“Hey, you fellows Come ashore,” Deck-
or shouted.

The nose of the boat swung in and
touched shore. One of the men got out and
turned the boat so it would not be caught
in the current.

The man at the stern now stepped ashore.
As he did so he turned and took a light
brown coat from the seat, which he tossed

BAGGAGE
4125

Decker was electrified into instant action.
His rifle leaped up and two shots rang out
together. The big bandit collapsed face
down on the gravel. Decker pitched for-
ward, shot through the abdomen. Before
his body hit the ground, a roaring blast
sounded from the direction of the boat.
A charge of shot from a shotgun hit Decker
in the face, spun him around and slammed

One of the cars smashed by the Haney gang.

over his arm, evidently to conceal a revol-
ver. Woodward, only a few yards away,
slowly watched the drama unfold.

The man approached Decker in a cool
manner. He didn’t make the slightest move
that could be termed suspicious and his
attitude was that of a man coming to meet
a friend. He was only a few feet from
Decker when he suddenly tossed the coat
aside.

“Now, will you take me?” he snarled.

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Smithers, B.C.

SMITHERS GARAGE & ELECTRIC

General Motors Dealers

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SIMPSON’S TRANSFER

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-

him down to the beach with his chin and
forehead torn away.

The man who had fired the shotgun
walked calmly to the body of the bandit.
He saw where Decker’s bullet had struck.
It had smashed through the bandit’s chin
and ripped the base of his skull away where
it emerged. The man knelt down and felt
the bandit’s heart and after satisfying him-
self that the man was dead, walked across
to where Decker lay. A single glance was
sufficient to prove that the gallant constable
would never breathe again. Then, as if he
were taking a walk, the man strolled off
towards the railroad track. Woodward, who
had been paralysed by the sudden tragedy,
shouted.

“Stop that man. He’s a murderer!”

That was when the man broke into a run
as described in the opening paragraphs of
this story.

It then became apparent that lack of
leadership prevented an organised pursuit.
The people were all unarmed and none wish-
ed to take a chance on stopping a man who
had shown himself so capable of cold-
blooded killing.

Officers now hurried to Ashcroft as soon
as they received this news. The dead bandit
was of medium height and build, dark com-
plexioned and wore a drooping mustache.
None of the first officers to arrive could
recognize him.

An examination of the boat revealed it
to be an ordinary flat bottom affair about 12
feet long. It had evidently been leaking
badly for it was patched with pieces of tin
from end to end. In it were found some
shotgun shells, a sack containing dynamite,
a frying pan and a suitcase.

Railroad detectives were brought to the
scene. Posses were organised and Detective

Draper of Spokane brought two blood-
hounds. The hunt for the second man was
under way.

News came in from Clara Bowes, who
lived about four miles up the river from
Ashcroft, that she had seen three, not two
men in the boat. A close check on her story
proved this true. Where, and who was the
third man?

The astute railroad officers soon solved
this puzzle. The man had evidently been
put off about three miles out of Ashcroft,
near a railroad water tower. He was, it was
assumed, to board the westbound express,

HANSON LUMBER & TIMBER
Co. LTD.

Manufacturers of
Poles, Piling, Posts and Boom Sticks

e
Smithers, B. C.

STEWART’S CAFE

Mrs. Anna Stewart, Proprietress

EXCELLENT FOOD
COURTEOUS SERVICE

Smithers British Columbia

EBY’'S
HARDWARE DRY GOODS
5, 10, 15, 20 and 25c Store

2
Smithers, B. C.

THE McRAE HOUSE

A Nice Place to Stay
A Good Place to Eat

Smithers, British Columbia

HOSKINS GARAGE

O. H. HOSKINS, Proprietor

GAS and OIL
AAA EMERGENCY SERVICE

ACETYLENE WELDING
GENERAL BLACKSMITHING

FORD SALES and SERVICE
Smithers, B.C.

AIDA CLEANERS

Dry Cleaning, Pressing, Repairing
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SMITHERS, B. C.

Page Fifty-five

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