The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-07-11

the Leadville excitement is dying down, they'll be pouring out of Den yer by the carload. hope they won't make trouble here; it wouldn't take more than twenty-five or thirty of them to take the town and everybody in it."
 Phoebe bit the end of her penholder and thrust out her chin in a way that made her look very much like resoIute John Artley. Il know one thing they won't do,' she said, with defiant little nod. "They won't make pa pull POI unless he has orders, like they did Mike McGaffey last spring."
 The afternoon wore away without incident, and there was nothing to re- port until seven o'clock, when the two sections of POI came in fairly alive with tramps. Twenty minutes later the time freight from Denver arrived, bringing another contingent. The conductors reported that there had been no violence, but that was be- cause the train crews had be en so far outnumbered as to put resistance out of the question.
 Norman wired full report of the situation to the dispatcher, and while he was waiting for instructions the tramps began to straggle into the wait | ing-room by twos and threes. In the absence of orders to the contrary, train No. 20l had been made up and pulled out on the main line ready | to go east. Norman knew this, and as neither Artley nor the conductor had come in for orders, he began to get un- easy.
 You go over to the boarding house, | Phoebe, and stay with Mrs. Hannah" :" he said. This is no place for you to- night"
 r "Pleasc let me stay" pleaded Phoebe. "They won't hurt me, and should go crazy over there by myself, and not knowing what was happening to you and pa. Besides, I'll be good deal safer here with you"
 Norman was going to insist but the wire called him. He answered and took the message rapidly:
 Hold 2Ol for orders. Use all means to prevent tramps from seizing train or engine. Special with sheriif's posse will reach you about eight-thirty p. m."
 Phoebe heard the message as it clicked through the sounder, and looked at the station clock. It was now nearly eight-if the men would only keep quiet for half an hour!
 It was vain hope. Two minutes later there was scutfle on the platform, and Artley and the conductor were dragged into the waiting-room. One of the tramps-a big, burly fellow with red whisllers and flaming eyes acted as spokesman.
 You shet up," the spokesman was saying to her father. You hain't got nothin' to say about it. Wen you git orders you'll pull that train, r well chuck ye into yer own tire-box. See" Phoebe heard the threat in wild-eyed horror.
 Norman for five minutes rattlet away at the key, writing an endless string of unmeaning dots and dashes , to fill up time. Then the red-beardec man interrupted him.
 Gimme that time-table,' he said pointing to the sheet hanging over tho , operators desk.
 Norman hesitated, obeying finally at the point of pistol. The man rar his grimy finger up and down the col umns of figures until he found what h'
 wanted.
 Its all right, boys; we don't need nt | orders. Fust meetin'-point's fifty miles down the road. Mister lightnin' l singer, you come out from behinC there-wen take you long, an theI you won't be gittin' switch turned l ag'in' us at the fust side track"
 Norman held back and tried to gail more time by arguing the case, but tn pistol came into play again, and h.
 had to go, without so much as wore l to Phoebe, who was pale with indigna = tion and fright
 When Norman surrendered, the maj 5 spoke again: Now then, git nov , on that ingine-driver, an we'll go."
 Phebe's first impulse was to rush ou
 after them to plead for her father U life; then she suddenly remem bered that the special train wa
 coming from the east. Supposing he
 father yielded; or, what was nor
 likely, supposing they put him on tn
 engine and made him responsible fo
 his life and theirs, while one of thei
 number ran it? Phoebe threw hersel
 down at the table and began to cal
 the first station east of Orival wit
 frantic eagerness. If she could onl
 raise the operator at Little Butte il
 time to have them warn the sheriff
 special
 Again and again she wrote Flu
 'Iu," signing "oj' at every fourth rep
 etition, but there was no answering
 break, and the angry voices on tn
 platform grew louder and more threat
 ening. At last, knowing that death
 messages take precedence of all others
 she wrote ''Geth' 'deth" ''deth'' be
 tween the signatures, and then the OF
 orator at Little Butte broke in and an
 swered. Phoebe began to trembl
 nervously through her message, but h
 broke in again:
 l. West bound special passed here fiv