Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-07-05
There's something unusually wrong

harmless CHAP, ana let MIN wander
about at his own sweet will; but / tell
you they're going to have trouble with
him one of these days. I've known
him for long time; he's been away
from these parts now goin' on six
months, and he's come back wilder'n
ever. You amt been here long enough
to've ever seen him before, and no
started you, for he amt no picture,
amt Danny.
How'd he come SOP Twas like
this: In the old days, before cattle
cars and stock trains had ever been
heard of, men used to make the circuit
of the country, buying up cattle and
driving 'em to markets. Drovers Or
drouyers they called 'em. and they
were supposed to carry a good pile of
money, else how could they buy the
cattle?
''Lots of those drovers have been
laid for and robbed, and among 'em
was Danny. VIXEN, after having dis
posed of his drove at Portland, after
one of his trips collecting cattle, he
left the city one 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 highwaymen, robbed of his money,
and, as he fought 'em, was terribly
beaten and left for dead among the I'M
i L. - A. -
so tough he lived through 1t, and
managed to crawl to a house at no
great distance, and after a time got
around again, but 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 l never could disabuse
my mind of the fear that should OPP
portunity offer he would do me a mis-
chief, although my companion laughed
at my fears, while admitting that
Danny was growing wuss." From
his continually watching my every
movement, and seemingly more ex-
cited by my presence, L conceived the
idea that his poor distorted magma
ton connected me in some unaccount-
able way with his misfortune, and that
some time 1 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 fer morning and
relief, when a step resounded upon the
platform, and the Waterman going out
side to ascertain who could be abroad
at that late hour, returned with Dan
n.y. 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 l, imme-
diately rising, passed quickly into the
office, closed and locked the door.
From a little window used in receiv-
ing messages from the public l could
see every movement of the mailman.
AS we left him he stopped abruptly,
seemed to ponder for a moment, then
passed out, following the watchman.
In a moment shouts resounded from the
direction of the baggage-room, min
gled with the vigorous shaking of a
door. AS l learned afterward, Danny
had crept stealthily 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 from a ring in 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 l had
taken refuge but 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 1 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 baffled in his attempt
to open the door with key, he might
easily force it, and, therefore, l hastily
looked about me for some way of es-
cape.
The only exit from the Office was by
the door, upon which the mailman was
even now engaged, or through the
window, against which l had seen his
face on that first night of our meeting.
To leave by either l argued would be
simply to throw away all chances OF
escape, for now my assailant had given
up his useless attempts upon the door,
and was leering at me through the lit