The record-union., 1893-01-26

the West, and the employees of every
passenger and freight train had to be
armed 10 the teeth. In some instances
the gangs took possession of freight
trains and ran them 10 suit their own
convenience. The number Of trainmen
killed or wounded every week was some
thing astonishing. On the 18th a gang of
twenty tramps seized a freight train at a
water tank twenty miles east of Big Rock
and ran 1t to that station. There hap
pened to be a big construction gang at
Big Rock, and they turned in and over
powered the tramps and scattered them
IN every direction. 1t began raining al
o'clock in the afternoon, and when night
fell it was as dark as pitch. AT S O'Clock
train loaded with bridge material and
accompanied by twelve mechanics
reached my station from the west on its
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 be-
fore next day. This, you will observe,
cut Lone Pine off on the east, and it held
the bridge train at my station. | turned
IN about ii 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 by the little
woman at Lone Pine. Pm sorry to dis
tSA ~ JOus o1O SdANt, Dul 4 1Scl L lii
ing TO have trouble"
WHAT'S 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 to-
night. However, III sit up with you for
awhile for eompany's sake. Are your
firearms loaded?"
es. The gang appears to have four
or five revolvers, and two bullets have
been fired 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"
1t was five minutes before l heard from
her again. The engine of the freight
train was standing almost opposite the
door, and during the interval / went out
and reused the sleeping engineer and
fireman and told them what was going
on at Lone Pine. Ii things got desperate
with the little woman l proposed to take
half dozen of the mechanics and go up
to her relief. When she called me again
she said:
"One of the gang has routed me up
and demanded whisky and something to
eat When I ordered him away he made
threats OF what they would do"
Don't get shaky," l replied. "Its
probably a bluff. Construction No is
lying here, and in case you need help a
lot of US will come up on the engine.
Wen have clear road and can make il
in fifteen minutes"
1t was seven minutes before she called
again. The locomotive had been fired
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?" queried the
little woman at Lone Pine.
"Nes."
'Well, they have made bonfire of it,
and it's blazing away even in this rain.
There are fourteen of the fellows and the
toughest lot I've ever seen. l think they
mean to attack the house. Hadn't YOU
better come up?"
Il don't want to take the responsibility
unless it is positively necessary. You
are expected to stand them off if you can.
No one will blame you if you wipe out
the whole gang. Talk right up to them
if they come to the house"
Three or four minutes slipped away,
and then she announced that they had
given her five minutes in which to sur
render, and that one of the empty freight
cars had been fired.
"rhey can't set fire to the house with
the water falling like this" l replied.
. ou have stout shutter at the window,
and they can only attack by way of the
door, II at all. They can't shoulder it in
with two bars across it, and if they
bring up battering-ram you want to
fire on them through the lower panels"
What was to be the last message came
about ten minutes.
They brought up a beam," tele-
graphed the little woman, land [ gave
them the buchshot through the lower
panels. l think l hit three or four.
Some of them are now firing into the
house, while others are bringing up fire.
brands to burn me out"
"Coming-don' give up!' 1 ratified off
to her, and thirty seconds later the en-
gine was moving away with our crowd
We had wet track but a clear run, and
after the first two miles we simply flew.
We had some fear that the fellows might
have turned the switch or pushed a
freight car down on the main track. but
no such idea had occurred to them, We
went through two miles OF snow-shedding
like rocket shooting along a tube, and
when we popped out of the eastern end
we were among the tramps The first
two cars were blazing away and fire
had just been started in a third. Fire
brands were piled up against the house
dt bUtG6 Qll6l lJldCGS, anu Three or 1Our
fellows with revolvers were blazing away
at the door and window.
Before the engine had come to stop
we dropped Oft and began shooting to
| kill, and in five minutes we had cleaned
| out the gang. Perhaps you remember
/ the way that certain newspapers pitched
into us about that affair, calling it mas
sacre and bowling for our arrest. There
were fonr killed and seven wounded.
! Three men were hurt when the little
woman fired through the door. | know
what became of the killed. for helped to
/ bury them. but the wounded were taken
| East that afternoon.
| When the little woman opened the door
! to us she had her revolver in her left hand
! because one of the stray bullets had
passed through the palm of her right.
She had also been grazed on the shoulder.
and two bullets had passed through
! her clothing. She had fired both
/ barrels of the shotgun and eleven bullets
from the revolver and was doing brayely
well when we turned the scales. And
did she continue at Lone Pine? Oh, no.
A Division Superintendent fell in love
with her, rearoused the tender passion in
| her breast, and away she went to settle
down on the Pacific Slope and become {
nodody-that is, she couldn't be a heroine
any more.
X DREAM.
There are times when dream delicious