Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-01-23

light cut through the night about
midway OF the car. Then that streak
Of light was darkened by the length
ened shadow of a man, which moved
crosswise Of the train and seemed to
melt out into the night.
"eGet back, Charliep I yelled, for
I thought he was about to look out
for the cause of our stopping.
Open your head again and I'll
blow it OFF, said a voice beside me.
Turning saw a man at each Of the
cabs front windows. They had
jumped up on the pilot and crept back
alongside of the boiler.
'There seemed to be dozen of the
robbers. No more than two had come
on the train, I was sure. The whole
thing had been planned. Those near
the engine, with the exception of the
two at the cab windows, made rush
for the express car. AS they ran into
the stream Of light coming through
the open door a shot fred from the
darkness to the left of the train
tumbled one of them to the ground.
The others fusiladed 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 an
other one to howl.
s'The trainmen were beginning to
fight. My blood got warm. I had a
good six-shooter under the seat, and
if that fellow at the cab window had
only taken his eyes off me for mo-
ment I'd have been ont there helping
the boys. Those at the rear Of the
train then joined those in front, and
all made dash at the open door Of
the express. They were all in bunch
in the light.
s'The first man to enter the door
stood a moment and then fell back
outside in the crowd. The shot came
from the darkness away out to the
left. Another man tried it. As he
fell on his face in the car the Others,
who had been watching, fired volley
at the flash away off in the dark. The
next man who tried to enter the car
succeeded.
s'The others kept watch until he
reappeared at the door. Something
was wrong. Two others got into to
help him. Then one of them whistled,
and my man at the window jumped
of. and ran back to the train.
'That was my chance. Out came
the gun from under the seat, and I
got snapshot at Toms man, but
missed him. As he turned on me
Tom struck his arm with a wrench,
knocking the pistol from his hand.
He 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
l both fired at the man. He stag
gered against the cab steps and
groaned. Then by superhuman eff
fort he caught the hand-rail, and just
as we were preparing to give him an
other shot he dragged his faceSinto
the light.
SIT was Charlie! We both bad hit
MIN! ,.-- 1893
":Pull out, Jim, and save the
boxr
'That was all he said. 1t was the
box he bad 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.
While I lifted Charlie up into the
seat Tom threw the old engine wide
open and we ran away from train.
robbers and all.
sit was forty miles to the nearest
station, a small Governmentpost. Tom
fed and worked the engine I sat on
the seat beside Charlie and held him
up. The rattle and rumble of the
wheels accused me at every revolu-
ton.
''They seemed to be repeating the
words you've killed himp 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 them bell and whistle both, and
then when she came to a stand he
fired two shots. The bluecoats were
out in a jiffy.
Everything was told in a few
words. Charlie was carried into the
quarters and turned over to the sur
geon, a fine old fellow named Hamil-
ton. With an escort of twenty men
we ran back to the train. The rob-
bers had left it. Finding the express
empty of treasure they had tried to
60 through the train. There were zoo
many reyolyers among the passengers
and they drew off.
s'When we reached the post again
Surgeon Hamilton walked up to the
cab. Are you Jim Cook?" said he. 1
nodded. Take these to Mr.. Whites
wife, and he handed me Charles
watch, bank book and bunch or
keys. He told me to tell you,' the
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