Legend of Dutchman's Mine by Jethro Kyle

Author:Jethro Kyle [Kyle, Jethro]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

About the only way that Alfred Dexter could find of disguising his appearance, just in case the old man’s niece or her male companion had managed to get a good look at him as he had rushed from the house, was by changing his shirt and pulling his hat down low over his eyes. Had he but known it, this gave him a most singular, not to say downright sinister, aspect. He drew attention at once, as a man who was obviously desirous of concealing his identity. He walked in this conspicuous way to the offices of the stage, keeping his head bent low so that passers-by could catch barely a glimpse of his face.

The clerk at the office had nothing much to do that day, most folk having delayed any travelling until the present emergency with the Indians had passed. Dexter slouched into the place and asked, ‘Is the stage running to Phoenix still?’

‘That is,’ said the clerk, bored and glad to find a chance of breaking the monotony of the day with a little friendly conversation with a fellow being, ‘by way of being a debateable point, if you take my meaning.’

‘I don’t,’ said Dexter gruffly. ‘Is the stage running or not?’

‘Well,’ said the man, ‘that is theoretically the case, yes. But whether it will arrive tomorrow is very much open to question. If it does, then yes, we will be running the regular service to Phoenix.’

‘Couple of friends of mine said they might be going that way,’ said Dexter. ‘Anybody bought tickets for that coach yet?’

‘Why yes, I sold two tickets to Phoenix not an hour since. Is your friend a smartly dressed party, looks well-off and sounds like an easterner? Travelling with a lady, it seems.’

‘That’s the ones. What time is that there stage of yours due to set off tomorrow? Allowing, that is, that it does leave?’

‘It should get here at about midday, God willing.’

Now Alfred Dexter might not have been the fastest thinker who ever walked the earth, but he could see well enough what was needful under these given circumstances. He and Gonsalez would not be able to outride the coach unless they had a start on it. The way of it must be that they would steal a march on the stagecoach by setting off this very night, when he took the Mexican’s horse to him where he was hiding out.

If they started tonight, then they would be sure to hit Phoenix before the stage and it would only be a matter of hanging round the depot and then picking up their marks when they arrived.

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