The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-02-16


have given them a bite had they re-
quested instead of demanded; but when
/ saw that they meant to pick quar-.
rel and have an excuse for assaulting
and robbing me, brought out my shot
gun and obliged them to walk on. As
soon as they were out of sight / noti-
fed the little woman at Lone Pine to
look out for them. She replied that
she would, and up to ten o'clock at
night heard from her every hour, but
the tramps had not put in an appear
ance. 1t was half-past eleven o'clock,
and was sound asleep, when / heard
Lone Pine call me over the wire.
rolled on my cot and ran to the in
strument and asked what was wanted.
THE tramps are here!' was the re-
ply. They are knocking on the door
and asking for food and shelter"
But don't let them in. Get down
your shotgun, lay it across the table,
with the muzzles pointed at the door,
and II they break in pull both triggers"
They are cursing me and declaring
they will set the cabin on fire IL don't
open the door!" autographed the little
woman, a moment later.
IF you open the door they will muir
der youl You have a sliding window
TO the right Of your door, II remcm.
Der right?''
"Ycs."
Take your revolver slide the sash
back, and fire upon the fellows"
but ! may kiln one OF thcml"
luef n
II possible! II you show any fear of
them they will batter the door in, and
then God help you.'
Its awful TAI shoot"
Then came n break. ] knew that the
fellows were making some dcmonstra-
ton which obliged her 10 act, and dur
ing the next sixty seconds l heard
every beat of my heart. Then came
the tremulous message:
| "1-I've shot one of them, and what
what shall do about it?'
Did you fire from the Window
Eyes"
Don't do anything except wait and
watch. If you've hit one the other will
likely make off. If he tries to get in,
however, give him the same dose. Do
| you hear him about?''
mo; think he's moved off, but the
one shot is grooming and taking on
awfully"
Let him groan. You'll have train
from the east in thirty-five minutes
Keep me advised"
! had two more messages before the
train reached her. One was that the
man had ceased to groan and was
probably dead, and the other was that
the other tramp had tried to burst open
the door, but had been driven off by
her firing one barrel Of her shotgun
into it from her side. When the train
rolled in dead man was found at the
door and wounded one lying on the
ground a few yards away. There
wasn't any inquesting ON the dead.
The body was carried few miles west
and dropped into gulch, and the
wounded man. who had half a dozen
buckshot in his shoulder, was turned
over to the first sheriff. The little
woman's adventure made her heroine
for many weeks, and was not mean
enough to let on that / had been
obliged to brace her up and direct
operations from a distance of thirteen
miles.
Everything went we'll at Lone Pine
until the 18th of Septembe That fall
there was regular army of tramps
headed for the west, and the employees
of every passenger and freight train
had to be armed to the teeth. In some
instances the gangs took possession of
freight trains and ran them to suit
their own convenience. The number
of trainmen killed or wounded every
week was something astonishing. On
the 18th u gang of twenty tramps
seized a freight train at water tank
twenty miles east of Big Rock and ran
it to that station. There happened to
be big construction gang at Big Rock,
and they turned to and overpowered
the tramps and scattered them in every
direction. 1t began raining at two
o'clock in the afternoon, and when
night fell it was as dark rs pitch. At
eight o'clock a train loaded with
bridge material and accompanied by
twelve mechanics reached my station
Aioih ehc WCSb ou us way W Dig ROCK.
just "a it came in | got word from
Clark over the wire that a landslide
had occurred between him and Lone
Pine, and no trains would be able to
pass it before next day. This, you
viii observe, cut Lone Pine off on the
east, and it held the bridge train at my
station. turned in about eleven
o'clock, with the rain coming down as
if everything was TO be drowned out,
and it was just half an hour after
midnight when was called up by the
little woman at Lone Pine. "I'm sorry
To disturb you," she said, but fear
I'm going to have trouble"
whats wrong?"
"A number of those trsmps who
were bounced at Big Rock to-day have
reached here and taken possession of
two empty freight cars on she siding.
The whole crowd is half drunk and
raising Cain"
IF they have shelter and something
To drink they won't be apt to bother
you tonight However, I'll sit up with
you for awhile for company's sake.
Are your firearms loaded?"
"Ycs. The gang appears to have
four or five revolvers, and two bullets