The Nine-Mile Hold-Up 



he was almost down he jumped on top of a big boulder 

 and explained to the soldiers that his men had an electric 

 firing battery by which they could blow them all up if 

 they saw one man move hand or foot. He gave orders 

 to some imaginary men hidden among the rocks, and ran 

 down into the boxed-in trail and over to the ambulance, 

 which was some fifty yards from where the soldiers now 

 sat. He jumped into the wagon and rolled out four 

 small kegs weighing about forty pounds apiece. One of 

 these he smashed open with a rock. It was filled with 

 gold. He glanced over at the soldiers. They were 

 quiet and seemed curiously interested in the men up in 

 the rocks, who seemed to be watching them stealthily. 

 Butch quietly cornered and caught three of the now 

 subdued Government horses and hitched them to the 

 wagon wheel. Picking up the canvas sacks, which were 

 attached in pairs like the panniers of a pack-saddle, he 

 tossed them over two of the horses' saddles, fastened 

 them securely, and slipped a keg in each of the four sacks. 

 They balanced perfectly. He led the horses a little way 

 up the trail and tied them to a cedar stump. He jumped 

 into the wagon, and after being in there a minute, he 

 was seen to jump out and dodge behind a big rock. 



" Don't move," he called to the men. 



There was a heavy report and the side of the wagon 

 was blown out. Although the coloured soldiers ducked 

 at this further terrifying explosion, they still held their 

 hands above their heads. Butch ran over, and taking up 

 the last pair of canvas sacks disappeared inside, only to 

 reappear shortly with the bags bulging suggestively. 

 He threw the bags across the third horse's saddle, 

 picked up his rifle, and deliberately shot the remaining 

 horses. 



" You coons '11 have to walk home, I guess," said Butch, 

 turning to the soldiers. " Arms tired, eh ? Well, we 



193 N 



