CHAPTER I--A Desperate Encounter
CHAPTER II--The Ranch in the Rockies
CHAPTER III--"Busting" a Broncho
CHAPTER IV--A Forest Terror
CHAPTER V--The Grizzly at Bay
CHAPTER VI--The "Ringer's" Downfall
CHAPTER VII--The Wolf Pack
CHAPTER VIII--With Teeth and Hoofs
CHAPTER IX--The Indian Outbreak
CHAPTER X--In Fearful Extremity
CHAPTER XI--Within an Ace
CHAPTER XII--Quick on the Draw
CHAPTER XIII--Trailing the Outlaws
CHAPTER XIV--The Race for Life
A shower of glass from the shattered windowpane fell over the floor andseats, and a bullet embedded itself in the woodwork of an upper berth.There was a shriek from the women passengers in the crowded Pullman, andthe men looked at each other in consternation. From the platform came thesound of a scuffle, interspersed with oaths. Then, through the narrowcorridor that bordered the smoking-room, hurried two men, pushing theterrified negro porter ahead of them. Each of the intruders wore a blackcloth tied over the lower part of his face, and before the bewilderedpassengers knew what had happened they found themselves looking along theblue-black barrels of two ugly revolvers.
It was a startling break in an uneventful day. For several hours theOverland Limited had hummed along over the boundless prairies thatstretched away on either side with scarcely a break to the horizon. Theyhad time to make up, and on these open spaces the engineer had let it outto the limit. So swiftly and smoothly had it sped along that the "click,click" as it struck each separate rail had merged into one droning "songof the road."
There had been no rain for a week past, and the dust lay thick on thegrass and cactus. The motion of the train drew it up in clouds that madeit impossible to keep the windows raised, and the sun, beating downpitilessly from a brazen sky, added to the general discomfort. Coolingdrinks were at a premium, and the porters were kept busy making trips tothe buffet car, from which they returned with t