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Then, conjured fro, there rose between hiure of a beautiful girl Her face was brave and s, and in her eyes was trust and pride--whole worlds of them Trust and pride in Billy Byrne

Billy closed his eyes tight as though in physical pain He brushed his hand quickly across his face

"Gawd!" he muttered "I can't do it--but I ca the revolver into his side pocket he kneeled beside the deputy sheriff and coh the ht--a key ring confining several keys

Billy found the one he wished and presently he was free He still stood looking at the deputy sheriff

"I ought to croak you," he et-away if I don't; but SHE won't let ht caht escape It wouldn't hurt the man any to stay here for a few hours, or even for a day Billy removed the deputy's coat and tore it into strips With these he bound thethe operation the deputy regained consciousness He looked questioningly at Billy

"I decided not to croak you," explained the young oin' to leave you here for a while They'll be lookin' all along the right o' way in a few hours--it won't be long afore they find you Now so long, and take care of yerself, bo," and Billy Byrne had gone

A mistake that proved fortunate for Billy Byrne caused the penitentiary authorities to expect hiuard by a later train, so no suspicion was aroused when they failed to coave Billy a good two hours' start that he would not otherwise have had--an opportunity of which he ood use

Wherefore it was that by the ti had happened Billy Byrne was fiftyaboard a fast Santa Fe freight Shortly after night had fallen the train crossed the Mississippi Billy Byrne was hungry and thirsty, and as the train slowed down and came to a stop out in thecountry, Billy opened the door of his box car and dropped lightly to the ground

So far no one had seen Billy since he had passed from the ken of the trussed deputy sheriff, and as Billy had no desire to be seen he slipped over the edge of the embankment into a dry ditch, where he squatted upon his haunches waiting for the train to depart The stop out there in the dark night was one of those mysterious stops which trains are prone to make, unexplained and doubtless unexplainable by any other than a higher intelligence which directs thestock There was no town, and not even a switch light Presently two staccato blasts broke fro at coupling pins, which started up at the big locoth of the train, there was the squeaking of brake shoes against wheels, and the trainjourney toward the coast, gaining momentum moment by moment until finally the way-car rolled rapidly past the hidden fugitive and the freight rumbled away to be sed up in the darkness