The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-12-29
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A TELEGRAM FROM THE DEAD.
BY CLINTON McCABE.

Tunis another lonely isolated switch and
telegraph station, twelve miles east. Fred
and had frequent chats over the wires at
night, when the wires were comparatively
free from business My time for going on
duty was at p. M. My station was best
known as clone Switch" title given it
by the tTainmen because of its being in
such an isolated locality. 1t was indeed,
lonely spot, away out there on dark
"mesa. y and with only the occasional howl
of a coyote or the harsh squeak of sand
hill crane to break the prevailing still
ness.
One Saturday evening the Cos Fast
bound train was several minutes overdue
at Gage and anon" Others with me IN the
waiting room noted the presence OF
several rancherOs They were evidently
from the south. and the subject OF their
conversation was "Apache Kid who had
been committing depredations along the
southern border. He had given both the
Mexican and States officers considerable
trouble and emholdrned by his success
in evading capture he and a number OF
Other red demons comprising his band OF
Apaches had extended the line of their
operations to a ranch on the outskirts OF
the little "greaser' village of Upper
Cindad.
OF course. there was little or no apprchen
sion Of his attacking 50 large settlement
as Gage. but some of the outlying ranches
were practicallv unprotected and at hismercy
unless his murderous course was stopped
by the cavalry force stationed at Fort Pier
son. did not apprehend for moment
that the ''Kid" would venture as far north
as ~ one Switch''-indced no such idea
entered my mind.
When the train came into Gage Station
twenty minutes late. bound for Lone
Switch. " cot aboard and stood on the
platform of the smoking car talking to one
of the hrakcmcn Soon the conductor
Joined us remarking at the same time"
"Too bad about Nbaugh isn't it?''
he said.
''Whv. didn't YOU know the boy was
taken down with mesa fever This morning?
No. 81 stopped at Tuns. the red was
down. and after waiting a reasonable time
for clear signal the conductor walked to
the station to see what was amiss. There
he found Alhaugh senserss all curlcd up
on the floor and mving like ii maniac. He
was placed on the train and taken to the
hospital at Camhurv. where the doctor
pronounced it a veritahlc case of mesa
fever. with slim chance of recovery \
substitute for Albaugh could not be pro
cured right away. and for the time being
Tunis station is closed up
QUEER SOUNDS on THE WIRES.
1t was quite late when we reached "Lone
Switch" The up train was waiting for
us. Each train soon passed from my sight
and | was left alone. with my heart OPP
pressed over the condition of poor Fred
Alhaugh As the night wore on curious
indefnahle uncasincss took possession OF
me: every sound from the mesa" startled
me- and a dismal squeak Of a crane flying
over the station made me Jump from my
chair with sheer fright There were. too
strange sounds on the wires that night
sounds that no operator could understand
or explain: curious dashes and thrills to-
tally unlike those of the daytime. several
times thought | heard my call, hut when
I went to the instrument could only
catch series of unintellgible ticks.
shortly after midnight ate my lunch
and then went to window to take
smoke and enjoy the cool breeze. lighted
my pipe. and gazing outside. found the
moon and stars shining brightly. The
surface of the 'mesa' was smooth and
undiSturhcd and not even the cry of a
night-hird broke the unnatural silence. \
miasmatic vapor, light and ethereal, but
deadly in its poison was raising from
the dark loco-grass. The tall cactus looked
weird and special in the moonlight The
Telegraph wires, IONtItu UN Il llpHl cur
rent of air, hummed and walled, emitting
music like that of an Eolan harp.
First would he heard soft notes, scarcely
audible, and then the whole scale would
seem to he covered in wall almost human
in the intensity of agony. Under these
conditions my pipe was no solace, and in
my nervousness beads of sweat gathered
upon my brow tried to laugh, to read
to divert my mind in every way from the
contemplation of my loneliness and sur
roundings Gazing from my window |
beheld the serried looking landscape, and
turning to my instrument I heard the
blurred and hurried tick, tick, tick, that
to my distorted imagination sounded like a
death knell. Suddenly the sounds became
more rapid and perfectly clear, and easily
deciphered the call for my station-'L2S %. "
This agitated me physically and mentally
in a manner cannot describe. | hurried
to the table and answered the summons.
Then | waited for perhaps thirty or forty
seconds The ticker sounded again, and
the message / received nearly froZe the