Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-04-05
OF Parkerstown was wont to express it
Gin the arms Of Morphine.

<~~@ "eAup WIG hhct blluk DIG
remember about it, voice seeming to
come from her dreams said: "Tain't
likely she's left here alone, and asleep;
too"
mo-" responded another evil voice.
":he old mans prob1y around some
where-but," in a lower tone, "come
on, let's 30 long. The down trainIl be
along, and Wen lay 'em out"
MIKE was wide-awake enough now,
but she had presence Of mind in her
small body, and realized that safety lay
inkeeping still.
! !" How fur Is II ulr there POI
Ssh! Keep mum. DO you want to
knock the hull thing in tho head, and
yourself, too?" and then the girls quick
ened hearing caught the sound Of heavy
footsteps passing by the window and on
up the track.
Mike waited until she couldn't hear
the footsteps, and then cautiously
turned and looked out of the window.
There they were-two miserable-looking
tramps Fastening up the track. She
recognized them at once as two men
who had been discharged from con.
struction train that had been at work
down the road. What should she do
Oh il she could send for her father?
But there was no one anywhere near,
and beside, by the time he could get
home it might be too late for it was ev.
ident that the desperate wretches were
bent upon revenging themselves of their
fancied wrongs upon the innocent. She
looked at the clock. Half past 4! She
ran out and looked around the lonely
station. No one living in sight. She
called once, feebly-but where was the
use. If she sent for her father she had
no tangible explanation to give or real
reason to make him hurry home-only
she was sire there was harm coming TO
the down.train-that long, crowded ex-
press filed with mountain tourists. But
she must do something.
The men had disappeared around a
slight bend in the track. Mike ran in,
locked up the Office, snatching q hat
from nail in the corner. and then hur-
ried up the track until she arrived at the
slight curve. Then she "made haste
more slowly" for there were the men.
Stepping behind clump of bushes she
watched them, They had stopped and
were doing something, she could not at
first see what, to the track. Pretty
soon, up came a rail, and in a minute
more it was thrown down n step ledge
within four feet of the track--where the
whole tram must be precipitated in less
than an hour if something could not be
done to warn them. Mike saw it all now
and for moment stood, her eyes di-
lated with honor, while she saw the
scoundrels shake their fists toward her
way and heard an imprecation. Then
they passed on and Mike, grown cold
in the sudden extremity, turned and
sped toward the depot.
The rail had been removed on n curve
which was shaded on the west side by a
high bank 80 that at half-past it was
cutie dusk there, and, as the trains al
ways came in on a down grade, they
came at full speed. SO Mike thought
to herself, "Tm so glad came, for now
I'll hurry and telegraph to Stratford be-
fore the train comes by, and then we'll
see, Mr.. Tramps, howyour little scheme
comes out"
She reached the Office and looked at
the clock. Five minutes to five and
the train left Stratford at 503. Well,
eight minutes was plenty Of time if she
could "raise" Stratford. She grasped
the key. "Sd.sd-sd," clicked the in
strument. Never before was there so
impatient an operator on that line. With
her eyes on the clock which seemed
then, if ever, TO say, "forever-never-
never-forever," she kept up the call.
Somebody on the other side "broke
her r" twice, but she gave all the danger
signals she could think of and kept on.
The moments kept on--one, two, three,
four, five-slowly pealed the old clock
each stroke an agony to the girl.
Meanwhile the agent pt Stratford
could not operate at all, and the boy,
who could and who served as a general
choi G. boy about the place, had gone for
the cows, and there was no one to an-
swer the call on which so muchdepended.
A few minutes and il was too late,
and Mike was in new dilemma.
Mike closed the key in despair. She
did not know the train signals, but she
seized the red flag under the old desk
and ran for dear life-literally the dear
lives oi her fellow-creatures. Not until
she got to the wrecked place did she re-
member that she must go beyond the
curve to stop them or she would be OF
no use. Already she heard the APP
preaching train rumble in the distance.
Faster, faster she sped round the curve
straight up the track. She could see
them now coming in. On they rushed,
the great engine bent on destroying its
precious freight. Mike stopped in the
midst of the track and frantically swung
her red flag, but still the monster rush
ed toward her, showing no abatement
of speed.
Meanwhile the engineer and fireman
had seen the slight form Of the girl, and
the fireman stood aghast to SEQ tho en-.