Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-08

wished that they had had time to
talk a little palmer. However when
1 remembered how many laws there
must be to tell in a large city like
that, and what a short time there
was to tell them all in. l thought
that they did pretty we'll.
The mOustached stranger arose to
leave the cars. Aha! my suspicious
were right. Not daring to face the
whips and brass buttons he made a
hurried attempt to escape by leaping
Off on the opposite side. But it was
futile. Before he had made half a
dozen steps they had rushed around
the rear Of the train and were upon
him in a body. Despite his desperate
struggles his hand trunk was wrested
from his grasp, and he was hustled
off and thrust into a waiting vehicle.
My plans were to stop at a distant
relative of my fathers until 1 could.
get a situation a. clerk in one of the
stores. With the carpet bag in one
hand and the other still on my
money. l alightcd to inquire the way.
On me, around me, surged the whips
and buttons, l tried to explain: to
tell them my name: to assure them
that | had no connection with the
wicked man with the hand trunk and.
moustache; and had never seen him
till that evening: that 1 knew all
along he wasn't right: that / had not
o;lly sat as far from him as possible,
hut had also kept my hands tight ON
my carpet bag and my money. . inn
plorcd them that if they thought l
was too small to tell the truth, just
to ask the captain on the train.
l might as we'll have talked to Nj.
agara Falls. Every word was lost in
the hubbnb. One man succeeded in
breaking my hold Oh the carpet bag.
A.nothes seized me. In Il twinkling 1
was walked off and thrust into a
strange vehicle that was entered from
the rea
OF course the man with the huge
moustachc and the hand trunk was
already there. One man took his seat
inside near the door. Another stood
OH the steps behind. A pistol-like
whip sounded, and we plunged furi-
ously forward, humping and jostling
ut Il fearful rate.
Just as l had made up my mind to
appeal to my captors: cry for help to
the people We passed: spring from the
window, eve if 1 had to leave my
carpet bag behind, or do something
desperate, the vehicle came to a sud-
den standstill. The door was jerkcd
open. An unintclligiblc word, which
l supposed was an order to alight, was
shouted in.
Scarcely were our feet on the ground
bcforea small man seized me; a larger
n my companion, and hurried us
into a room. the like of which / had
never before seen. The doors opened
before and shut behind us as noise
lcssly as shadows. 1t was only dusk
outside, but the brightest light 1 ever
saw was burning within. BY a desk
stood an extremely important look
ing young mar with Il pen behind his
ear, and IL part in his hair so straight,
that, with all my trouble, 1 took
time to think>that it must have been
laid off with. and rule.
Or couise l took it to be a prison,
though l wondered at the piles of
trunks and the groups OF men who
sat about, talking, laughing, and
smoking cigars. On our approach
the prim parsonage at the desk gave
it IL tlirt, twirled it around, bringing
us face to face with Il large book,
jerking out at the same instant some
word which l could not understand.
The man with the moustache knew
exactly what to do. In fact, he had
taken everything from the beginning
with perfect GOODNESS. He was evil
IDENTIFY an old offender, and had been
there before. lIesitating from ignor-
ance, / was ordered to put down my
name, which l did with a trembling
hand. AS l was opening my mouth
to protest and explain. a shrill, pierre
ing whistle rang out and was re-
pcated. Two stout black attendants
appeared. A word and IL key was given
each. One grasped the stranger and
the hand trunk, the other me and my
carpet bag.
After what appeared 10 me an in
tcIIllhitDic assembling UI SullrS, M
trudging along winding passages, my
conductor stopped and unlocked IL
door, carried me in, shut the door
carefully lchind us, and struck .
match. There being neither candle
nor lamp in sight, l wondered why
he struck the light.
Boundlcss was my amazement when
rising on tiptoe he applied the match
to the end of an iron rod extending
downward from the ceiling, causing
it to burst into a flame Of dazzling
brightness. Then without a word he
closed the door with a bang and took
his departure.
So sudden had the great calamity
fallen on me, SO rapidly had one event
crowded on the heels of another. that
for a while l felt dazed and stunned.
Now, when left alone, and given
time to reflect, my thoughts were in
supDortably bitter.
Here I was locked up in a prison
cell, in a strange city, among all
whose hurryinp crowds I Enaw mt n