Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-08-16
will you, PhRbeY

'ce' 'ce' ce,' signing 'Oi.' Then she
dipped the pen aud took down the
message;
Large gang of tramps are NOV
ing eastward on freight trains.
! Denver reports that more have
left there TO meet CalitOrnlans ar
Orival. Watch incoming east
bound fIeights and report promptly
any unusual number of tramps at
your station
whats that-more troubleP
asked Norman, catching word
here and there in message.
Phoebe sighed YEARLY. oh,
dear, yes, It's more tramps; and it
be just pas luck to catch them out
of here OH pol tonight
Norman read the message and
shook bis head obviously. I'VE
been afraid of that all summer
he sbaiG. There has been bigger
crowd than usual from CaliforniA
this season, and, now the Deadvllle
excitement is dying down, they'll
be ponrlng out of Denver by the
carload. l 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,
PbGbe bit the end OF her pen.
holder and thrust out her chin III
way that made her look very much
like resolute John Artly. Il know
one thing they won't do she said,
with a defiant little nod. They
won't make pa pull POI unless be
has orders, like they did Mike ,
MEG affey last spring.
The afternoon wore away with.
out incident, and there was moth
ing TO report until ten O'Clock,
when the two sections of 201 came
in fairly alive with tramps. Twenty
minutes later the time freight from
Denver arrived, bringing another 5
contingent. The conductors re- e.
ported that there had been 10 S
violence, but that was because the '
train crews had been so far out. |
numbered as to put resistance out a
Of the question.
Norman wired a full report of
the situation TO the dispatcher,
and while he was waiting for in J.
structiOns the tramps began to r
straggle into the waitingroOm by a
twos and threes. In the absence S
of orders to the contrary, train [
No. 20l had been made up aud /
pulled Out ou the main line to 60 [
east. Norman knew this, and as [
neither Artley nor the conductor 5
had come in TOR orders, he began I
to get uneasy.
You 60 over to the boarding I
house Phoebe, and stay with Mrs.
Hannah be SAID. 'ThiS Is no
place for you tonight
'Please let me stay pleaded d
Phoebe. 'Ihey won't hurt me, and [
| should 60 crazy over there by t
myself, and not knowing what was =
happening to you and pa. Besides, |
III he a good deal safer here with =
you.' a
Norman was going to insist, but a
the wire called him. He answered a
ana took the message rapidly: /
'Hold POI for orders. Use ali 1
means to prevent tTamps from seiz j.,
ing train or engine. Special With
sherifi's posse will reach you about
eight.thirty y. M l
Phoebe heard the message as it Z
clicked through the sOunder, and
looked at the station clock. 1:
was now nearly elght-if the men d
would only keep quiet for half an
hour!
1t was a vain hope. Two minutes {
later there was a scuffie on the
platform, and Artley and the con
ductor we're dragged into the wait
ing room. One of the tramps-a
big, burly fellow with red whiskers =
and flaming eyes-acted as spOkes- {
man. c
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 I
tram, r we'll chunk ye into yer d
own fre-bOx. Seer
Phoebe heard the threat in wild a
eyed horror. s
Norman tor five minutes ratified a
away at the key, writing an end 4
less string of unmeaniDg dots and '
dashes, to hll up time. Then the
red-beaTded man interrupted him. C
'Gimme that time.table,' he said;
pointing TO the sheet hanging over &
the operators desk. =
Norman hesltated, Obeying final
ly at the point of pistol. The
man ran his grimy fingers up and 6
down the columns of figures until t
no fonnd what he wanted