The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-03-08

ei0eu IOLai absence OF tears. / was cry-
ing for purpose.
When my arms dropped upon the
table allowed my hand to fall upon the
armature of the telegraph Instrument, 80
that could hold it as 10 prevent it from
clicking, while nay right hand rested upon
the key. Sobbing, SO that any slight
clicking the key might make would not
reach the ears of the robbefs, ! opened it
and slowly made the telegraphic charac-
ters:
h D
"These repeated several times. hoping
they might reach the ears of some opera.
tor on the line, slowly and distinctly
wrote these words, still sobbing vio-
lently:
his-for-Heaven's-
-Irain-dispatcher at - Laramie
quck-thnt-l -'m-in - the - hands of -
seven-robbers- who-will- -cnmpel-me-to-
observation-disclosures"
Then | signed name and Office CALL"
then released the armature, and the
instrument at once clicked out:
Brace up, little girl, l hear you H."
I'll was the train dispatcher's office
call. With a fierce oath the leader
sprang forward and rudely snatched me
away from the table, and asked:
Gal, watts that ?"
Only distant Office asking for orders
for freight train," responded.
None O. yer lyin,' you little imp!'' he
roared. You are up to some trick p
No." replied, 81 am not. Ii was
doing that my fingers would be on the
instrument. Don't you see am not touch
ing it and yet it works. 1t is only an order
to freight train away down at Medicine
Bow"
Keep away from that table," he said
savagely. AN if ketch you at any
tricks, I'll choke the life out O. you''
Oh, how eagerly my ears drank in
every word the instrument clicked out
l heard telegram to the sheriff at Green
River, twenty miles west, asking him to
arm posse OF men at once and get on
board special train which would be
ready for him. Then another to the young
superintendent, who was at Green River,
telling how my slowly written words had
been heard by the dispatcher, and asking
him to supervise the preparations to fly
to my relief Then a third dispatch to
the master mechanic, instructing him to
fire up his fastest passenger engine and
couple on t" a caboOse and wait the su-
perintendent's orders. My heart beat so
violently that it almost took nv breath,
although it seemed an age ere heard the
Green River operator call the dispatcher
and say:
The superintendent, with sheriff and
twenty armed men are aboard, and train
ready for ORDERS"
"The order came flying. 1t told the
engineer had clear track and run at
his very highest speed to within a half
mile of my station, and his party to
aight. Then came the welcome report
from the Green River office:
Especial East departed LIS.
"Oh, how my poor heart beat, and
how my every nerve tingled with excite
ment. LIS. mentally figured that the
train on such desperate errand should
make nearly mile minute and reach
the stopping point about 1875.
The robber chief gave his men their in
slructions. | was to be sent out alone to
signal the train, and when it halted the
band would make rush and board it.
"Bill, you jump the engine as soon as
she stops, an hold the engineer and fire.
man under your gun. Jack, you pile into
the mail car an make the clerk give up his
registered letters, an me an Yank, an
Aleck'l work the express car, while Tom
an Shorty holds the conductor and
brakeman back. Do yer work, quick an
bold, an don't be afeared to burn pow
der if necessary. Thar's big haul on
that train, an we've got to have it.'
"How eargerly | watched the clock,
and how slowly, how very, very slowly
the hands seemed to move. One twenty.
one, one twenty-five, one thirty were
ticked off. One thirty-6ve! would they
never come?'
"The men sat on the bench along the
west side of the room, facing along the
two windows on the east. tried to fig
ure on how long it would require for the
men to walk to the depot from the stop.
ping place. Perhaps even then they were
surrounding the station and might hear
a knock at the door any instant. Would
there be fight? Oh, horrible thought.
In few moments / might see men shot
down before my face, and might myself
be killed. I almost tainted with fright
The blood seemed to freeze in my veins,
and l grasped the chair or would have
fallen to the floor. One forty There
came fearful crash of glass, and the
black muzzles of perfect cloud of rifles
were thurst through the windows and
pointed directly at the robbers. Then q
voice cried out:
"Men, throw up your hands. lam the
sheriff, and in the name of the law de-
mand your surrender. Make but move,
and I'll order my men to fire p
"You cursed little cat" hissed the
leader, glaring at me savagely as the
band sullenly held alott their hands.
Then the sheriff and three men entered
and disarmed and handcuffed the robbers,
and saw the Superintendent looking at
me and heard bim say, what debt
owe you, my brave girl = and then 1 tell
fainting into bis arms" e.y 3.4
"When | regained consciousness was
living in nv bed at Green River, with sew
eral ladies around nae, and was told -thst
seven days had elapsed since the capture
of the robbers. was suffering from.
brain fever brought on. by the terrible
strain had passed through, and had been
rcoonao;oua for that long period. For