Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-12-14

everything were found to be In perfecI
condition. The detention, from what
ever eanse, must have occurred near
Lone Tomb. The mystified and tired
ssearchers became absolutely desperate
with disappointment The air grew
cold and a light rain began to fall. The
walking, too, was difficult, owing to the
tthlcket on both sides of the track, the
tangled nderDrush and felled trees. s..
We shall soon know the worst said
the sheriff, who had been soldier, ''but
we may as well do the right thing up to
the handle. Well form III extended
line, so that we can cover some of the
ground in these woods, although I don't
see very well how q train could get
there, any way" t%sz a.*Nc sss5z5ET +.
The line was formed as suggested just
as the fine streaks of dawn appeared.
The ground was carefully examined, the
prickly: branches of tie underbrush
tearing the clothes of several of the par.
ty. Now the track again turned abrupt
ly, and then came open and very level
country, with wooded purple hills in
the distance, looking shadowy in the
dim, gray dawn. The regular order Of
march was once more adopted There
was no longer any conversation; every
body felt exhausted. Suddenly there
was loud cry. It was a shout of I'M
mistakable JOY.
'Hurrah! see her. I see the light
the headlight of Tieran's locomotive"
"Wbere?" all asked at once.
''There right ahead on the track as
straight as you can look,'' answered the
red-haired miner, who had made the
discovery. ''What the blooming blazee
can he be doing there?" he added. o.
"l'Il be shot if I can see any blamed
headlight"
"Whys sheriff you can't help seeing
it, said the ticket agent. 'Just follow
my finger" ..
"Oh, I've got it now"
Everybody saw it and felt elated in
consequence. The long tramp was for
gotten. The light doomed larger each
minute through the gray morning mist.
The party no longer walked hurriedly;
their object was achieved: There would
they find the train still on the track,
without having been rifled by the James
boys. 1t was probably some trifing &C.
cident to the locomotive that Tim Tier
nan was waiting for daylight to repair.
The whole crowd could now run back
with Conductor Jim Harris to break
laSt OllfCI hUW. rAu0 W LII u SpitluAu
joke was this hunt for "67" It would
by the professional humorists and cause
no end of fun. The now light-hearted
wayfarers walked briskly on.
They "spurted little," as there
was some distance yet to go before COM
ing up to the cleaning headlight. In
deed, the outline of the train could not
be distinguished clearly in the early
morning darkness, the misty. atmos
phere making the light on the open and
level country appear nearer than 1T
really was.
swell, boys" the Sheriff said, "thia
may be the last time I have occasion to
address you as a body. I think we all
c::ght to be proud Of our work. We've
stood the rain, the cold and the tramp
without hinchlng, and I'll see that the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe takes care
of u.s."
Lets get it over as soon as possible
What dye say to q run?'' suggested the
ticket agent. "We'ye been walking all
the time"
ssGood! was the response from q
dozen husky throats.
"A run be it, 1hen!" exclaimed the
Sheriff. Forward? Double quick"
The whole party set off toward the
light at high rate Of speed
Tie now damp earth re-
sounded with the quick, measured step
Of the courageous little band. The
headlight was At hand. Another couple
Of hundred yards and they would reach
it. The runners breathed hard, but
there would be rest in a minute or two
Hnrrah! the redbearded miner is the
first to disappear in the mist ahead OF
the others. He must be on the train by
this time. The sheriff is a good second.
There was deep growl Of disappoint-
ment. The light from the fixed kero-
sens lamp with bright reflector threw
its rays over the excited men and the
bare railroad track, and they looked up
and read by the faint daylight the le-
gend, Lone Tomb" above the platform
Of the station. B. =. VALENTINE.
NorE.-Th question is, what became
Of the lost train2 The author does not
know.-Manhattan MAGAZINE.