The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-21

they will set the cabin on fire if l don't
open the door, telegraphed the little
woman, a moment later.
"If you open the door they will muir
der you, You have a sliding window
to the right of your door, if remem-
Der right?"
Eyes"
"Take your revolver, slide the sash
back, and fire upon the fellowsP'
"But may kill one of them!"
That's what you want to do-both.
If possible! If you show any fear of
them they will batter the door in, and
then God help your
Its awful to shoot
Then came break. knew that the
fellows were making some demonstra-
ton which obliged her to act, and dur
ing the next sixty seconds 1 heard
every beat of my heart. Then came
the tremulous message:
live shot one of them, and what
what shall do about it?'
"Did you fire from the Window"
YES"
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 1 shot is groaning and taking on
awfully."
''Let him groan. You'll have a 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 gToan and was
proba bly, 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
door and wounded one lying on the
ground a few yards away. There
wasn't any inquesting on the dead.
The body was carried a few miles west
and dropped into q gulch, and the
wounded man, who had half q dozen
buckshotin his shoulder. was turned
over to the first sheriff. The little
for many weeks, and I was not mean
enough. to let on that l had been
obliged to brace her up and direct
operations from distance of thirteen
miles.
Everything went well at Lone Pine
until the 18th of September. That fall
there was a 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 gang of twenty tramps
seized g. 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 as pitch. At
eight o'clock train loaded with
bridge material and accompanied by
twelve mechanics reached my station
from the west on it's way to Big Rock.
just as it came in l got word from
Clark over the wire that landslide
had occurred between him and Lone
Pine, and no trains would be able to
pass it before next day. This, you
win observe. cut Lone Pine off on the
east, and it held the bridge train at my
station. 1 turned in about eleve n
o'clock, with the rain coming down as
if every thing was to be drowned ont,
and it was just half an hour after
midnight when l was called up by the
little woman at Lone Pine I'm sorry
to disturb YOU" she said, "but l fear
I'm going to have trouble"
whats wrong?"
"a number of those tramps who
were bounced at Big Rock to-day have
reached here and taken possession of
two empty freight cars on the 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?"
"Yes. The gang appears to have
four or Eve revolvers, and two bullets
have been fred through the window"
We'll, don't show any light, and you
had better bunk down on your cot The
fellows will get over their hilarity
pretty soon"
It was five minutes before / heard
from her again. The engine of the
freight train was standing almost OPP
posite the door, and during the interval
/ went out and reused the sleeping en-
gineer and fireman and told them what
was going on at Lone Pine. If things
got desperate with the little woman L
proposed TO take half a dozen of the
mechanics and go up to her relief.
When she called me again she said:
zone of the gang has routed me up
and demand ed whisky and something
to eat. When l ordered him away he
made threats of what they would do. p"
Don't get shaky." 1 replied ut S
probably bluff. Construction No. S
is lying here, and in case you need help
a lot OF us win come up on the en-
CINE. Well have a clear load and can
make it in fifteen minutes"
1t WAS seven minutes before she
called again. The locomotive had been
fred up and the fireman had gone back
TO the caboose and routed out six men
who had revolvers, and they were
ready TO make lightning dash with Us
You remember the old caboose car
at the end of the side track?" .queTied
the little woman at Lone Pine