The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-04-12
THE AGENTS STORY.

was sltllnb III tue nltle llchet ohice VI tiio
railroad station at which was agent From
the window l could see the hot air rising
from the sunburned buffalo grass, giving to
the lonely ranch buildings scattered here and
there In the distance an unstable, wavering
appearance, as though they might at any
moment blow away.
Presently out of the silence there came the
foot falls of horses hoofs, stopping at the
platform and followed by queer "pegging"
sound over the planks and into the waiting
room. I looked up and saw a boy of about
II standing in the doorway. His right leg
was amputated above the knee, and he sup
ported himself on pair of light crutches,
which had sling straps like an army carbine.
He handed me an express order for pack
age to Col. Reed, a prominent cattleman,
whose ranch buildings were about mile
south of the track
"Are you the colonels son!n asked as I
handed out the package
"Yes, sir" was the reply. "Charles Reed
Is my name"
Then he turned and looked curiously in at
the telegraphic instruments He had such a
bright, healthy and wide awake air, that
invited him to walk in and examine them, If
he wished
His eyes frightened Immediately.
0T,d lilo 10 ~ vo,, DON'T mind Tho otber
a1ant ,vas crose aud T ,vas afraid to asl, hin, ~
seeing that be was interested in them.
exnlained briefly the working Of the kew and
sounder and tried 10 give him some idea
how a message was sent and received He
listened attentively and seemed to compre-
hand nrattv wall
"Yes.n he said. as I concluded 81 know
something about IL. though only through
what have read Would Won mind writing
out the alphabet for mer
wrote ont the characters on a slim Of
naner which he tncked carefully awav in bis
nocketbool md then finding was n stran-
Ger 70 that mart Of the west he volunteered
some information about the country. inclld-
inc n remorkobIv accurate descrintion of ths
o.ma birds mud tbe;r habits which as n
sno-+suor found vsrv Interesting Refor~
ba ,aft bo told mo that be had lost his ,eo dur.
inc an Irdion raid about four voors ago bs.
fore tho railroad was built His fatbert
rancb bod heo, attached without any warn
ina Ha ,vos onI, IN voars old NJ the time
and beino ont Of doors ha had slinned aw,v
,,,olsar1-aJ op1 b;,il,r, 1, ,ba oor,al apd
wbiIa tbore was bit nv n stroy r;ao hal, in
tho tnaa
.coo,,ro,iaa hin, 60 tha doo, ,vb.,, ha
,vas reody 70 oo and ,vos s,rnrissi to 600
hov, ,hororol,s ~ hon,o bo MO-, ~, HE ,vony
with bis cr,,tchos sIuno hebird him ha
su,,ng n;mh,v into tho saddle and started
90 +or,,orI No. o., , hr;s,, ,,aI,o,,
Ore afternoon about n wool, loter ba
d-o,,,,od q, o,,oi,, bo,,iror r,o.n,,hila ,.o,,od
tho talooro,,bio oiohahat 90 that bo con,d "a.
nsat nj, the acharacters eosilv and next dav the
COLONEL bin,seIr stonnad IN ON bis vay 70
town He was brisk genial man who had
q bohit 20 sboLiro bonds With ararv ono
He was a tvnical frontier rancbman
..saa here Mr. os,t ~ he said chat how
of mine has a bapkerino, IN learn vour busi-
moss He's kind or lonesoma Won s.e-be
can't plav with the other bows on account of
bis laor--and now if Won don,t mind bavin,
him around and will teach him what Won
can-be,s prettv bright and can learn most
anvtbing-wbv I'll make Il worth your
while Whats vour chareew
sslyhv colonel - ren,ied launching Mt his
businesslike manner. ~ shall be glad to have
him around-I am lonesome here-o we
won't draw mn any contract
Charley was an ant pupil. In about a
month he could send and receive n message
tbouph II course not very rapidly. His
father was SO delighted with his progress that
he made me n present of a riding pony: and
shortly after when Charley got il into his
head that il would he n fine thing IN have n
private line from the ranch TO the station.
the colonel had me order two instruments and
n coil of wire from Chicago.
Under NV direction the COWBOYS put IL up
and though it wasn't stretched very tight
and the noles were only fence nosts snliced
together it worked as well as the main line
The instrument ON my end OF the line did
not care TO nave III the oilcc, Tor fear that
onieious gentleman the hneman, would Cd
Ject, and so set 1t up on one side OF the nis,
empty reight room
The autumn was now well advanced, and l
found that my duties, instead of increasing,
grew hghter' lhere were but Two freight
trains every other day. and the daily mai
ana express, east ana west, Went through Pc
tween tne nours OF ! ana IN 'he morning. 50
tna' nou great ueai Oh tnne on my nhnus'
spent much Oh " shooths ohiekens win
Onariey--he was an eAeeieht snot rom tne
sauaie' tnough ne Voio me ne hao tuie Oh IL
framing ms pony 10 s''tnu ilre--ehu ths rest
oi .ne Time ei'ner reaa OF roue ouo oVe the
ualis III 'ne ueii'iouS ihuiah summer wea1her'
Ohe nsns' aoou' 'ne 'hiouie oi oo'ooer, we
t,iu 'eriine .huiiuer a',p wiha STORM wi.h
piuiuine ran Oh ram ana nan llcame uP'i'ef
tne "eSb pouhu uaill hah isil, allu hboub an
Aou De.y's ~. eas'ei' ''sii "a' uu,. was
@ @~aAeeu py sno noise' a.,u ea'''p 70 iooA ou'.
80, a'n "a1 ,aHs ~ en's, ana 'ns ".ns
800 'pv D''N''e' ""'i' 'He iis uA'Heu
~,
was ''''' ''0A'Ns ou'' ""'oiiins 'ne ii'u'
storm, when an unusually bright flash re-