The Stingaree by Max Brand

Author:Max Brand [Brand, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western
Publisher: Roy Glashan's Library
Published: 2016-11-19T23:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER XXIII

THE adherence of Awaskees to his plan made Jimmy feel much lighter of heart, and he went on up the street with a cheerful swing to his shoulders, as though the battle were already almost ended. In this manner he left the alley, and stepping out into the street, he neared a group of half a dozen men. He stepped into a yellow arm of lamplight that streamed from a window across the street.

“Get that boy!” said the brisk voice of Charlie Dyce.

Two of those shadows sprang pantherlike. Jimmy was seized upon and dragged before Mounted Policeman Charlie Dyce.

In uniform now! And so were the five who stood around him. Six Mounted Police—more than would be sent out to put down a rebellion in a whole province. Jimmy had never seen such a sight. The presence of six Olympian gods could not have impressed him much more.

“Is this a joke, Charlie?” asked one of the men.

He wore a beard, and he had a deep voice. He was as big a man as Stanley Parker.

“That’s the kid I told you about,” said Charlie Dyce. “Keep that youngster under a blanket, and we’ve taken his eyes away from the tramp. Here, Jolly. Keep this boy for us. Treat him well, but keep a good tight grip on him. He’s more slippery than an eel and a good deal cleverer than a ferret or a fox. Don’t hurt him, though. Jimmy,” he went on, “I’m sorry to do this, but I know that you’d try to help Alabama Joe. You’ll hold this against me, till you’re a good deal older, but I’ll explain this much—I’ve found out about this new friend of yours!”

“What?” asked Jimmy defiantly.

“He’s as bad as they make ‘em, Jim. He’s wanted all over the United States. He’s wanted in Canada, too. If you put side by side all the safes that he has cracked, Jim, you could pave this street with ‘em. He’s robbed trains, stuck up stages, and filled up the dull times with a few gun fights here and there. South of the Rio Grande they want him badly. And all through the South they want him. You may even have heard of his best nickname clear up here. He’s the Stingaree!”

He made a little pause, but Jimmy said not a word. He was not surprised. He was already contriving desperately how he might be able to break away from this captor and give the warning to Alabama Joe.

“Now then,” said Charlie Dyce, “if you fellows will let me take charge for a while—”

“Go on, Charlie,” said one of the men. “I hope that the next job won’t be handling another youngster like this, though.”

“We have time on our hands,” said Dyce, “since we’ve got the boy safe. He was the ear and the eye of the Stingaree, believe me! We’ve got to get to Stanley Parker first. We’ll post a couple of men at his house to guard him. Then the rest of us go down and pick up the Stingaree at the dance.

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