he waited for his opportunity.

His chance came through the good nature of Scanlan. The jailer was in the
habit of going down town to loaf for an hour or two with old cronies after
he had locked up for the night. Blackwell pretended to be out of chewing
tobacco and asked the guard to buy him some. About ten o'clock Scanlan
returned and brought the tobacco to his prisoner. The moon was shining
brightly, and he did not bring a lantern with him. As he passed the plug
through the grating Blackwell's fingers closed around his wrist and drew
the man close to the iron lattice work. Simultaneously a cold rim was
pressed against the temple of the guard.

"Don't move, or I'll fill you full of holes," the convict warned.

Scanlan did not move, not until the man in the cell gave the word. Then he
obeyed orders to the letter. His right hand found the bunch of keys,
fitted the correct one to the door, and unlocked it according to
instructions. Not until he was relieved of his weapon did Blackwell
release him. The jailer was backed into the cell, gagged with a piece of
torn bedding, and left locked up as securely as the other had been a few
minutes earlier.

The convict made his way downstairs, opened the outer door with the bunch
of keys he had taken from Scanlan, locked it behind him, and slipped into
the first alley that offered refuge. By way of the Mexican quarters he
reached the suburbs and open country. Two hours later he stole a horse
from an irrigated ranch near town. Within twenty-four hours he had reached
the Soapy Stone horse ranch and safety.

After this the plans for the raid on the Texas, Arizona & Pacific Flyer
moved swiftly to a head. Soapy Stone and Sam dropped into Saguache
inconspicuously one evening. Next day Stone rode down to Tin Cup to look
over the ground. Maloney telephoned their movements to the Circle C and to
the Hashknife. This brought to Saguache Luck Cullison, Curly Flandrau, and
Slats Davis. Bucky O'Connor had been called to Douglas on important
business and could not lend his help.

Curly met Sam in front of Chalkeye's Place. They did the town together in
a mild fashion and Flandrau proposed that they save money by taking a
common room. To this young Cullison agreed.

Luck, Curly and Dick Maloney had already ridden over the country
surrounding the scene of the projected hold-up. They had decided that the
robbery would probably take place at the depot, so that the outlaws could
get the agent to