The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-31
Selected Storm.
She Baflled the Brigands.

While In small town IN wyoming
territory, says a writer in the Baltimore
Netos, l learned that lady living
there had been the heroine of thrill
ing adventure with train-robbers, and
curiosity and love for the brave in
duced me to call on her to tell me the
story. When l went to her house l
was welcomed by a handsome lady of
thirty, and, in response to my earnest
request for this one chapter of her life,
she related the following true tale:
In 1873, when but girl of eighteen,
left my home in Omaha and came out
here to fill the lonesome position of
night operator at small station on the
Pacific railway in this territory. 1t
was a dreary, desolate spot, in the
midst of desert.
The only buildings at the station,
apart from the depot, were a section
house, occupied by a track foreman
and few Chinese laborers, water
tank and a coal-shed. The day opera
tor and agent, mere boy, slept at the
section-house, about two hundred yards
distant, so that during the long, dreary
night l was alone in the depot. Num-
Der four express train, bound east,
was due at 2:l5 in the morning, but it
never stopped unless signaled, and as it
was the only train during the latter
portion of the night, you can imagine
my lonely situation upon the desert
wild. | had my books and guitar as
companions, and passed much of the
time reading, and when the doleful
howlings of the wolves were borne to
my ears from the distant sand-hills
would pick up my guitar and endeavor
to drown their cries with music and
song.
The superintendent of the division,
buoyant, light-spirited young gentle
man, came over the road at frequent
intervals and cheered me up with
promises of a better position when a
vacancy should occur. He often found
me on the very brink of despair, almost
on the point of resigning my position
and returning to my humble home and
the mother who depended on my salary
for the necessaries of life; but his
genial conversation and words drove
away the gloom, and l came to look
for his visits with sense of the keenest
pleasure. l began to regard him with
a sisterly affection, he was so kind and
tender and solicitous for my welfare
and comfort.
One night, shortly after midnight, as
l sat at my table reading late novel,
thought heard a shuffiing footstep on
the depot platform, but as it was not
repeated | concluded it was but wolf
more daring than his cowardly fellows,
and l resumed my book.
A few moments later | heard a low
knocking at the door, which l always
kept locked, and strange feeling came
over me. During my several weeks
stay at the station l had never had a
visitor, and the sudden knock, so low,
yet so startlingly clear in the stiffness
of the night, caused my form to trem-
BILE and my cheek to blanch.
My first thought was of Indians, and
then l reasoned that it might be some
tramp desiring shelter. While / sat
there in alright, the knock was re-
peated, louder than before, and, mus
tering all my courage, l approached the
door and asked:
Who's there?"
A gruff voice replied:
A traveller who desires TO take the
east-bound train"
1t was my plain and unmistakable
duty to admit him, and with trembling
fingers | drew the bolt.
Instantly the door was pushed vio-
lently open and | sprang back to the
table and sank into my chair in terror,
when seven burly men, wearing cloth
masks on their faces and armed to the
teeth, entered the office. One of them,
evidently the leader, walked up to me,
and, pointing large revolver at my
head, said, in low, firm voice:
Gal, we don't want to hurt you, but
If you make suspicious move, or
scream or give any alarm, so that any
o. the men in the section-house kin
hear you, I'll Spite the looks O. that
pretty face with bullet. Be quiet and
sensible, and behave yourself, and yer
shan't be hurt. Whar's yer red signal
lamp"
"What would you do?" l gasped.
"None O. your business. We don't
want to hear any unnecessary back
talk, nor no impertinent questions.
Whar's the red lamp"
"A chill OF horror swept over me
when the truth burst upon me that
was in the hands of band of desperate
lrdlu-rODDerS, WHOSE evident intention
was to signal the train and rob the ex-
press car at my station.
What could do? 1t was yet three
hours until the train was due, but
could not elude my captors to rouse the
section-men, and knew by the CLEAN
in the leaders, eyes, through the holes
in his mask, that if | made the least
cutlery he would not hesitate to carry
out his threat and murder me.
knew they could find the lamp easily
by searching for it, and in a trembling
voice | told him it was hanging Just in
side the door of the freight-room. One
of the men got it, and after examining
it to see that it was in order, the rough
band took seats to await the incoming
of the train.
The leader lit his pipe, and, looking
at me steadily for few moments, said
Young gal, when that ar train toots
her whistle we've got some work for
you-an official duty, as you might call
it. You must go out there on the plat
form and signal the train to stop an