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  CHAPTER XX

  What the Outlaws do on their second Visit: with the awful Hours I passthrough, and how I find myself at the End.

  The first thing I heard was a loud laugh, and then:

  "How are you, Jud?" said Pike. "Back again, you see. Hope yer feelingall right."

  I saw I might as well make the best of it, though you may be sure Iwas half scared to death.

  "Yes, I'm feeling pretty well," I said. "I was able to be about thelast time you were here, maybe you remember."

  Pike scowled at me. "Yes, that's so, you was," he said. "You stood usoff in pretty good shape that time--you and the snow. We were foolsnot to find out that you were all alone. But we app'inted aninvestigating committee _this_ time, and we're onto your game. Justexcuse me, but I'll have to ask you to wear a little of Taggart'sjewelry while we tend to some important business."

  He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and slipped one of them around mywrist and shut it up so tight that it pressed into the flesh. Then heled me in front of the counter, slipped the other cuff through a braceunder the front edge of the counter, and then clasped it around myother wrist, leaving the short chain which connected the cuffs behindthe brace, so that I was a prisoner. He pushed up a chair and said:

  "Set down and make yourself comfortable, Jud. I'll see if I can't finda handful of buttons for you, and you can put 'em on the counter andplay checkers with your nose."

  The men laughed at this, and Pike went on:

  "We met your pardner out here, the dark-complected feller. He wasa-riding off our pinto that we left here by mistake last winter, withour saddle and things, and a-leading your two broncs, so we juststopped him and gathered 'em in, and I reckon they're _all_ our'n now,_most_ of 'em, _anyhow_. And in consideration of our only shooting himaround the edges careful like, he give us some valuable information,such as just where you was a-sleeping, Jud, and where we'd find theblacksmith tools, and so forth. That's the way to get along with anInjun and have everything all easy-going--shoot 'im, _very careful_,around the edges."

  Again they all laughed, and then went out the back door, which, Inoticed, had a small hole cut in it over the bolt big enough to let ina man's hand. There were five of them, counting Pike. The windows wereboarded up and it was dark in the store, but as the door opened I sawthat it was quite light outside and that it was snowing.

  PIKE HANDCUFFING ME IN THE DRUG STORE, MARCH NINETEENTH]

  As I sat there in the dark unable to move and with the handcuffscutting into my wrists you may believe I was miserable enough. Iexpected nothing short of being killed by the gang before they left. Isaw what a fool I had been to trust the scoundrelly Indian even asmuch as I had. It was a little satisfaction, however, to know that hehad failed to get off with his stolen property even if it had falleninto the hands of a worse set of thieves. I soon heard them at work onthe safe in the bank. Of course I thought of my fuse, but it was adozen feet away, the other side of the counter, and I could see not ashadow of hope of getting at it.

  I think I sat there as much as two hours, listening to the noise inthe next building, when Pike came in and said:

  "You'll be glad to hear, Jud, that we're getting along beautiful onthat safe. We're a-going to blow the stuffing out of it the next thing_you_ know. Reckon if you ain't particular we'll just borrow a sleighwe see out here and a set of Sours's harness for a couple of ourhorses when we go away, 'cause we think the specie may be a littleheavy. Besides, we're calculating there may be some other stuff aroundtown worth taking off--Winchesters and such agricultural andstock-raising implements," and he laughed. He seemed to be in verygood humor.

  He went back, and for another long while I heard nothing but steadydrilling on the safe and a little of their talk, though I could notcatch much of that. Sometimes, too, I could hear Kaiser barking. Hewas locked in the hotel, and I thought he knew I was in trouble andwanted to get out and help me.

  After what seemed hours Pike came in again.

  "We blow 'er open now very shortly," he said. "A reg'ler little Fourtho' July celebration of our own, hey, Jud?" Then he laughed and wenton: "We need that money and you bet it's going to come handy." Helooked at me, came closer with the lantern, and said:

  "Jud, what d'ye say to coming in with us and having your share like aman? You're a good one, if you _are_ young, and we can find plenty ofwork for you, and always you get your share."

  "No," I said, "I don't care to."

  He looked at me sharply a moment and then went on:

  "Just as you please, of course. But me and the boys was talking itover and we calculated it was the best way to dispose of you, a _pile_the best for you and _some_ better for us."

  I had kept looking straight into his eyes, under his big eyebrows."No," I said, "I won't do it."

  "Oh, take your choice," he answered, "take your choice. Just as youthink best, of course. Only you know the old saying about how dead mendon't tell any tales. And if you come in with us you get your share,just the same as if you'd done your part of the work."

  I said nothing. He waited a minute, then went out and shut the door. Isprang up and pulled and wrenched at the brace with all my strength.The handcuffs cut into my wrists, but I did not feel it. The bracestayed as firm as ever. I sat down weak and trembling with my lasthope gone. A minute later there was a loud explosion in the bank,which shook the building I was in. Next came a cheer from the men.Then voices, and I heard Pike shout:

  "It's all afire here--bring a pail of water, Joe!"

  The well windlass creaked and I heard a man start in from the back.Next I heard Pike say, "We'll soon fix that fire," then came anexplosion and a crash, like an earthquake, and the wall came down uponme, and the counter came over and I was half under it. I heard thecries of the men, and, wriggling about, I got out from under thecounter and found my hands free from the brace, and the snowflakescoming in my face through where half the side of the building had beenblown away.