Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-12-16
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.


self at sunset, on one Of the dreariest
days ever saw, waiting my chances at
n little Arkansas station for a seat in a
coach, which the telegraph operator
assured ne would start in a couple
of hours for the town of c., my
next destination.
i sat in the operators little cage,
beating tattoo with my foot, and for lie
first time in q week, feeling utterly jad-
ed and worn out. The door facing the
dense and gloomy forest outside looked
like some yawning aperture to cavern,
the oil lamp inside seeming natural
ly to intensity the ink y blackness outside.
The operator, u weary, pale-faced
man, seemed glad Of nv company as
he no doubt was, and delayed me with
questions about the busy world to which
be was attached only through bis in
strument and an occasional newspaper.
! asceJtained that the coach generally
made its trip in an hour and half or
two hours.
suggested the probability that as
the night promised so bad, perhaps the
coach would lay over, in fact, l rather
hoped that this might be the case, as
/ began to hate the idea os being whirl,d
through tie dark woods with fierce
wind twisting the branches together
overhead. and smashin0 the drv limbs
and twigs with great noise. The op-
orator declared that as it was the mail
coach to C. it would undoubted-
ly 60. whatever the prospect; as to CON-
panv, though he fancied | would have
it pretty much my own way, as there
did not seem to be any passengers be-
side myself.
He walked down the pla,fom to the
station-room. and came back with the
intelligence that it was empty Just
ut that moment man pushed the door
open and looked in. The glimpse l
Lad Of him was not enlivcning. He
was heavily wrapped and lis face very
nearly covered hy thick. black beard
The operator, busy at his table. had
not observed IL. intruder, and made
no comment except yawn of general
dissatisfaction.
There's house down the road q
quarter of II mile where YOU might stay
all night vcntured the operator, list
lesslv turning the pages of book, not
raising his eyes 1T all.
Mine was not n suspicious nature,
and vet / took no heart in this su-ges-
tion ard legan to think all manner Of
things about the man with the book
a house down the road, l went the
l.. 4 l..
who had looked i'll ON us had been sit
ting on the step formed by the thr,sh-
hold. ! was sure it WAS the same. He
got up hastily and walked down the
platform, not glanciug back. l OBJ
served then that he wore heavy ca
pote cloak and low bat
The wind blew u hurricane and and
there was not a star visible; as 10 the
scad could See none, nor in fact any,
thing but about twelve inches Of the
frosty rails on which operators lamp
light fell. closed the door suddenly
as If | had retired within. l canuo,
say il was my purpose to watch the
man in the cloak. but closed the door
1t was very dark on the platform excet,
Ec ultt
came back softly, and / scraped a wal
taper TO light q segar. The black beart
and pair Of glittering eyes were within
two iset Of me. Was he disconnected
He walked on to the other side Of tn,
platform leisurely.
The rain began to fall in big splash
ing drops, chilling me thoroughly il
three minutes. went back into th.
operators room. He idled over tn,
book. scarcely looking up as ! entered
Soon after there was the distant rum
bling Of wheels. the trample Of horse.
and few bugle tones came down mourn
fully in the wind.
There's the COACH said the opera
tor and Bill woodford's horn. Their,
must be something wrong, this is not
his run
Lights cleaned at the outer end o
the platform. The clumsy old coacl
rumbled up, the driver in a grav over
coat and wolly cap, helped to get tn,
mail bag in the boot, shouting out:
This way, if you please, gentlemen
and not an inch o time To spare
What's up Woodford 2 said . dee,
bass voice, and where's Sam to night
He's gone and gave his ankle
badish twist; that's all. Come, loo
alive there
Ibattoned up nv coat, felt that nv ri.
col was all right. had taken it frol
the black lag just before the arrival {