St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-01-31
A STRANGE EXPERIENCE.

right elbow resting on 1t, which en-
abled him to hold the six-shooter
without a tremble The six-shooter
covered" Warner. The following
was the conversation that ensued :
What time does the night express
pass"
"She is due in about half an hour,
but she is over an hour late
An hour late, Ell?
Yes, besides, she doesn't stop
here. You'll have to go to Bloom
vile if you want to take the express y
But if you telegraph to Bloom
vile for her to stop here she'd stop,
wouldn't she?''
mo, she wouldn't
Hasn't she ever stopped here?"
"Once or twice"
what made herr
'Orders from the train dispatcher. !"
Where does he live?"
Center city
well, then, the messages from
| through this Office, mustn't they ?"
"Of course
"All right Then you could send
message from here that the Bloom
vile folks wouldn't know but what
it came from Center city, couldn't
you? ?"
Il could, but | wouldn't
''Oh, wouldn't you? Not - ask
ed you? Well, young man, TIL be
plain with you. If you don't send
just what | tell you to, I'll send a
couple ofbullets through you. We've
torn up the track just around the
bend, so the train'll stop anyhow,
and there will be an eternal smash.
Now we don't want to bother any
body. We just want certain pack
age that's in the express car. We
know it's on this train. We expect
to have to kill the eXpressman, for
there will likely be an extra man to
guard that package. It's valuable,
it is. If you don't stop that train
you will perhaps kill fifty people and
get shot yourself. If you do, the
folks in the sleeping car will never
know anythings out of the way,
and we will have the cash without
any bother Savey?
Il understand. Let me think n
moment"
well, hurry up. There's no time
to lose"
us the track torn up now, or are
you going to do it if don't stop the
train -
THE track torn up now"
''All right. ''I'll stop the express"
Nov, look here, young fellow.
want you to understand this: If you
try any fooling you won't catch us
and you'll get shot yourself. No
body can come here, for my friends
are round this shantv and won't let
anybody near here"
Nobody comes here anyhow, at
night, or in the daytime, either, for
that matter"
''All right. want you to under
stand the fix your in. We all have
fast horses, and even if you brought
a regiment on that train they could
not catch us, and you would have
few bullets in you before | got on my
horse"
Il understand"
"All right again Then go ahead"
The operator put his hand on the
key, but sat there thinking and did
not press it.
Now, see here; you hurry up
there. | don't want any monkey
business
The operator turned so sharply
around on him that the other in
stinctivelv raised his revolver lit
tie
"Will you oblige me by keeping
your cussed mouth shut? III start
when | get ready and don't you for
get it. I'm running this machine and
don t you forget that. If you don't
like it shoot and be hanged to you,
and then do your own telegraphing.
"That's the way to talk" cried
the desperate, with admiration.
"That's business Darned if | ever
heard a man talk like that with a
gun pulled on him. You do this |
thing up square, We'll whack up on
the swag. It's rather tiresOme
standing here, so I'll just take this
chair inside. | won't interfere"
"All right said the operator;
make yourself at home"
Then he turned to the table and
began telegraphing.
"Klick-a-lick, klick-a-lick, klick-a-
llCk, WCllt lllS Ills IL ulilSlll Id )lIllS
Whats that" said the despera
do, forgetting his VOW of non-inter
ference of a moment before. 1T
seems to be all the same thing"
1T is. | am calling the station at
Bloomville
"Klick-a-lick, klick-a-lick, chuck"
There, I've got EN-. Now, don't
me. I'll tell you what is
said when I'm through
The outlaw leaned forward with
puzzled expression, and doubtless
wished he knew as much about tele-
as he did about shooting.
rs Stevens there?' asked the in
strument at Bloomville. Tell him
Warner wants him.
There was a pause, and then the
Instrument at the lonely way station
answered.
Warner rapidly ratified out the fol-
owing message
This shanty is in thepOssession of
4 villain who has pistol pointed at
ne while l work. l expect it is the
lama county gang that is around
he place. They are going to rob the
Express. I'm supposed to be tele-
orders for it to stop here.
(ow, can't you make up special
here and get the sheriff and strong
posse to come down and gather in
he gang?"
''I'll do it. There's a freight en-
zine here now, and I'll put the boys
II some box cars"
mo, don't do that. Make up a
rain of passengers. Put Pullman
N behind if you have it, and make
look as much like an express as
-Ou can. Then send her down on the