GLEN
An extraordinary state of affairs was discovered by the relief party ofconstables, city and county detectives and state constabulary sent tothe relief of Sheriff Muldoon and his posse, who have been on the trackof the C. & L. train bandits since last Monday.
The relief party was sent out in response to a telephone message from afarmhouse in Thunder Cloud Glen, and transmitted from the farmer's lineto a long-distance wire. This message was to the effect that the sheriffand his posse, shut in a cave, were being held prisoners by the outlaws,being shot at steadily, and that so far every attempt at escape had beenthwarted by the terrific fire of the bandits.
A relief party in automobiles was rushed at once to the scene.
Thunder Cloud Glen is a narrow valley between the Camel's Back andThunder Cloud Mountain. A mile or so from the entrance to the glen theroad, always bad and now almost washed away by the recent heavy rains,became impassable. The party abandoned the machines and in skirmishorder proceeded up the glen.
Within an hour's time firing was heard, and the rescuers doubled theirpace. Passing a bend in the valley, the scene of the outrage lay spreadbefore them: On the left the low mouth of a cave, and across the valley,on a slope of the Camel's Back, a faint cloud of smoke, showing wherethe outlaws had their lair. As the rescuers came in sight the firingceased and an ominous stillness hung over the valley.
The relief expedition had been seen by the imprisoned party also.Muldoon's well-known soft felt hat, tied to the end of a pole, wasthrust from the cave mouth and waved vigorously up and down, showingthat some of the imprisoned party still lived. One solitary shot wasaimed at the hat, followed by profound quiet.
Using every precaution, Deputy Sheriff Mulcahy deployed his men with theintention of closing in on the outlaws from, all sides at the sametime.
At this time an interesting interruption occurred. From the underbrushat the foot of the Camel's Back emerged three elderly women, theirclothing in tatters, and in the wildest excitement. They insisted thatthe outlaws were in the cave, and hysterical with fright from theirterrible experience, declared that they had been holding the bandits incheck and demanded the reward for their capture. They were rationalenough in other ways and explained that they had been on a walking tourwith a donkey. There was, however, no donkey.
Deputy Sheriff Mulcahy, who is noted for his gallantry, sent the threewomen to a safe place at the rear of the party and detailed a guard tomake them, comfortable. It being thought possible that the women wereaccomplices of the outlaws, precautions were also taken to prevent theirescape.
No trace of the outlaws was found. Sheriff Muldoon and his threedeputies, now enabled to leave the cave, joined the searchers. Everyinch of Thunder Cloud Glen was searched, but without result. Across fromthe cave mouth, behind a heap of fallen rocks, was found the spot fromwhich the outlaws had been shooting. The ground was trampled and therock chipped by the return fire from the cave. Here, too, was found anew automatic revolver, a small rifle and another gun of antiquepattern. In a crevice of rock was discovered a flowered-silk bag,containing various articles of feminine use, including a packet ofpowders marked "hay-fever," a small bottle labeled "blackberry cordial,"and a dozen or so unexploded cartridges for the revolver.
Convinced now that the three women were accomplices of the outlaws--andthis corroborated by Sheriff Muldoon's statement that he had positivelyseen one of the three women peering over the rock and aiming a rifle athim, and that the same woman, two days before, had fired at him from thevalley, knocking his gun out of his hand--Deputy Sheriff Mulcahypromptly arrested the women and had them taken in an automobile to thecity.
At the jail, however, it was discovered that an unfortunate error hadbeen made, and the ladies were released. They went at once to theirhomes. While their names have not been divulged it is reported that theyare well known and highly esteemed members of the community, and muchsympathy has been expressed for their disagreeable experience.
Up to a late hour last night no trace had been found of the outlaws. Itis believed that they have left Thunder Cloud Glen and have penetratedfarther into the mountains.
* * * * *
Charlie Sands came for us at the jail. He asked us no questions, which Ithought strange, but he got a carriage and took us all to Tish's. He didnot speak a word on the way, except to ask us if we had no hats. OnTish's replying meekly that we had left them in the cave, he saidnothing more, but sat looking like a storm until we drew up at thehouse.
I dare say we did look curious. Our clothes were torn and draggled, andalthough we had washed at the jail we were still somewhatpowder-streaked and grimy.
Charlie Sands led us into Tish's parlor and shut the door. Then heturned and surveyed the three of us.
"Sit down," he said grimly.
We sat. He stood looking down at each of us in turn.
"I'll hear the story in a minute," he said, still cold and disagreeable."But first of all, Aunt Tish, I want to ask you if you realize that thislast escapade of yours is a disgrace to the family?"
"Nothing of the sort," Tish asserted with something of her old spirit."It was all for Aggie's missionary dime. I----"
"A moment," he said, holding up his hand. "I'm going to ask a question.I'll listen after that. _Did you or did you not hold up the C. & L.express car?_"
We were too astounded to speak.
"Because if you did," he said, "missionary dime or no missionary dime, Ishall turn you over to the authorities! I have gone through a lot withyou, Aunt Tish, in the past year."
Aggie and I expected to see Tish rise in majesty and point him out ofthe room. But to our amazement she broke down and cried.
"No," she said feebly, "we didn't rob the car. But oh, Charlie, Charlie!We nursed that wretch Muldoon, and fed him and sent him off on Modestinein Aggie's gray alpaca, and he got away; and if you say to go to jailI'll go."
"Muldoon!"
"The wretch who said he was Muldoon. The--the train robber."
Well, it took hours to tell the story, and when we had all finished andAggie had gone to bed in Tish's spare room with hysteria, and Tish hadgone to bed with tea and toast, Charlie Sands was still walking up anddown the parlor, stopping now and then to mutter: "Well, I'll be----"and then going on with his pacing.
Hannah brought me a cup of junket at eight o'clock, for none of us hadeaten dinner. I was sitting there with the cup in my lap when thedoorbell rang. Charlie Sands answered it. It was a letter addressed toall three of us.
We called Tish and Aggie and they crept in, very subdued and pallid.Charlie Sands opened the letter and read it:
_Dear and Charming Ladies:_ I am abject. What can I say to you, who havejust come through such an experience on my account? How can I apologizeor explain? Especially as I am confused myself as to what reallyhappened. Did Muldoon actually attack the cave? Were you in it when hearrived? Or is it possible that, with my foolish fabrication in yourmind, you attempted---- But that is absurd, of course.
Whatever occurred and however it occurred, I am on my knees to you all.Even a real bandit would have been touched by your kindness. And I amnot a real bandit any more than I am a real sheriff.
I am, an ordinary citizen, usually a law-abiding citizen. But as aresult of a foolish wager at my club, brought about by the ease withwhich numerous trains have been robbed recently, I undertook to hold upa C. & L. train with an empty revolver, and to evade capture for acertain length of time. The first part was successful. The trainmessenger, on seeing my gun, handed me, without a word, a fat package. Ihad not asked for it. It was a gift. I do not even now know what is init. The newspapers say it is money. It might have been eggs, as far as Iknow. The second part would have been simple also, had I not hurt myleg.
Things were looking serious for me when you found me. I shall neverforget the cave, or the omelets, or the tea, or the fudge. I can neverreturn your hospitalities, but one thing I can do.
The express company offers a reward of a thousand dolla
rs for my littlepackage. Probably they are right and it is not eggs. Whatever it is, itis buried under the tree where we tied our noble steed, Modestine.Please return the package and claim the reward. If you have scruplesagainst taking it remember that the express company is rich and the FijiIslanders needy. Turn it in as the increased increment on Miss Aggie'smissionary dime.
(Signed) THE OUTLAW OF THUNDER CLOUD.
We found the package, or Charlie Sands found it for us, and the expresscompany paid us the reward. We gave it to Aggie, and with the exceptionof fifty dollars she turned it all in at the church, where it createdalmost a riot. With the fifty dollars we purchased, through CharlieSands, a revolver with a silver inlaid handle, and sent it to the realSheriff Muldoon. It eased our consciences somewhat.
That was