The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-07-12

1890 ~NNA
heard of, men used to make the circuit
OF the country, buying up cattle and
driving 'em to markets. Drovers or
d~'ouyers they called EN-, and they
were supposed to carry q good pile of
money, else how could they buy the
cattle?
Lots OF those drovers have been
laid for and robbed. and among EN-
was Danny. When, after having dis
posed Of his drove at Portland, after
one OF his trips collecting cattle, he
left che city onc evening upon another
round of purchasing. There was no
railroad east of Portland in those DAYS,
and Danny started early upon horse
back, hoping to reach Brunswick to
spend the night. Somewhere in the
vicinity Of Falmouth he was set upon
by highwaymcn, robbed of his money.
and, as he fought EN-, was terribly
beaten and left for dead among the un-
dcrbrush which lined the road. Bein'
so tough he lived through it, and
managed to crawl to a house at no
great distance, and after Il time got
around again, hut he's been off the
handle ever since
Such was the story of his misfortune.
After the first visit he came quite often
to sit with us, always maintaining the
same moody silence, and always de-
parting at the first rays of dawn.
He was not by any means a pleasant
companion, and | never could disabuse
my mind of the fear that should OPP
p~Ortunity offer he would do me a mis-
chiet, although my companion laughed
at my fears, whils admitting that
Danny was growing wuss.' From
his continually watching my every
movement. and seemingly more ex-
cited by my presence, | conceived the
idea that his poor distorted magma
ton connected me in some u%naccount-
able way with his misfortune, and that
solne time | should have to fight for
my life with the mailman, and so it
proved.
One cold winter night after the mid
night trains had passed, we were sit
ting as usual waiting for morning and
relief, when q step r~esounded upon the
platform, and the Waterman going out
side to ascertain who could be abroad
at that late hour, returned with Dan
ny. He was in one of his worst moods;
indeed, | had never seen him in such
state Of excitement. Refusing the
chair offered him, he paced up and
down the little waiting-room, MUM
bling and grimaCing. Presently, the
Waterman, remarking that he would
just step into the baggage-room and
replenish the fire, left US, and |, imme-
diate}y rising, passed quickly into the
Office, closed and locked the door.
From a littIo window used in ~recciv-
ing messages from the public | could
So" every movement of the mailman.
~ we left him he stopped abruptly,
seemed to ponder for a moment. then
passed ont, following the Waterman.
In Il mumcnt shouts resoundcd from the
direction Of the baggagc-rOom, min
gEcd with the vigorous shaking of a
door A. | learned a~ftnrward, Danny
had crcpt stcalthily to the baggage
room door. and while the Waterman
was busy inside, had closed and locked
it instantly with the watchman's key.
which had been thOughtlessly left in
the lock. and with it all the keys in his
possession dangling trGG d ring III a
bunch.
Having the Waterman imprisoned, he
turned his attention first to me. and
entered the waiting-room, between
which and the office in which | had
taken refuge but a single light wooden
door interviewed.
Mumbling unintelligibly to himself,
he began trying the keys in his posses
sion to find one to fit the office door.
This | knew was of no avail, no one but
the operators, the day man and myself
carrying a key to the Office. Still, |
knew that though bafied in his attempt
to open the door with a key, he might
easily force it, and. therefore, | hastily
looked about me for some way of cs-
cape.
The only exit from the office was by
the door, upon which the mailman was
ever now engaged, or through the
window. against which | had G e his
face on that first night of our meeting.
TO leave by either ! argued would be
simply to throw away all chances of
cs ape, for now my assailant had given
up his useless attempts upon the door,
and was leering at Inc through the lit
tie telegraph window, watching my
every movement.
Conscious that he would soon at
tempt to force the door, | cast about
my extremity for some means of cs-
cape, and happily thought of the tower
above the office, made to accommodate
the wires.
If you should chance to pass over
our road, you must notice the great
number of wires strung upon the poles
on either side Of the track, for we
form the great railroad thoroughfare
Of the State, and the wires for the ac-
co%mmodation Of the public as well as
II own wires follow the line.
Upon the roof of the station a small
tower is built, through which pass all
the wires. Access to this tower might
be had through a small opening in the
office ceiling directly overhead. This