San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-03-18


we're padlocked and the key was in the ticket
office drawer.
About this time the door leading to the
waiting room was opened and one of the
roughs looked in.
'Say, young Teller, are you alive yeti" he
asked
YES" responded.
"Well, we wanter know if there's anything
you've got to do to this here telegraph machine
so they won't suspect nothin'-any report to
maker
This was pretty cool, and for a moment
thought might still have an opportunity to
warn the dispatcher, and was ON the point of
saying yes when another voice cut me
short.
"You let him get his claws on that machine
an he'll have 'em stop the train. Don't be a
fool; come out an shut the door"
The door slammed and once more wasleft
in the dark.
l was now beginning to suffer from my
constrained position and the cutting of the
cords, so began to cast about me for relief;
and then suddenly ] remembered a reaper
blade that had been left at the station a few
days ago by the express. 1t was loose from
the board and / had placed it in a corner so
that no one could be hurt by it accidentally.
Accordingly rolled over and over until my
feet touched the opposite wall, and then sit
ting up with my back toward the corner,
felt for the blade with my hands
To my great satisfaction found it, got the
cord across one of the teeth and carefully
saved it back and forth.
In moment my hands were free and then
1 loosened my feet. l then took off my shoes.
This done | was able to move about without
making any noise.
Still was unable to accomplish anything,
for it was impossible to get out and was on
the point of composing myself in my old po-
sition, to avoid another knock down, should
the roughs look in, when slight ''spiz-z-z,"
followed by a bright sparkle, attracted my
attention to the south side of the room. 1t
was the instrument on the private line, af-
fected by the lightning-a common occur
renee in all offices during thunderstorms.
/ stepped up to it quickly and tried the cir
Gait 1t was all right, though the rain made
such a noise on the roof that | could hardly
near the s1under 1t was not probable that l
could get an answer from Charley at that
time Of night, but as my only resource it was
worth trying So | started in, making his
call, ''Ch."
"C-h-c-h-c-h" ratified; and presently,
to my surprise, the circuit was opened and
the response came:
"I-i-c-h"
Then | talked" to HMM my excitement
a great deal faster than he could take, and
he interrupted me with slower"
III" said, call your father"
Not home," came the answer; "all hands
gone out to round up a bunch of cattle siam
peded by the storm"
''I-i-i-i-i-," answered, stopping to re-
feet. Then went ahead again:
Can you ride over to the west cut and sig
nal the train to stop"
Yes; what fors'
Get a lantern and put piece of thin red
flannel around it if you can. Swing it across
the track when you see the headlight and
keep it up till they stop. Tell conductor
there are eight men here waiting to rob his
train. Be quick about it,"
40. K. By George" This last by way of
expressing his surprise, | suppose and then
the ticking stopped
| now began to feel that the roughs would
be foiled, though of course it all depended ON
Charley. But it was something that just
suited his nature. | could imagine him ON
his pony, lantern in hand, tearing across
the prairie as though band of Comanches
was after him.
Meanwhile thought it best to take my old
position against the wall, to avoid any sus-
piciol, should the robbers grow inqusitive.
So lay there and waited and waited-the
time seemed fairly 10 drag alOng-until felt
certain that the train was due. But it did
not come, Though the movements of the
aright-it was probably little overdue by
this time and they were getting restless.
Presently one of them opened the door and
looked in.
Say, operator, is that train on timer" he
asked
YES" replied, 'they were ON time the
last heard them reported-about o'clock"
He retired again, and for about ten min
utes all was still. Then above the noise of
the storm a far away whistle sounded family.
Next there was a hurried movement in the
outer room-the roughs were crowdiHs out
upon the platform.
sprang to my feet and stood against the
il, p hill H.
putting my ear against the boards | could