Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-02-10

"ihey are knocking on the door
and asking for food aud she lter."
'But don't let them in. Get down
your shotgun, lay it across the table,
with the muzzles pointed at the door.
aud ii they break in pull both trig-
gers!r
"IIicy are cursing me and declar-
ing they will set the cabin OH fire If
! don't open the door," telcgraphed
the little woman a moment later.
"lf YOU open the door they will
murder you! You have a sliding
window to the right of your door, if
remmembcr right?".
eyes"
Take your revolver, slide the sash
back, and fire upon the fellows"
"Bnt | may kill ono of theml"
'sThafs 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 you'll"
'Irs awful to shoot
Then came break. | knew that
the fellows were making some demon
slrations which obliged her to act, and
during the next sixty seconds | heard
every boat of my heart. Then came
the tremulous message:
olive shot one of them, and
what what-shall do about it2'
"Did you fire from the Window"
+ "l'es."
''Don't do anything except wait and
watch. If you've hit one the other
will likely make of. If he tries to
gel IN, however, give him the same
dosel DO yon l,ear him lbout9D
NO; think he's moved of, but
ihc one hot is groaung and taking
on awfully"
"Let him groan. You'll have n
train from the east in IS minutes.
Keep me advised"
had two more messages before the
tho 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
oil 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 aud wounded one
lying OIL the ground few yards
away. There wasn't any inquest on
the dead. The body was carried few
miles west and dropped into a gulch.
and the wounded man, who had u
dozen bucks,ot in his shoulder, wa.
turned over to the first sheriff. The
little womans adventure made her
heroine for many weeks, and was
moi mean enough TO let OH that | had
been obliged % brace her up and
direct operations for distance of
thirteen miles.
Everything went well at Lone Pine
until the 18Th of September. Tina,
fail there was regular army of
tramps headed for the West, and the
employees of every passenger aud
freight train had to be armed 10 the
teeth. In some instances the gangs
took possession OF freight trains and
ran them to suit their own conveu.
ieuce. The number of traiumen
killed or wounded every week was
something astonishing. On the 18Th "a
gang of twenty lramps seized Il
freight train at a water tank twenty
miles east of Big Rock and aud ran it
to the station. There happened to be
IA big construction gang at Big Rock,
and they turned 10 and overpowered
The lramps and scattered them in
cycry direction. 1t began raining at
9 o'clock III the afternoon, and when
night fell it was as dark as pitch. Al
5 O'Clock II train loaded with bridge
malcrial and accompanied by twelve
mechanics reached my station from
the west on ITS way TO Dig Rock.
Just as it came in got word from
CLARK over the wire that a landslide
had occurred between him and Lone
Pine aad 10 trains would DC able to
pass 1t before next day. This, YOU
will observe, cut Lone Pine oil on the
cast, aud II held llie bridge train at my
station. turned in about II O'Clock,
with the raia coming down as if
every thing was to be drowned ont.
and it was iu.t half AN hour after mid
night when | was called by the little
woman at Lone Pine.
PPM sorry to disturb you," she
said, "but fear Pm going to have
trouble
whats wrong?'
ga number of those tramps who
were bounced at Big Rock today have
reached here and taken possession of
two empty freight cars on The siding.
The whole crowd is half drunk and
raising Cain"