Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-15

woman, Or i SIC took it herself
Heavens and 3axth, hoB hot it iags {
4..And what are We to do now, Iwon--
dor. # win take ten hours 1t least TO
clear the track. replace tho rails. and
get things in good running order again.
This Is what the conductor tells me.
And tomorrow is Sunday, too-worse
luck. for they run no trains on this
road on that day, except the searly
morning one"
DIR. Max Melfort buried his hands in
the pockets OF his linen buster, and
looked around over the land.
''Have we got to stay here till Mon
day morniug?" he queried, at last
''Not here, but at Claynor. OF course,
We shall reach there too late for the
solitary Sunday train, which passes
there about eight o'clock in the morn
ing"
''And how far is it from here?"
We called the conductor and held a
parley. We found that ,Claynor was
forty miles off by rail, but that road
to it lay over the mountains, which
was less than half that length.
81 tell you what, gentlemen" said
the conductor; IF you. are very
anxious to get ON, why not strike
across the fields to that little town
over yonder-there1 whore you
see the white spfre above the trees?
You can hire a horse and buggy there,
I've no doubt, and, if you're not afraid
of a night-ride across the mountains,
you can reach Claynor long before the
time that the train is due. AS for this
smash-up here, I'll tell you frankly
that If we get things to rights by mid
day tomorrow, it's as much as I think
we can do. You see the. track is all
torn -sleepers splintered andyrails
spread out like fan-besides the dam
age to the engine
Il must reach New York before
Monday morning. if possible. said DIR.
Max. turning toward me. What say
you. Paul? Are you ready to make
the attemptp"
''Of course. Any thing is better than
to stay stewing here, with q. prospect
of being roasted at Claynor all day to-
morrow Besides, the moon is at its
full. SO that a nightdrive / in this
weather will be rather pleasant than
otherwise" t. 8k
''Come along, then" And with q
goodbye to our friend, the conductor,
we turned our backs upon the disor-
ganized train and the idle groups that
were collected round it, and started of
in search Of the little town to which
We had been directed.
We reached it after about half an
hours walk. and found it q very small
and sleepy place, indeed. though re-
joicing in the pompous cognomen OF
New Nineveh. The little white-washed
hotel afforded us material for copious
additions and good supper. and the
horse and buggy were easily found,
and were hired by US at q reasonable
rate. We were to leave them with the
proprietor OF the principal hotel at
Claynor. their owner having business
there in the course OF the next week,
and as he very sensibly said: ''He could
go there by rail and then drive him
self home just as we'll as not" Our
road vas perfectly plain; it lay straight
before us, we were told, and it was q
remarkably good road, except just
about three miles Of it, which led over
the range Of blue hills which we could
see stretching away into the purple
distance.
The sun had not long been set when
We started on our journey. The heat
was still intense, while the atmosphere
seemed stagnant with q dull, Cypress
i've closeness that weighed on mind
and body alike. No breath of freshe,
air sprang up with the going down OF
the sun, end no cooling change crept
over the parching earth. We almost
gasped for breath. and forbore to urge
the pace OF our painting but patient
steed. The moon hung above the no
rizon. blood-red and rayless, like the
battle-crimsoned shield of some war
rior of DID,. There was something
ominous in the aspect of the heavens,
and in the unnatural stiffness which
seemed to prevail on all sides. The
insect-voices that fill the summer day
with their shrillness were hushed and
mute. The birds sang no more. Only
the tree-frogs broke the silence with
their noisy cry.
1--WE shall have storm before long, >
quoth Dr. Max, after we had gone a
few miles; ''there is thunder IN the air.
But it will hardly come up before TO-
morrow morning, think"
Our way at first lay among verdan1
pastures and productive fields, which
skirted either side Of the road. Grad
ually the road began to ascend, the
traces of cultivation became fewer, and
half-cleared patches Of land took the
place of .well-tilled farms. At last
even these gave way to q dense forest
of pines which rose on either side like
walls of gloom. looking dark and