The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-12

10 70 nrther. Thus, ny imps.rrsptihic de-
grss,.. hr had basn drawn into plotting Z"
in AN almost xiecsDn,s, mlon1l he rrssc I'm
the morning and lpastcnssl along the ens.
tn uss, for this drraslf,L psrpusH,. The sig-
nal stood AT abGNt the dse.pes part III the
.H". rss S !. r..n nj" ~ tn,!.ms ,sispv.. tn.
cutting. An examination at the place sat
istiel Armstrong that the hest plan tai
adopt wossld h4. Ia attach ~ long cord la THE
CONFERENCE.-The, and. taking tise cord i'll
his hand, to climb tlls, signal post, Nd AS to
command "a long stretch of the lime and br
able tai lower thu signal arm at tine right
moment; for to he u moment ton soosi or
too late would he fatal tai his plans.
period of waiting slaspssi hcforc an oplor.
UNITY of carrying IL into effect presented
ancs. Of a wild animal waiting for It's prey,
hc took himself evening after evening TAI
tine signal ny various roundabout %ro'ites,
No as to ensure that no one would know
that hc went tai tls. same place. every day,
affixed his cord tO the cosinter-wcigi,t, and
nwaitssi.nn tn :ss, tire p:...'',,ger 'r",.;
yaass tire distanss-siRnal without stopping.
Al length. when the days had gre t in
ing nlors. suitable for carrying ont his
plan. as one evening h, listened anxiOsisiy
in the dusk tn the sound Of the approach
ing Islsseibgs.r train. ~ thrill Of pleasure
shot through him. for l.. noticed that il
was slackenihg sIsssi.. Taking the cord
in his hand. hc climbed rapidly UP the sig
nal post. and was ovcrjnysd tai lind the
passenger train topping just IN tln. sta
ton side. OF the. distance signal. lrcln-
bling with excitcnlcit, Ia. turned in the
direction whence. the, goods train would
come and ;.nxiously awaited til" sound of
him seemed hours, elapsed before there.
was amy ,ign of tiis. approach of the gDud-
train. TIN. passenger train. however.
still stoOL at the distance signal, ~hrowing
up long obliq'ic lines of light into the
misty air. AT length with fiuttcring heart
hc caught the. faint sound of Dtiifys train
narNrrnaGhilO- and Ssnnp fls. he.ASIliUhr
ovcrshahowssl by u cloud of steam. golden
with the furnace light, bs'Ran to- twinkle
dimly like stars AT twilight. i'm the dis
lance.
...Sow or never" thought Armstrong,
taking. two ar three turns of the. cord
round his hand. He then tngged Justify
at the, cord, bat the co,ntrrwclght would
not rise. With an oath ir twisted his legs
through th.. lattice work IA little above
him. so as to obtain "a better purchase,
seized the cord with both hands and
yielded to this violent effort the signal
arm descended. Armstrong; wild laugh
Of joy AT the acconIiishnhcit of his ne
farIo,Is purpose was almost immediately
stitis.d 10y IA cry of terror and pain. In his
excitement lc had forgotten dat hi. head
was immediately below the signal irnn.
and his savage. tug AT tho count,rwciglt
had brought the signal arm down upon
his head with 2 terrible and fatal fore.
signal. and falling with "a th'id upon the
slopiIg s'n'n,nk m"rit. lc was shot over
tIt' tGikt bI thc SIltsF bf'd'lDtte tI.tt
formed one side of the ronk-c,itting and
landed upon the opposite line.
That's surely "A man lying. on the up
line, Tom lac. remarked tn his fireman.
laying his hand upon the regulator.
"GoHi God. so il is"' cried Tom i'm
Without another word the steam WA.
shut oil, the link-g..ar reversed. and the
brake applied; for the two men knew that
and IL the man who was lying ON the line
who might hs unconsriaus through
drink ar through having fallci, ovcr.was
horrible death.
A. the train stopped with - shock and ~
humping Of buffers and clanking of coup
linG-'hains along its whole length, Duffy
jumped down into the s~ix-foot way with
the engine lamp i'm his hand. Bending
over the hldidled-,Ip form. llc l,ehi the
light above the blossl-covcrs.d face. and
pcerrd into il. A few seconds elapsed In
why he knclt so long locking into the nm
conscious mans face. jumped down bs-
side them and asked: lis he dead. Duffy"
Yes answered Duffy. raising his head
as IL hc had just awakened out of IL dream.
Who il he continued Tom.
Armstrong the smith,
Meantime the goods train had entered
the r~ock-cutting. The sigral-arm having
been lowered until il was in line with the
the entangleInent of the cord in the lattice
work when IL had only returned halfway,
stood at clear. But for this accident,
Armstrong; ficudlish scheme would have
been frtIstratetl; for tho support having
been taken away from the countcr~wcight.
il would have descended, and so elevated
the signal. And now, To crafty one MANS
jealousy and hatred and punish one
man, u hundred innocent men and
women in the passenger train were To Ina
sacrificed.
As the goods train came on rattling ana
roaring through the cutting, the driver and
stokCr. all unconscious of the imminent
peril in which they were, stood On the foot
plate watching tl.. signals and the line in
front of them. A glance. at the signal, ~
hc caught sight of II, showed Duily that il
stood AT clear. His eyes then wandered
downward tow ards the rails, when sud-
denly il WAS arrested 10y "a dark object ly-
ing ON the other line.
At this moment the brakesniun of the
train came along to- sec what was wrong,
and after Tom had explained the matter
tai him. they lifted the dead man and car
ricd him Ia the van. Duffy aud Tom then
returned tai tln. engine, and were. just
about tai start the train to advance to the
station and 500. what could Ia. done with
Armstrong, when Tom caught sight of
SOMEONE. running along the line with ~
lamp i'm his hand.
WHAT mp" cried Duffy.
"Nho can this la and what can he bc
wanting. =" asked Tom.
Al this point the man with the lamp ap-
preached the engine, and when hc had
come within the light Of the furnace. the
two men recognized him as the signal