CHAPTER XXVII.

LITTLE SNAP'S SURPRISE.

In the brief time he felt himself succumbing to the overmastering strength of Robin Burrnock, a thousand thoughts seemed to flit through Little Snap's mind. It was a moment he would never forget.

Once more rallying to throw off his antagonist, he struggled with renewed power at the hand grasping his throat, while with the other he kept aloft the brawny arm of the outlaw.

"Think ye ken whup me, blast yer!" growled the aroused robber, maddened to find himself thwarted, if but for a while, by the postboy.

Little Snap was standing on the very brink of the shelf, with his back toward the precipice, and as Robin Burrnock redoubled his exertions to overpower him, he felt his footing give way and himself reeling backward over the chasm.

Instinctively, he loosened his hold on the outlaw's wrist, to throw out his arm in a wild effort to save himself.

In vain!

With a cry of horror on his lips, he saw the fist of Burrnock descend, and at the same time he went backward over the abyss!

His cry was swiftly followed by one from the outlaw, as he, too, staggered to and fro on the brink.

Little Snap's fall caused him to lose his foothold, and while the postboy fell, the outlaw was carried heels over head down the declivity, another yell of horror awakening the silence of the lonely scene with its startling intonations.

Half stunned by the force of his fall, Little Snap found himself clinging to the edge of the shelf, with the mail bag underneath him.

Finding he had received no serious injury, he crawled to a safe position on the rock, nearly overjoyed to find that he had really come out of the ordeal alive.

It was several minutes before he could realize he was safe and unhurt, but as he finally knew, the force of his fall had been broken by the mail pouch, and, saved from going down the rugged declivity, his life had been spared.

Anxious to know what had become of Robin Burrnock, he looked down the descent to see his body near the bottom, lying as motionless as if he were dead.

In the road near where he had left him, he saw the faithful Jack still awaiting his coming.

"Noble fellow!" he exclaimed; "I will be with you in a minute," beginning his descent into the valley.

Though he found this no easy task, he soon succeeded in reaching the highway, the mail pouch safely in his hands.

Finding the outlaw had not yet moved, he went to his side, and turning him over, saw that his neck had been broken.

"I am sorry," said the postboy, "but I cannot see that I am to blame. I was in duty bound to protect——"

"Have no misgivings over what you have done, my boy," said a voice near at hand, and, turning quickly, Little Snap saw with amazement Old Solitaire at his elbow.

"I witnessed the whole affair," declared the hermit, "but I was powerless to help you, though in another moment I should have fired a shot at whatever risk. You should thank Heaven that your life was spared."

"It was a narrow escape, Uncle Solitaire, and at one time I felt that it was all over with me."

"So thought I. But now that you are safe, I advise you to ride on to Greenbrier and tell Mr. Renders what has happened. The authorities will look after the body of the wretch."

Little Snap would fain have said more to the strange man, but the old man started back toward the Narrows as fast as he could walk.

"Well, Jack, nothing is left for us but to go on," which he did, without meeting any further adventure until Greenbrier was reached.

Delivering the mail pouch over to the postmistress, he then sought Mr. Renders, who listened with unfeigned wonder to his account of his meeting with Robin Burrnock in the Wash Bowl.

"Egad, Dix! that was a tough one, but I don't doubt your story. I will speak to Squire Moran, and we will go up at once to look after the body. You may be wanted later to give your evidence at the inquest, but I don't apprehend you will have any further trouble. Better keep a sharp lookout, though, for those hounds of Blazed Acre will be likely to pay you off for getting rid of one of their number."

Thanking him, the postboy returned to the post office for the mail.

"Any trouble to-day, Dix?" asked Budd Grass, who seemed to divine that something unusual had been happening.

"Nothing more serious than the falling of one of the Burrnock brothers down the side of Greenbrier and breaking his neck. Mail all right?"

"It seems to be, and, judging by the size of the package, the Hollow Tree folks won't have reason to complain this time. But you have not told me all about this Burrnock's falling and—was he killed? Oh! how I fear those men, and I tremble for you every time you go past. Which one was this?"

"Robin; but I can't give you any particulars. Good-day."

The postboy found the postmaster at Hollow Tree impatiently waiting for him.

"Late again!" he growled. "I wonder what the Washington chaps would say if they knowed 'bout it?"

Without replying, Little Snap tossed him the pouch, amusing himself while the other sorted the mail by stroking the neck of Jack and talking to the horse as was his wont.

In the midst of his simple talk Shag rushed out of his office, looking uncommonly red in the face, as he shouted:

"No mail for the Tree again! What does that mean?"

Looking toward the speaker with surprise, Little Snap did not know what reply to make.

"Oh, ye needn't look so innercent, ye thievin' rat! Mebbe ye think ye can make th' racket work ag'in, but I'll show ye ye can't! Where's th' mail ye should hev fer this offis?"

"In that sack, if anywhere. That is where it should be, if you haven't taken it out."

"I haven't, an' I can prove it by th' boys hyur," pointing to the three men who had followed him from the building.

Little Snap's surprise was great, though he did not have any doubt in his mind that Dan Shag had taken out the package and was intending to bluff him down.

"Mr. Shag, if you haven't that mail in your office, then I do not know where it is. I do know there was a lot for you here, or I know, at least, Budd Grass, at Greenbrier, said so."

"Projuce, then!" cried the postmaster. "I can prove by these men that I haven't taken a thing out o' thet bag thet b'longed hyur."

Little Snap stepped into the office, but, of course, the missing package was not in sight.

"I'll know the whys an' whurfor's o' this afore dark," cried the excited postmaster, closing the door with a slam. "I'm goin' to Union Six Roads, boys, an' ef enny one wants to know why th' offis is shut tell 'em."

"T'other lot wuz found in th' feller's saddle pocket, Dan," said one of the bystanders; "why don't ye look there fer this?"

"'Tain't likely he'd do the same thing over ag'in," replied the postmaster. "He'd be more sly this time."

Little Snap had taken the pouch and was throwing it on the horse's back at the time.

"You can look if you want to, but you will not find——"

Little Snap did not finish his sentence, for while speaking he had thrust his hand into the depths of the pocket, and finding a bundle in his grasp, he pulled out the missing parcel of mail!