score of miles away, Jim Silent and his six companions toppeda hill. He raised his hand and the others drew rein beside him. KateCumberland shifted her weight a little to one side of the saddle torest and looked down from the crest on the sweep of country below. Amile away the railroad made a streak of silver light across the brownrange and directly before them stood the squat station-house withred-tiled roof. Just before the house, a slightly broader streak ofthat gleaming light showed the position of the siding rails. Sheturned her head towards the outlaws. They were listening to the finaldirections of their chief, and the darkly intent faces told their ownstory. She knew, from what she had gathered of their casual hints,that this was to be the scene of the train hold-up.

  It seemed impossible that this little group of men could hold thegreat fabric of a train with all its scores of passengers at theirmercy. In spite of herself, half her heart wished them success. Therewas Terry Jordan forgetful of the wound in his arm; Shorty Rhinehart,his saturnine face longer and more calamitous than ever; Hal Purvis,grinning and nodding his head; Bill Kilduff with his heavy jaw setlike a bull dog's; Lee Haines, with a lock of tawny hair blowing overhis forehead, smiling faintly as he listened to Silent as if he hearda girl tell a story of love; and finally Jim Silent himself, huge,solemn, confident. She began to feel that these six men were worth sixhundred.

  She hated them for some reasons; she feared them for others; but thebrave blood of Joe Cumberland was thick in her and she loved thedanger of the coming moment. Their plans were finally agreed upon,their masks arranged, and after Haines had tied a similar visor overKate's face, they started down the hill at a swinging gallop.

  In front of the house of the station-agent they drew up, and while theothers were at their horses, Lee Haines dismounted and rapped loudlyat the door. It was opened by a grey-bearded man smoking a pipe.Haines covered him. He tossed up his hands and the pipe dropped fromhis mouth.

  "Who's in the house here with you?" asked Haines.

  "Not a soul!" stammered the man. "If you're lookin' for money you c'nrun through the house. You won't find a thing worth takin'."

  "I don't want money. I want you," said Haines; and immediatelyexplained, "you're perfectly safe. All you have to do is to beobliging. As for the money, you just throw open that switch and flagthe train when she rolls along in a few moments. We'll take care ofthe rest. You don't have to keep your hands up."

  The hands came down slowly. For a brief instant the agent surveyedHaines and the group of masked men who sat their horses a few pacesaway, and then without a word he picked up his flag from behind thedoor and walked out of the house. Throughout the affair he neveruttered a syllable. Haines walked up to the head of the siding withhim while he opened the switch and accompanied him back to the pointopposite the station-house to see that he gave the "stop" signalcorrectly. In the meantime two of the other outlaws entered the littlestation, bound the telegrapher hand and foot, and shattered hisinstrument. That would prevent the sending of any call for help afterthe hold-up. Purvis and Jordan (since Terry could shoot with his lefthand in case of need) went to the other side of the track and lay downagainst the grade. It was their business to open fire on the topsof the windows as the train drew to a stop. That would keep thepassengers inside. The other four were distributed along the sidenearest to the station-house. Shorty Rhinehart and Bill Kilduff wereto see that no passengers broke out from the train and attempted aflank attack. Haines would attend to having the fire box of the engineflooded. For the cracking of the safe, Silent carried the stick ofdynamite.

  Now the long wait began. There is a dreamlike quality about brightmornings in the open country, and everything seemed unreal to Kate.It was impossible that tragedy should come on such a day. The momentsstole on. She saw Silent glance twice at his watch and scowl.Evidently the train was late and possibly they would give up theattempt. Then a light humming caught her ear.

  She held her breath and listened again. It was unmistakable--a slightthing--a tremor to be felt rather than heard. She saw Haines peeringunder shaded eyes far down the track, and following the direction ofhis gaze she saw a tiny spot of haze on the horizon. The tiny puff ofsmoke developed to a deeper, louder note. The station-agent took hisplace on the track.

  Now the train bulked big, the engine wavering slightly to theunevenness of the road bed. The flag of the station-agent moved. Kateclosed her eyes and set her teeth. There was a rumbling and puffingand a mighty grinding--a shout somewhere--the rattle of a score ofpistol shots--she opened her eyes to see the train rolling to a stopon the siding directly before her.

  Kilduff and Shorty Rhinehart, crouching against the grade, weresplintering the windows one by one with nicely placed shots. Thebaggage-cars were farther up the siding than Silent calculated. He andHaines now ran towards the head of the train.

  The fireman and engineer jumped from their cab, holding their armsstiffly above their heads; and Haines approached with poised revolverto make them flood the fire box. In this way the train would bedelayed for some time and before it could send out the alarm thebandits would be far from pursuit. Haines had already reached thelocomotive and Silent was running towards the first baggage-car whenthe door of that car slid open and at the entrance appeared two menwith rifles at their shoulders. As they opened fire Silent pitched tothe ground. Kate set her teeth and forced her eyes to stay open.

  Even as the outlaw fell his revolver spoke and one of the men threw uphis hands with a yell and pitched out of the open door. His companionstill kept his post, pumping shots at the prone figure. Twice more themuzzle of Silent's gun jerked up and the second man crumpled on thefloor of the car.

  A great hissing and a jetting cloud of steam announced that Haineshad succeeded in flooding the fire box. Silent climbed into the firstbaggage-car, stepping, as he did so, on the limp body of the WellsFargo agent, who lay on the road bed. A moment later he flung out thebody of the second messenger. The man flopped on the ground heavily,face downwards, and then--greatest horror of all!--dragged himselfto his hands and knees and began to crawl laboriously. Kate ran anddropped to her knees beside him.

  "Are you hurt badly?" she pleaded. "Where? Where?"

  He sagged to the ground and lay on his left side, breathing heavily.

  "Where is the wound?" she repeated.

  He attempted to speak, but only a bloody froth came to his lips. Thatwas sufficient to tell her that he had been shot through the lungs.

  She tore open his shirt and found two purple spots high on the chest,one to the right, and one to the left. From that on the left ran atiny trickle of blood, but that on the right was only a small puncturein the midst of a bruise. He was far past all help.

  "Speak to me!" she pleaded.

  His eyes rolled and then checked on her face.

  "Done for," he said in a horrible whisper, "that devil done me.Kid--cut out--this life. I've played this game--myself--an' now--I'mgoin'--to hell for it!"

  A great convulsion twisted his face.

  "What can I do?" cried Kate.

  "Tell the world--I died--game!"

  His body writhed, and in the last agony his hand closed hard overhers. It was like a silent farewell, that strong clasp.

  A great hand caught her by the shoulder and jerked her to her feet.

  "The charge is goin' off! Jump for it!" shouted Silent in her ear.

  She sprang up and at the same time there was a great boom from withinthe car. The side bulged out--a section of the top lifted and fellback with a crash--and Silent ran back into the smoke. Haines, Purvis,and Kilduff were instantly at the car, taking the ponderous littlecanvas sacks of coin as their chief handed them out.

  Within two minutes after the explosion ten small sacks were depositedin the saddlebags on the horses which stood before the station-house.Silent's whistle called in Terry Jordan and Shorty Rhinehart--a sharporder forced Kate to climb into her saddle--and the train robbersstruck up the hillside at a raci
ng pace. A confused shouting rosebehind them. Rifles commenced to crack where some of the passengershad taken up the weapons of the dead guards, but the bullets flewwide, and the little troop was soon safely out of range.

  On the other side of the hill-top they changed their course to theright. For half an hour the killing pace continued, and then, as therewas not a sign of immediate chase, the lone riders drew down to asoberer pace. Silent called: "Keep bunched behind me. We're headed forthe old Salton place--an' a long rest."