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

men, headed by the sheriff and the tick
ct agent, started for Lone Tomb. They
were all well armed and dozen
of them carried lanterns, The telegraph
operator ana the step-mOther and
father OF the expected bridegroom be-
hind and made themselves as comfort
able as they could under the circumstan-
ces. They knew that several hours
must elapse before any tidings of the
train could reach them. Tie night was
dark and cloudy and only occasionally
was the faint glimmer of star visible
through the overhanging frs chat grew
in rich luxuriance for anaile or two along
the track, forming an avenue of plumeu
ghosts with bowling heads. a.
" When the party had proceeded for
about d half an hour without seeing any
trace Of the train, it stopped to rest and
discuss the situation. The men looked
at each other as we'll as they could in
the blackness of the wood, and for a few
minutes no one spoke.
"Well," at length said the sheriff, as
he rested his rifle on one of the rails Of
the solitary track, II guess this is the
James boys work. We may have to
fight after all. Who knows but they
may have murdered everybody on the
train and got away with all the treasure
In the safe? It's rough across country,
and it's almost certain they'll come this
way. Keep sharp lookout, boys; we
may catch 'em We'd better travel in
military style. Advance guard, main
body and rear guard"
perhaps it amt the James: boys at
ALL" said weather beaten, red-headed
miner. "The train may have tumbled
over bridge or down ravine. Let us
look on both sides of the track as we go
along and"
That isn't very likely" interrupted
the ticket agent. "This branch is as we'll
built as any line in the west. The rails
are steel and the road is ballasted with
rock. The two bridges on it are thorough
ly substantial and the creek, they. cross
oren't big enough or deep enough to
mold horse car, much less whole
train. Resides, there isn't ravine
worth talking about within 200 yards OF
The track"
Lets go along, boys, and keep our
eyes open" said the sheriff; cts Of no
use staying here Ginning"
AS the ticket agent had stated, the
Bow was good one and besat with few
eral sharp curves, but the trains always
went slowly round these. There was
che bridge that crossed shallow stream
another spanned small mountain tor
rent, and above a cuttin through the
rocks, about seven miles, from Lone
Tomb, WAS a natural arch, formed by
powders in by-gone ages lodging in the
narrow gorge. These were the only parts
OF the road where an accident might. be
likely, but at the same time highly i'm
probable.
The night crept on and tho party
reached the first bridge. The gentle
ripple Of the stream fell on their ears as
the lanterns were held close to the
track. The rails, ties and frogs were all
intact. The parapets were in perfect
condition. No train could have possibly
run off the track there. Some of the
men plunged into the dense underground
among the willows near the water and
pWept the scene with the lurid light of
their lanterns, which flashed in the
woods like huge fire-hies. The brook,
}or it was nothing more, flowed silently
on. No railroad disaster had disturbed
it's limpid ca!mness
We've got to keep on, boys" said the
Sheriff, with an air of painful assumed
cheerfulness. we'll have B7's head
light blazing down on us yet. She can't
be far off now. We're only nine miles
from Lone Tomb. Well soon know
what the trouble is
No one bad anything to add to the
sherin's remarFs, So the weary, and, SO
far fruitless march WAS resumed.
changed if don't think" exclaimed
the red-bearded, miner, stopping sud
denly, "that them James boys has
ditched the train by putting logs on the
track and We'll find the wreck before
we get to One.tree bridge"
One-tree bridge was SO called because
huge pine stood like 8 sentinel close
to the small but petulant mountain tor
rent that the structure crossed. Again
the lanterns were SWING over the water.
Again the party scattered among the
trees and searched carefully for traces
OF the missing train and its passengers,
but without the smallest measure OF sue
cess.
"Guess I've had about enough of
this" said the ticket agent. "Let's 90
back again. the company don't pay me
to walk twelve or fourteen miles to look
after its trains"
SWELL" remarked one Of the party,
who had but little to say, "we've come
SO far, We may as we'll see it through. The
, thing ought 10 be followed up. Some
thing very unusual has happened. and
it is our duty to find out what it is. Who
knows but we may yet come upon the
corpses of all who were aboard that
train"
"Oh, it amt going to be as bad as
that" said the Sheriff, "but anyhow it's
of no use going back; " must be close
at hand. and then. " nen we've found
out what the trouble is, wen all have a
nap at Lone Tomb and take the morn
ing train for Silver Bow. We shall fetch
up in time for breakfast"
What ticks me-" the red bearded min
er blQrted out, lis why some of them
Lone Tom fellows amt found their way
here before this" 49,. :.
"They hadn't any reason to-" observed
another, miner, who carried very con-
spicuously two six-shooters, f*as the &C.
cident's happened up their way. But
do any of you know what the time is?'
There was an immediate pulling out
and examination of watches, and then
several voices chorused:
"Haf after three"
Il didn't think it was so late as that:
let us push on, boys" "-~.''. -,rz~, -. :
Ine g'OOm which had hung over the
party like Il pail during the earlier part
OF the march gave way to lightness of
spirit and POPULARITY. The terrible fate
which had probably befallen seventy or
eighty human beings was apparently
lost sight of for the moment. Whiskey.
TASKS received attention. Cigars and
pipes were lit, while various theories
were advanced to account for the non.
appearance Of the missing train. One
man suggested that it was taking jour
nev through the air attached to special
balloons, another that it had been blown
up with dynamite by Nihilists, a third
that the track had caved in and that 's67''
was running through private tunnel of
itsDWn. The red beard led miner seemed
to think that The train saw the Sheriff