The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-01-03

Wnen the party had proceeded for
| about half an hour without seeing any
trace of the train, it stopped to rest and
discuss the situation. The men looked
at one another as well as they could in
the blackness of the wood, and for
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, Il guess this is the
james boys work. We may have to
have 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
the country, and 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. Adj
vance guard, main body and rear
| ,;uard.'
Perhaps it amt the James boys at
ali" said q aweather-bea red-headed
miner. .'The train may have tumbled
over q bridge OF down ravine. Let
lis look on both sides of the track as
we 90 along and -"
''That isn't very likely" interrupted
che ticket agent. '',This branch is as
rails are steel and the road is ballasted
with rock. The two bridges on it are
thoroughly substantial and the creeks
they cross aren't big enough or deep
enough to hold a horse car, much less
whole train. Besides, there isn't n
| ravine worth talking about within 200
yards of the track"
"Let's get along, boys, and keep our
| ~ Oh of
use staying here chinning."
As the ticket agent had stated, the
track between Lone Tomb and Silver
| few dangers. 1t is true that there were
several sharp curves, but the trains al
| ways went slowly round these. There
| was one bridge that crossed shallow
stream; another spanned small noun
| tain torrent, and above a cutting
| through the rocks, about seven miles
from Lone Tomb, was u natural arch,
formed by boulders 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 improbable.
The night crept 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
intact. The parapets were in perfect
condition. No train could have possi-
| bic run of the track there. Some of
the men plunged into the dense under
growth among the willows near the
| water and swept the scene with the
| lurid light of their lanterns, which
flashed in the woods like huge fire flies.
The brook, for it was nothing more,
flowed silently on. No railroad ever
had disturbed its limpid calmness.
''We've got to keep on, boys" said
the sheriff, with an air of pain
fully assumed cheerfulness. ''We'n
have CTS headlight blazing down on
us yet. She can't be far Off now. We re
only nine miles from Lone Tomb. Wen
soon know what the trouble is
No one had anything to add to the
sheritf's remarks, SO the weary, and,
| so far, fruitless march was resumed.
Hanged if | don't think, " exclaimed
the red-bearded miner, stopping sud-
denly, that the 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
a huge pine stood like a sentinel close
to the small but petulant mountain tor
rent that the structure crossed. Again
the lanterns were swung 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
success.
Guess I've had about enough of
this" said the ticket agent Lets 90
back again; the company don't pay me
to walk twelve or fourteen miles to look
after its trains
..Well," remarked one of the party,
who had but little to say, ''we'ye come
so far, we may as well see it through.
The thing ought to be followed up.
Something 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"
s.Oh, it amt going to be as bad as
that" said the Sheriff, ''but anyhow
it's no use going back; '67' must be
close at hand, and then, when we've
found out what the trouble is, we II
all have a nap at Lone Tomb and take
the morning train for Silver Bow. We
shall fetch up in time for breakfast"
What licks me-" the red-beardec
miner blurted out, sis why some o.
them Lone Tomb fellows amt founC
their way here before this"
ssThey hadn't any reason to-" OBJ
served another miner who carried very
conspicuously two six shooters, ''as the
accident happened up their way. Bu
, do any of you know what the time Isl!
There was an immediate pulling ou
, and examination of watches, and then
several voices chorused:
'sHalf after s."
81 didn't think it was SO late as that
let us push on, boys"
The gloom which had hung over thu
t party like a pail during the earlier par
, of the march gave way to lightness o
spirit and jocularity. The terrible fat
: which had probably befallen seventy o.
eighty human beings was apparentl,
lost sight of for the moment Whisky
TASKS received attention. Cigars ant
pipes were lit, while various theorie
+ were advanced to account for the non
: appearance of the missing train. On
. man suggested that it was taking
Journey through the air attached t
o. Speclal D1iiOOuSi itlUtilcL llislp IL iit'
' been blown up with dynamite by th
; Nihilists; third that the track ha'
II caved in and it was running through
J, private tunnel of its own. The re-
q bearded miner seemed to think tha
II the train saw the sheriff coming an
" had run around into the woods to sc
: out of the way.
+ 'You may joke away, gentlemen.
e much as you please, but in my opiniio
q it is no Joking matter" said the tick
s agent gloomily. ''Here is this sing
# track. That train left Lone Tomb {
# 620 o'clock and it hasn't got as far
st this yet and it is now nearly o'clocl
il Where can it be? There are no prec
pices over which it could tumble. w
# don't know what horrors may be
* store for us. I'm almost sorry didn
e. 90 back; this long and anxious tram
le has played me out"
10 1t was the dark hour before dayligh
10 rendered doubly gloomy by the hie
20 rocks on each side. The track curve
ct sharply here as it entered the mario
of gorge with the natural arch of bou
or ders. No disaster to train had taxi