Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-12-05

well, III Jengtn SAID the 6heT1H, as
he rested his rife on one of the rails of
the solitary track, 81 guess this is the
James boys work. We may have to
have fight after all. Who knows but
that they may have murdered every body
on the train and got away with all the
treasure in the safe. It's rough across
country, aud it's almost certain they'll
come this way. Keep a sharp lookout,
boys; we may catch 'em. We'd better
travel in military style. Advance guard,
main body, and rear guard!''
"Perhaps it ART the James boys at
all, said weather. beaten, red-bearded
miner. "The train may have tumbled
over q bridge or down ravine. Let us
look at both sides of the track as we 20
along and"
"Ihat 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 bailasted
with rock. The two bridges on it are
thoroughly substantial, and the creeks
they Cross aren't big enough or deep
enough to hold Eorse car, much less a
whole train. Besides, there isn't ra-
vine worth talking about within 200
yards of the track.
"Let's get along, boys, end keep our
eyes open," said the sheriff: "it's of no
use staying here Ginning"
AS the ticket agent had stated, the
track between Lone Tomb and Silver
Bow was good one and beset with few
dangers. II is true that there were sew
eral sharp curves, but the trains always
went slowly round these. There was
one bridge that crossed shallow stream;
another spanned small mountain tor.
rent, and above cutting through the
rocks, about seven miles from Lone
Tomb, was natural arch, formed by
powders in by-gone ages, lodging in the
narrow gorge. These were tho only
parts of the road where an accident
might be likely, but at the same time
highly improbable.
The night cr pit on and the 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 in.
tact. The parapets were in perfect con-
dltion. No train could possibly have
run off the track there. Some of the
men plunged into the dense under.
6AO"sA ouOII6 VIC WAllOH6 uoAE Iu0 Wa
ter, and sweat the scene with the lurid
light of their lanterns, which flashed in
the woods like huge fre.hies. The
brook, for it was morning more, flowed
silently on. No railroad disaster had
disturbed its limpit calmness.
We've got to keep on, boys" SAID
the sheriff, with an air of painfully -as
sumed cheeriness. ''We'll have '67's
headlight 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 isl
No one had anything to add to the
sberlf's remarks, SO the weary and, so
far, fruitless march was resumed.
Hanged if I don't Think" exclaimed
the red-bearded miner, stopping sudden
~. "that them James boys has ditched
the train by putting logs on the track,
aud We'll find the wreck before we get to
One tree BRIDGE"
huge pine stood like sentinel close to
the small but petulant mountain torrent
that the structure crossed. Again the
lanterns we're swung over the water.
Again the party scattered among the
trees and searched carefully for traces
OF the missing train and its passengers.
out without the smallest measure OF sue
cess.
"Guess I've had about enough of
this" sad the ticket agent. "Let's 20
bacE 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 Well Gee it through.
The thing ought to be followed up.
Something very unusual has happened,
and 1t Is our duty to find out what it is.
Who knows but what 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; '67 must be
close at hand, and then, when we've
found out what the trouble is, we'll all
morning train for Silver Bow. We shall
fetch up ia time for breakfast
"What ticks me-" the red bearded
miner blurted out, "is why soma OF
them Lone Tomb fellows amt found
their way here before this.
"They hadn't any reason to-" observ-
ed another miner, who carried very con-
spicuously two six-shooters, "as the &C.
cident's happened up their way. But do
any of you know what the time 2"
There was an immediate pulling out
and examination of witches, and then
several voices chorused:
" Half after three"
90 didn't think it was so late as that;
let us push on, boys"
The gloom which had hung over the
party like a pail during the earlier part
of the march gave way to lightnees OF
spirit and POPULARITY. The terrible fate
which had probably befallen seventy or
eighty human beings was apparently
lost sight of for the moment. Whisky
TASKS received attention. Cigars and
pipes were lit, while various theories
were advanced to account for the non
appearance OF the missing train. Oae
man suggested that it vas taking a
journey through the air attached to
special balloons. Another, that it had
been blown up with dynamite by nihil-
lists. A third. that the track had caved
in and that 81 was running through
private tunnel of it's own. The red
bearded miner seemed to think that the
train saw the sheriff coming and had
run round into the woods to get out of
the way.
I" You may joke away, gentlemen, as
much as you please, but in my opinion
it's no joking matter" said the ticket
egent, gloomily. "Here is this single
track. That train left Lone Tomb at
$40, and it hasn't got as far as here yet,
and it is now nearly 4. Where can it
be-? There are no precipices over which
it could tumble. We don't know what
horrors may be in store for us. I'm al
most sorry I didn't go back; this long
and anxious tramp has played me out.
1t was the dark hour before daylight,
rendered deubly gloomy by the rocks
on each side. The track curved sharply
here as it entered the narrow gorge with
the natural arch of powders. No dis.
aster to train had taken place on this
ar10t Tho frock tho fioo on1 oxorv