Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-02-24

the rope that bound him was made fast
to the little iron safe, the danger Ian
tern was swung out in the darkness
and the cowardly rufians hurried away
to secrete themselves, expecting to hop
on the express car as soon as the train
came to standstin and by fair or
foul means shut the mouth of the ex-
press agent. secure the booty coveted
and made their escape unobserved
when the train slowed up at the sta
ton above. The first part of their
plan worked admirably, and when the
train stopped one of the gang in the
garb OF a section hand ran up to the
conductor, exclaiming breathlessly:
"a bowlder rolled down on the track,
and as none of the other men were in
calling distance l was afraid I could
not get it off in time and so had the
danger signal swung out. But it is all
right now" pointing to huge rock by
the side of the track.
Neither the conductor nor engineer
suspected treason, and in few min
utes the train was again in motion, the
disguised rogue hopping on the ex-
press-car platform on the opposite side
II,
passed the place where he stood.
Not seeing the Benning operator. az
cording to arrangement, Frank Rev
nolds stepped off the train and into the
little waiting-room, where a light was
dimly burning. Hearing groans some
where in the neighborhood she ven
tured into the Office, where poor Hugh
was lying bound hand and foot. He
had succeeded in forcing the gao
partially out of his mouth, and lust az
the train started off his efforts to make
her understand the situation became
clear and sent her to the Instrument to
flash the news to the station above.
The message was brief but startling:
Look out for robbers on express car No
Send assistance to Beuning by next train
Operator badly used up"
She waited few minutes, and then
back over the wires came:
All right You will have assistance very
soon"
With this assurance she went back
to release Hugh, still a prisoner in the
inner Office. The poor fellow had been
roughly handled and before he was
free tainted sew eral times from the loss
of blood He was still unconscious
when the train stopped few minutes
later with surgeon and the assistance
promised on board. They brought the
good news of the capture of the train
robbers, BIZ. Hugh was too weak to
pay much attention to the conversation
that night
He'll be all right by morning, -
said the doctor, confidently, but he
was mistaken, for the next day found
the poor fellow tossing uneasily in a
high fever. Day after day and night
after night Frank Reynolds remained
to nurse him and attend to his duties,
until her whole -fortnight's vacation
was gone. Not until the morning she
went away, however, did Hugh identi
fy her with Frank Reynolds, his friend
telegrapher.
He had supposed that Frank was 6
bright, witty young man. about his
own age, but when he found out hi.
mistake, weak and helpless as he was
the shock did not injure him in the
least; on the contrary, he made a very
good recovery, and the messages tina
continued to pass between Benninl
and Mantua, though they changed
somewhat in character, never decreased
In number. Six months have passet
since that eventful night that marked
their first meeting, and-well, Hugl
has taken charge of larger Office
with double pay, and as Frank ha
agreed to make home for him the OF
| fee at Mantua will be without an CD
orator again.-BelLe v. Chisholm, il
! Chic yi1fnn1y ........