Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-09

I
PIPE. Nervousness, no doubt, but pos
slbly an observer might have thought
, Old Billy was frightened.
From the ucAIng OF the instrument
distinctly csme ties c sounds:
49,.
---- $50
which in spoken words meant: Watch
the bOrP | started as if charge of
electricity had passed through my frame
1 could fairly feel my face grow white.
/ stood motionless, clutching the b TX
OF the chair and with my eyes riveted
in vacant stare at the table in the
ticket office. | knew this was no work
of an excited Imagination The words,
to my practiced ear, were as plain as if
shouted in clarion tones. There had
come no call for Red Ravine, and the
message ended without signature or
mark, but abruptly, as it had begun.
More than that, it was not the writing of
any operator on any section Of the line.
would have sworn to at with as
much positiveness rs you you'd to the
tones Of voice with which you were
familiar. In the dot and dash alphabet
we learn to distinguish who IS handling
the keys almost with as much accuracy
aS 1tilelS uIS'lHSt'iSh i.'i'U ~ Ii'il'E' Ali' i
IN al my eAtSIIeIice ii"u ileEci i'.''i
the soIhlef Oh Il ''leSSSsG me via" 'I'..
NHie STOOD dazed ana almost Pau
allyH9GuIgr you hllSt ieil,e.'''e' 'tl'V
~ ply nerves WeI9 stIuuE ~ = w.
ilpl9 PUN 'iia' l'l''u ''l', -,
~ ite'ls,ple eilcH-''i I wa, vac LA ' nf tSo
II d uTn'oh 'sIilI tI"' ~ i'o+Ni
key. 1t was luIIy llFe minutes peioIe 1
liln ~ coui9Ho ~ Pm NJ I IL If
0lllce an" slL uV"il "V 'liq go IINli,
Not once IN 'i''V tiiiIe ia" '''ii'tl' ''';,
10 look at 'ile DoA' AIIilO't vi IL IL ~
sl"nI % my sIlling uo"ia az Iao Jdo I hn
,,. "ds 4 tn, ~, ,,C ,ors l, re,eateJ
"UGtci The barr,
every word came With such horrible dis
tirctnass flat il seemed 70 send n sharp
ma m tuoling through NV ears. 1t was
tfketLe fond whisperings ofsome ghosty
voice Then AGAIN broke out the Jar
CON Of sound HAT turned the clicking
into meauinoles, confusion.
| snrang M from the table. and with
tLe now STRENGTHENED conviction that it
was no dejnsiou. no fancy. but that the
sound had come nIainlv over the wires.
cslt nv rc,,raoe retur1ino and resolved
to LeaJ fine mysterious Warning. The
roIIino of ,Le thunder and tLe mad roar
If fhn syorm no },p0nr depressed me.
gfannod boIJlv Lorlx into NV owl, room.
and rested nv eyrs unflinc6inglv on the
wooden hov What was its mysterious
fraigLt9 Whv had the nhantom of the
Storm sentfh6se startling words over the
,,iras2 What unknown hand had
raachod ont from fhe very lightning il.
soIf to u,o,n me of some impendinp
,Ian,,or5 TLeea o,astions rushed fhrongh
y,,,, mind 40 7 feit the dread fear disan-
nsaring and fonnd myself of a Sudden.
i rr',, IN sTra ',,, calm.
S'o w ''7''
me CLOCK struck ten; turned 10 ''le
sAeiI, ana win mana thNt 10 longer
tfemoIed inserted the key, ana wound II
t3oiltPoseuiy "oulu II Pe lIe laSC l .iI
tII"1 Sl'o"iu PeIioi INC SIM PIE 'aSA
No Hl"VIer. iiaPpler IMAM illoSI !lSIi pe-
cause content WIN my huhloiG iCt, IL
Slloutd never De Sala ttlat Oio bihy
H!hcheu III inc lace OF duIy. fof 'llaC
higilt IL WINS my uuty-my one sacred,
aI-lmportant duly-to guard the treas
urG IelJ 10 my saicckeeping' ANA guard
II ! would WINE no renamed.
men hau nhlaned winding the CLOCK
TOOK down from the shef an OLD rusty
pistol winch mad lam Tor years undls-
turDed. 1T was not loaded nor had l
either powder or puiIet anywhere IN me
station. But me weapon was ugiy-Iook-
my, anu c"IIIo,' f" soIC ol slleHI loite III
C,,Se 81 700 IAsi eSSiyo aisuiiet!'. Altei
eA"n'Ii!ilS lIl9 rusty iooh, PuI lIle PI3r