Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-04
THE AGENTS STORY.

know how hot it can be on the prairie when
there Ia no wind.
was sitting in the little ticket Office of the
railroad station at which was agent. From
the window | 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 a horses hoofs, stopping at the
platform, and followed by queer ''peggingn
sound over the planks and into the waiting
room. looked up and saw boy OF about
IA 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 q pack
age to Col. Reed, a prominent cattleman,
whose ranch buildings were about mile
south of the track
"Are you the colonels sonl" asked as !
handed out the package.
eyes, sir" was the reply. Charles Reed
Is my name"
Then he turned and looked curiously In at
the Geographic instruments. He had such a
bright. healthy and wide awake air, that
invited him to walk in and exSmine them, If
he wished
His eyes frightened Immediately
I'D like to, If you don't mind The other
agent was cross, and was afraid to ask him.
Seeing that he was interested In them,
explained briefly the working of the key and
sounder, and tried to give him some idea
how message was sent and received. He
listened attentively and seemed to compre-
bend pretty well
Yes" he said, as i concluded, Il know
something about it, though only through
what have read. Would you mind writing
out the alphabet for mel'
wrote out the characters ON a slip of
paper, which he tucked carefully away in his
pocketbook, and then, finding was stran-
ger TO that part of the west, he volunteered
some information about the country, includ-
ing remarkably accurate description of the
game birds and their habits, which, as a
sportsman, found very interesting Before
he left he told me that he had lost his leg dur
ing an Indian raid about four years ago, be-
fore the railroad was built His fathers
ranch had been attacked without any warn
ing. He was only 10 years old at the time
and being out Of doors, he had slipped away
unobserved, and hidden in the corral, and
while there was hit by stray rife ball in
the knee
/ accompanied him to the door when he
was ready to go, and was surprised to sec
how thoroughly at home he was on his pony.
With his crutches slung behind him, he
swung nimbly into the saddle, and started
of toward home on a brisk gallop
One afternoon, about week later, he
dropped In again, having meanwhile learned
the photographic alphabet so that he could re-
peat all the characters easily, and next day the
colonel himself stopped in on his way to
town He was brisk genial man, who had
habit of shaking hands with every one.
He was typical frontier ranchman.
''Sso here, Mr.. Agent he said that boy
Of mine has laundering TO learn your bust
ness Hes kind of lonesome, you see--he
can't play with the other boys on account Of
his leg-and now if you don't mind havin'
him around, and will teach him what you
can-hes pretty bright, and can learn most
anything-why, I'll make it worth your
while What's your charger
why, colonel" replied, laughing at his
budnesslike manner, ~ shall be glad to have
him around-I am lonesome here-so we
won't draw up any contract"
Charley was an apt pupil. In about q
month he could send and receive a message,
though OF course not very rapidly. His
father was so delighted with his progress that
he made me present of q riding pony; and
shortly after, when Charley got 1t into his
head that 1t would be q fine thing to have
private line from the ranch to the station,
the colonel had me order two Instruments and
coil Of wire from Chicago.
Under my direction the cowboys put it up,
and though it wasn't stretched very tight,
and the poles were only fence posts spliced
together, it worked as well as the main line.
The instrument on my end of the line did
not care to have in the office, for fear that
oficious gentleman, the Ineman, would OBJ
ject, and so / set + up on one side of the big.
empty freight room
The autumn was now well advanced. and
found that my duties, instead of increasing.
grew lighter. There were but two freight
and express, east and west, went through be-
tween the hours Of and 4 in the morning, 90
that had great deal Of time ON my hands
] spent much Of it shooting chickens with
Charley-he was an excellent shot from the
saddle, though he told me he had time of it
training his pony to stand fire-and the rest
Of the time either read or rode out over the
trails IN the delicious Indian summer weather.
One night, about the middle of October, we
had q terrific thunder and wind storm, with
binding fall of rain and hail It came up after
the west bound train had left, and about an
hour before the eastern train was due. Twas
awakened by the noise, and got up to look out.
The rain was falling In torrents, and the wind
shook the building, while the lightning flashed
incesantiy.
Twas still looking out, Watching the furious
storm, when an unusually bright dash TO
vsaled for an instant the figures Of group Of
horsemen Looping across the prairie toward the
station. / stood still to catch another glimpse
Of them, II possible, but without success; they
had probably turned Off to the left
Shortly afterward / heard them at the
other end of the building, where they stopped,
Impposed, to seek shelter from the storm; or
possibly they were going to take the train. II
was not unusual for passengers to come
around an hour before train time, so thought
little Of it at the time
However, before l left the window, I heard
them tramping around the platform to the
door, and drawing beck to one side, waited
to see them pass. Between trains ! always
kept lamp burning, but turned down low
and it shone out now through the window;
and as the men stepped into the faint bar Of
Light, got quite distinct view Of them.