Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-10-10
A DETECTIVES STORY.
Why He Is Not on the Force
Any More.


q smoking car on one of our railroads and
chatted famIliarly Of the ups and downs OF
miners life, the topic being suggested by
landscape dotted with coal-breakers and
furrowed with coal roads
The freedom and interest of their CONVEX
sation did not seem 10 be dampened by the
fact that the younger Of the two carried a
revolver, while his companion wore pair
of those uncoveted articles of jewelry which
are known in criminal circles as "brace-
let's"
The few persons who had observed them
learned from the confidential brakeman that
they were noted detective and his pris-
oner on the way TO trial. AS far as ages
went the pair might have been taken for
father and son, the fine gray head Of the
one contrasting strongly with the crisp
brown curls Of his captor.
What crime had been committed the
brakeman did not know, but hazarded a
conjecture that 1t ''must have been pretty
bad one, or George Munsen wouldn't have
took the trouble to put them things on his
wrists"
Presently the brakeman and the conduct
or satisfied the joint demands of etiquette
and curiosity by stopping TO exchange a few
words with the detective; the former then
perched himself upon the coal-box directly
behind the prisoner, and the latter dropped
magnificently into the seat in front. The
train was sweeping around curve and past
ruined trestle on the hillside at which
both Of the passengers looked with some in
terest
II remember that place." said the older
man.
$50 do l." responded the younger: 81 was
born there. Came near being buried there,
too" he resumed after moments pause.
Chow was thatl'
"It's pretty long story" said the de-
tective, "but guess Wen have time for it
between this and the next station. Way
up there on the slope is the little settlement
where l made my debut so to speak
from IL to the bottom of the hill there used
to be gravity road-a long, winding track
reaching from the settlement down to the
top OF a bank wall of earth where a slide
occurred the year / was born On both
sides of the track grew saplings that had
sprung up since the disaster (xhat l am
telling you occurred five years later), and
they crowded the road and hung over the
old rusty rails on which the coal cars used
TO run. You must remember that the
houses were built near the mouth of the Dit
that was one of the first mines worked in
this country, and one of the first to be
abandoned. Time l am telling about, some
men were walking up track, and a lot of
children playing near the top, climbing in
and out Of au old car which had lain there
since IL made It's last trip with the broken
spraggs still in its wheels.
THE men were miners, all but one of
them, who questioned his companions about
their work and the country they lived in.
He was evidently stranger.
presently, as they talked, a shout from
the top of the slope attracted their atten-
ton, and they looked up just in time to see
the car begin to move slowly down the
grade
There was an impatient exclamation
from the oldest man in the party. Them
brats Is always up to some mischief he
said. They have started that old thing OF
at last; I've been expectin' to see it go at
any time this five year They'll be break
ing their necks vet with their tom-foOling ,
And another of the group added: We
must dust out Of this lively, unless we
want to get our necks broke; she'll either
jump the rail or go to pieces at the bot
tom; lucky there amt no one aboard of
her
THE stranger was looking anxiously up
at the approaching runaway. His quick eye
had caught sight of something round and
golden above the car rim.
There's a child in that car he said,
quietly.
ut was a second or two before his COM
panions realized the awful meaning of that
statement. A childi That was as if he
had said that in few moments some one
perhaps one Of themselves-w would be
ohildless.
with one impulse they turned to look at
the broken rails at the edge of the fault.
Shuddering. they fixed their ewes again on
the approaching mass, then hopelessly at
each other. They could not dream of stop
pug the progress Of the car. But. quick as
thought almost, the stranger took hold Of a
sapiing and bent il down till il nearly
touched the track. Hold on he said to one
Of the men, 1T will help to check her. A
rod further down another and then q third
and fourth were held in the same
way. SO four Of the party waited for a few
bresthless seconds, while the two remain
ing ones hurried further down: but one
more effort and the car was upon them.
The first obstacle was whipped out of the
hands Of the strong man who held IL and
the cir rushed on 10 the second with hardly
lessened force. Again the barrier was
brushed aside, but this time the speed Of
the old wreck was perceptIbly less. BY the
time the fifth obstruction was reached the
newcomer was able 10 Chamber aboard and
throw the child into the arms OF his COM
panions but before he had time to save him
self the old truck had regained something
OF its momentum and was plunging on to
ward the precipice.
"Well the man iumpad iust ~ thev