"_Dios!_ The man who killed our father!" the heavy voice of the Toad
cried.
"There's two people in town who may know where he holes out--Toothpick
and that girl Snippets."
"Then we have to----"
Like a flash Allen slipped back along the hall. Already his exit was
barred! A blurred figure stood at the top of the ladder. He waited,
knowing that whoever it was had seen him in the shadows. The figure
vanished behind a post.
"Francisco!" the man called. "There's some one out here."
The inner door to the room was flung open, and Allen heard a voice bawl
for Baldy and the Yuma Kid. Noiselessly Allen circled the post which
hid the man. He was within five feet of the square hole which led to
the floor below when he heard steps pounding upstairs as the two
killers answered the call of their boss. He picked up a board and
hurled it across to the opposite wall; he knew that the man behind the
post would look instinctively in that direction. He leaped for the
trapdoor. He plunged through before the man had time to turn and fire.
Allen landed on his feet, agile as a cat. The outer door was blocked
now by another man. A Colt roared, and the door was empty. Allen
slipped through the corral bars.
He ran down the alley and five minutes later entered the Red Queen. He
was once more the hobo as he slouched into a chair where he could watch
the door that led into the Toad's private quarters. He considered his
discoveries. He had learned that there was another brother mixed up in
this affair. He would see to it that Toothpick was sent out of danger
and that Snippets was guarded. He had a suspicion as to who this other
brother was, but no proof. As a matter of fact, he had no proof of
anything. He would have to get that, and there was very little time to
be lost.
Fifteen minutes later the Toad, followed by his killers, entered. Allen
waited for some time and then decided that the unknown man had left the
barn by the back way. Shuffling, with his hands thrust deep in his
pockets, he went to the bar. Here he had a couple of drinks, which, as
usual, went, not down his throat, but into the cuspidor.
He staggered out to the sidewalk and commenced to sing. As he neared
the jail Tom Powers came out and seized him by the arm.
"I told yuh I'd run yuh in if I caught yuh again," he cried, and, to
the amusement of several spectators, he dragged the cursing little hobo
to the jail door. When this was closed behind them the sheriff released
Allen's arm and led the unresisting tramp into his own private office.
"I'm glad to meet yuh, Mr. Allen," the sheriff said as he studied the
tattered figure opposite him.
Allen grinned.
"We sure worked that pretty. Yuh got to keep me in jail a couple of
days. I found the way through them lava fields, and I want to see where
it goes to, so I'm lightin' out for there to-night, and I don't reckon
I'll be back until after to-morrow."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account