The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-09-05


come in for orders, he began to ge
uneasy.
"You 90 over to the boarding-house
Phoebe, und stay with Mrs. Hannah,
he said "This Is no place for you to
night" , ~
Panbe. "They won't hurt me, and
should go crazy over there by myself
and not knowing what was happening
to YOU and pc. Besides I'll be u gooC
deal safer here with you"
Norman was going to insist, but the
wiro called him. He answered and
took the message rapidly:
"Hold POI for orders. Use all
means to prevent tramps from seizing
train or engine. Special with sheritfs
posse will reach you about eight
thirty p. NO.
PhUbe heard the message as it
clicked through the soundcr, and
looked at tho station clock. it was
now nearly eighth the mon would
only keep quiet for half an hour.
1t was vain hope. Two minutes
later there was a scuile on the plat
form, and Artley and the conductor
were dragged into the waiting-room
One of the tramps-a big, burly fellow
with red whiskers and flaming eyes
acted as spokesman.
You shet up" the spokesman was
saying to her father. "You hain't
got nothing to say about it. Wen
you git orders you III pull that train
r wc'll chuck ye into yer own fire
| box. See ~
Phoebe heard the threat in wide
eyed horror
Norman for five minutes ratified
away At the key writing an endless
string Of unmcaning dots and dashes,
to fill up time. Then the red-bearded
man interrupted him.
"Gimmc that time table," he said,
pointing to the sheet over the opera
tors desk
Norman hesitated, obeying finally
ut the point of pistol. The man ran
his grimy finger up and down the
columns Of figures until he found what
he wanted
It's all right, boys, we don't need
no orders. Fust mectin' points fifty
miles down the road. Mister ightnin'-
Singer, you come out behind there -
| wn'll take YOU long, an then you won't
| be gittin' u switch turned ag'in' us at
the fust side track"
Norman held back and tried to gain
moro time by arguing the case, but
| the pistol came into play again, and
| he had to go without so much as q
| word to Phmbe who was pale with in
| dignatiOn and fright.
When Norman surrendered, the
man spoke again. Nov then git q
move on that engine driver, an we'll
co.
| Probes first impulse was to rush
out after them to plead for her fathers
life; then she suddenly remembered
| hnf l.,,, al
the east. Surprising her fathcryielded,
or. what was more likely, suppos ing
they put him on the engine and made
him responsible for his life and theirs,
while one Of their number ran it
Phrbe threw herself down at the table
and began to call the first station east
of Orival with frantic eagerness. If
she could only raise the operator at
Little Butte in time to have uthem
warn the sheritfs special.
Again and again she wrote " lu v
"ln," signing "oj" at every fourth
repetition, but there was no answer
platform grew louder and more
threatening. At last, knowing that
ath-messagesStake precedence of all
others, she wrote "dcth" "deth"
"deth" between the signatures, and
then the operator at Little Butte
broke in and answered. Phube began
to tremblc ncrvously through her mes
sage but he broke in again:
"Wcst bound special passed here
five minutes ago." was what came
clicking back and then she knew that
if POI left Orival there would be col.
lision.
The mere thought Of it made her
sick and faint, and the lights in the
office seemed to be going out. Then
she gasped and came to herself with a
little jerk when the crowd began to
move down the platform, and she heard
the leader say "All right. my covey,
we'll put you on the engine an go any
way"
Before the crowd was fairly in
motion, Phube had snatched the
switch key from it's nail on the wall,
and, darting out Of the back door, she
skirted the mob and Ilew through the
darkness toward the forward end of
the long freight train. AS she ran
she prayed that the engine might not
be beyond the end of the siding, and
she nearly cried with thankfulness
when she could see the red eye of the
signal lamp pcering around the front
end of the big mogul. In ten seconds
more she was ut the switch stand, the
| W. SJ' h'o'iSu W GlIC CttSU, dtlu UIlc
two limos of rails glistening under the
m"gul's headlight swcrvcd to the side
track. knowing that there was q
chance for failure if she tried to start
the heavy train Phoebe darted back
and pulled the coupling-pin between
the tender and tho first car, running
forward again to climb into the engine
just as tho first stragglers Of the crowd
began to come up. They gave her but
moment, but that was enough.
Engine 800 had an easy throttle, and
Phoebe had opened it more than once.
The vanguard OF the tptmp army saw
a llutter of skirts on the foot board,
heard II Kissing Of steam in the cyln-
dcrs and two or three sharp coughs
from the exhaust, and then the big
mogul dropped from the end OF the
open switch and plowed into tho ties,
blocking the track as ctfectually as
fifty tons OF iron ana steel could do it.
Phmbe did. not wait to sec what
would happen nftorward. She had
done her part; there would he no col
lsion; and they could not blame her
father for something he had no hand
in. She was safe in Mrs. Hannah's s