The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-12-10


for the express car. As they ran into the
stream of light coming through the
open door shot fired from the dark
ness to the left of the train tumbled
one Of them to the ground. The others
fusilladcd the spot from which the
shot appeared to come. and then two
shots fired under the train from the
other side and another shot from away
out in the dark. laid one Of the thieves
out cold and caused another one to
howl
1.-The trainmen we're beginning to
fight. My blood got warm. had
good six-shooter under the scat, and if
that fellow at the cab window had
only taken his eye off me for moment
Id been ont there helping the boys.
Those at the rear of the train then
joined those in front, and all made a
dash at the open door of the express.
They were all in bunch in the light.
The first man to enter the door
stood a moment and then fell back out
side in the crowd. The shot came
from the darkness away out to the
left. Another man tried it. As he fell
had been watching, fired volley at
the fash away off in the dark. The
next man sho tried to enter the car
succeeded.
1.-The others kept watch until he re-
appeared at the door Something was
crong. Two others got in to help him.
Then one of them whistled. and my
man at the window jumped off and ran
back to the train.
That was my chance. Out came
the gun from under the seat, and got
a snap shot at Toms man. but missed
him. As he turned on me Tom struck
his arm with wrench. knocking the
pistol from his hand. lie jumped off
into the darkness. We backed her
slowly up toward the train, firing as
we went.
suddenly dark form rose up on
Toms side of the track and threw
something into the tender. Tom and ]
both fired at the man. He staggered
up against the cab steps and groaned.
Then by a superhuman effort he caught
the hand-rail. and just as we were pre-.
pairing to give him another shot he
dragged his face into the light.
1T was Charlie. We both had hit
him!
'''Pull out Jim, and save the box:
''That was all he said 1t was the
box he had thrown into the tender.
No matter how much there was in it,
the stuff wasn't worth the life of the
boy who saved it to the company.
I Il 10, Int hn
Tom threw the old engine wide open
and we ran away from the train rob
bers and all.
1T was forty miles to the nearest
station. a small government post. Tom
fed and worked the engine. | sat on
the seat beside Charlie and held him
up. The rattle and rumble of the
wheels accused me at every revolution.
'.They seemed to be repeating the
words: You've killed him. You've
killed him. Tom made those forty
miles in an hour; good time over that
road at that day. but it seemed to me
an age. AS we were running in Tom
gave the bell and whistle both, and
then when she came to stand he fred
two shots. The bluecoats were out in
jiffy.
Everything was told in few
words. Charles was carried into the
quarters and turned over to the sur
geon, fine old fellow named Hamil-
ton. With an escort Of twenty men
we ran back to the train. The robbers
had left it. Finding the express empty
of treasure they had tried to &C
through the train. There were toe
many revolvers among the passengers
and they drew Off
when we reached the post again
Surgeon Hamilton walked up to the
cab. Are you Jim Cooke said he.
nodded. Take these to Mr. Whites
wife, and he handed me Charities
watch, a hank book and bunch of
surgeon went on, not to feel bad about
that shot. The road agents found him
with that last volley, and he would
have gone under anyhow from his
other wounds. Ills body will go back
with you on your return, and | will
give you letter to the express com.
pany.'
tom cried like child. ! couldn't
cry; my brain seemed to be on fire:
was thinking one minute of how re.
proachfnlly Charlie had looked at me
when he swung into the cab with a
dying effort, and the next of a frail
little woman in Frisco who was pa
tiently waiting Charities return.
1.-The company gave her a pension,
but she didn't need it long"
What was in the box" / asked.
Certificates of stock in wildcat
mining scheme"
"Why-"
1T was like this" said Jim, wiping
his eyes and bringing his story to
close. The express agent saw that
somehow the fact that shipment OF
| treasure was to be made had leaked
| out At the last moment he substi.
| tuted lot of worthless securities. He
| saw that he was Swallowed on the way
to the train and he acted up at the
depot just to throw the robbers off the
| scent and to make them believe that
| the shipment was really being made
by our train. Quail, in the BY.
| stander.
A Neapolitan Trait.
A maker of macaroni in Naples was