The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-02-22

angle of the heater, drinking In ev.
cry word of or conversation, sat
the stranger, who had not 80 far
said word.
with the closest regard to de-
tails Dalton had described the way.
side assassination. had no need of
questioning him. Where a point
happened to be obscure he elucidated
1t with the closest precision. 1t was
a running record of every part of
the road, from the time he and his
partner got into the buckboard until
the shot was fred from the denser
shadows on the roadside, and from
the moment the horses bolted until
he checked their mad race at the
station. There was no elaboration
of minute details-simply a straight
line of events threading the tragedy
with every material incident and no
more. He was the best subject for
an interview had ever encountered.
Now for the first time began
earnestly to think how could get
home. l opened the door and looked
out. The snow had continued to fall
steadily for the past four hours and
covered the landscape as far as my
eye could measure it to thickness
Of three feet knew it would be
impossible to return by foot. Ioould
have reused the eating house people
and telephoned the facts to the Of
f1ce, but knew from experience
that heavy snowfall like this rem
dered communication by that chan
mel impraotioable. Besides no ono
else could write the account in the
spirit in which it would flow from
my pencil. To let the reader into a
secret, I had discovered the mur-
derer. 1t would not do to make the
charge boldly. I meant to score a
scoop, but the pointing out of the
guilty one must be by intimation
within the limits of the law Of libel
was sorely puzzled what to do to
reach the office in time with my
story when noticed the man with
the lantern looking at me intently.
Now for the first time he opened his
lips.
"'How you goner git to Lead
ville?'
"'Leg it, suppose said tenta-
lively.
"'Never makeit You'll be stalled
fore you git quarter Of mile from
the station, he said.
dalton chuckled as though he
enjoyed my predicament.
well, necessity knows no law
said with an attempt at cheerful
ness, and / have a very large faith
In Providence, which never deserts
a newspaper man. If I can't walk,
I'll get a horse.
"'You won't be able to sec the
road, and down you'll go into some
guloh, said Dalton.
1.-THE conversation was interrupt
cd at this point by the distant sound
of an approaching engine coming
from the direction of Leadville.
We'll, here's my train ex-
claimed the ranchman, rising from
his chair and preparing to go out on
the platform. 'Goodby and good
luck to you.
In q few moments the train was
alongside the platform, and Dalton
entered. The next moment it flashed
out of sight, and was alone with
the dark stranger.
"'Well, I must be goin, he said
after a short pause.
MAY ask where?' l said
"'To Leadville, was the reply.
I've got to take an engine up. You
kin ride in the cab If you want to.
Just wait here few minutes.
"The man was an engineer on the
road. That explained his lantern
and his oily hands In ten minutes
the rubbing of the wheels and the
quick, sharp toot of locomotive
told me that my conveyance was
waiting. climbed into the cab. and
away we went through the soudding
snow and darkness.
If they ever catch the feller as
did that shootin, he'll make one
more of the party of 40 murderers in
Jail in Leadville, remarked the en-
gineer with his hand on the throttle
and his eye on the track ahead, but
they'll never catch him.
"'What will you bet?' ! asked.
HE turned on me with a sudden
look of dark inquiry. What do you
mean?' he asked.
"'Read The Democrat in the
morning. I said.
ut was 2 clock when / reached
| the office. In an hour and half I
had written my account of the mur-
der. and the paper went to press. If
| my engineer friend read the paper,
be-must have been surprised, for the
account was perfect network Of
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