Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-11-04
THE STATION MASTER ST LONG
T,EV

so bald, then All, friend, YOU may well
ask Men do not usually lose their hair so
early in life and my scalp WAS polished in
this shining fashion, some fifteen years ago.
1t took only one grim nights work to do it
all"
sc A story? Yes, eomrade, there is story
about this poor bald pate of mine; if you
wish to hear it | will tell it you. 1t is an old
story now, and over familiar to our friends
about here for | fear | have gabbled il some
what too cften when the bottle has been GO
ing round but as you have never heard it be-
fore you will find it good new. The up
train is not due for full an hour yet; and per-
haps my story will help as well anything
else TO kill time Fill your glasses, then, and
draw nearer to the fire, for that drifting snow
outside does not make this winter night too
warm.
. You say YOU knew at once, when first you
saw me, that had served. Well no doubt
the soldier who has been III active service al
ways bears the stamp upon him. / smelt
powder ON more than one field. | was nine
wears in the - Fusileers. | served in Cana
ia and, after reaching the grade of sergeant
was dangerously wounded in a reeontre with
the kafirs at the Cape, and was sent home
with "a pension. The restoration of health
brought back my constitutional antipathy to
idleness, and, after knocking about IN sore
discomfort for some time, | at last succeeded
in procuring occupation as ticket clerk at the
Longley station this line.
q You don't know the country about Long
lev? No You lose nothing thereby, for a
more miserable district of bleak hills and
wild barren moor is not to be found from this
to John OGroat's; and the population, rude
and churlish are as little attractive rs the
country they dwell in.
. Among the few acquaintance | made du
ring the one year spent there was young
fellow named Carston, the son of wealthy
sheep farmer, who lived some six miles from
the station. A clever fellow he was-the real
manager of the farmland on market days
and such like he was a frequent traveller on
our line. Young Carston and / mad come to
be great friends, and more than one pleasant
holiday had | spent with him (for even we
railway officials have holidays now and AGAIN.
up among the hills bleak and barren rs they
were | dwell upon this (rather tediou-ly
perhaps) because it Is to Frank Carston | owe
this bald crown
1t was a cold, cherries, winter evening,
as | stood upon the platform waiting for the
mail train from the north, which was a little
behind its time. There was no passenger
from Longley; the train would not wait two
minutes and my work would be over when it
had passed on | was pleasantly anticipating
Il quiet night by my own frcslde, with "a hot
cup of tea and the London morning paper,
when the train came dashing in ana pulled
up with a shrek. and a head WAS thrust out
from one Of the carriages, while the familiar
voice Of nv friend Carston hailed ne.
a. Ned. old fellow he said, / hurried up
To him. | want YOU to do me a great favor.
You see this bag, it contains two hundred
soyereigns Tomorrow is rent day, and got
this cash for the old man this morning You
know the craze he has for paying in gold.
am going through to London on urgent bust
ness, and | want YOU to take charge Of the
money and this letter, and carry them out To
our place. Get any sort of conveyance and
drive out don't mind the eXpense-I1l settle
all that. | know that, as a friend, you'll do
this business carefully for me. Tell father
I'll be at home tomorrow night, if possible
on went the train, and, before | could
utter a word, | was left alone the platform
with the heavy bag of gold in my hand. The
commission with which | had been 80 uucx-
pectedlv entrusted was a very disagrceahle
one that bleak winter night, but 1t would bc
churlish to disappoint friend. went home
to nv lodgings. rot some tea. loaded a small
double-barreled pistol IAN unusual precaution,
suggested by the thought Of the goldl put it
in my pocket, and wrapped my great coat
around me 1t was no easy thing TO get car
rage, fly, gig, in little place like Longley,
at that hour; and what was a walk of four
miles to me- when sure of stiff glass of
something warm and a good bed that night,
and pleasant canter on sure-tooted nag
back to the railway station in the morning
. The night though cold, was dry, and the
moon was UP. To he sure some ominous clouds
were gathering round her, and she rising,
but steadily sinking, and would soon be hid
den behind the hills No matter; | should
he far on nv way before her light was gone.
and those clouds. thought, were not likely
to change into what they promised snow
shower-till | was safely enSconced by old
Carston's Preside All went well enough tor
The first half hour; and as the brisk walk
made the blood course warmly through my
veins I thought how much pleasanter this
was than To be iolted and bruised in some
crazy, numbering old vehicle the LoDglry
Inn was capable of supplying, over that rough,
wild mountain road. But my anticipation of
the weather proved solely deceptive. Before
the half hour had well gone he. the snow
storm came down fierce and fast, and the
moon was no longer visible. There Was no
help now, however, but all the more need 10
get to my journeys end as soon rs possible;
50 clutched nv stick with a hrner grasp,
and quickened my pace. But the thick, steady
fall of snow 20 darkened the air that could
not see twice my arms length before me ;
and Ind not been walking many minutes
when the apprehension stole upon me that
vas fast losing my way. Ii was dangerous
locality was IN Just then, III tUe illaol OF
that suow-Storm, for the road wound over hill
and moor, without wall or fence and, where
the snow WAS rapidly covering heath and path
alike, TO trace my route with accuracy became
impossible.
Human life had been sacrificed more than
once amid snow-driftS, on that Wild moor
land, ard sheep inuummerable had been lost
70 make my danger greater, the place was
tull OF pits and hollowS where mining sptcu-
lators had tried TO sink shafts in former years
Should ! wsader or the beaten track. the
chances were that might meet broken neck
in one of these coufouuded holes
: stumbled on at random had lost my
bearings, utterly; and in d few minutes /
knew rs little where was if had been sud
denly set down. bound and hIindfolded. in
the middle Of the moor. was making wav.
surely. rs best | could. through the snow
drift; but for all knew, might bc going in
any direction but the right one. Was l on
the beaten road or was | on the heaths
Another moment cruelty settled my
doubts. One step moge-my foot found 10
rest and I fell headlong into a broad, deep
pit. Stunned by the tai, I lay there | know
not how long. Bruised and eiddy tried At
last to regain nay lit, when pslng of ex-
qusite pain shot through my left arm; the
bone was broken.
As with my right hand now tried to steady
myself and gropc my way out OF the hole, the