The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-02-01
NEIHART, MONTANA. FEBRUARY /, 1896

hear, "if we have good luck tomor-
row let's run down to the station
after supper and send a mess of trout
home to the folks
"All right; I'm with you," said
Dick. I'VE can get box and some
ice at the station to pack them in.
The moon will be fine and what a
coast we'll have down that grade by
moonlight!'
Yes, and break your wheels and
your necks in the bargain" put in
the superintendent. But. 60 ahead
You'll come to that in the end any
way, flying over these grades on
those spindling things. Bill, here,
can gather W the remains when he
goes down with tho freight team the
next day. The box and the ice won't
como amiss, anyway"
The men roared at this, and the
whole camp was out to see us Off tho
following evening, when, just at
dusk, with creels snugly packed and
slung to our backs by straps over
the shoulder and about the waist,
we mounted at the oilice door. But
how those creels did pull down! /
nearly went over my handle bars
when tried to mount, the weight
made me SO top heavy. We got away
all right, however, with the men
laughing at our wabbly gait, and,
once started, soon pulled ourselves
together. The weight at our backs
gave US little trouble when we be.
came accustomed to it, and at an
easy swinging pace we rolled along
the smooth road on such a night as
only the mountain regions of Cali
fornia afford. The cool dry air, heavy
with the fragrance of pine and
spruce, gently famed our cheeks.
The full moon came up above the
eastern peaks and shot bright beams
between the tall pines across our
path. Cotton tails lodged out of our
way or scurried along ahead until
we were about to catch them, and
night birds twittered in the trees
overhead
We stopped for drink at spring
soon after we gained the stage road,
and as l put my lips down to the
water big owl hooted loudly from
the ridge above US. / am no orni-
thologist, but there is not bird in
all the woods whose call l cannot
initiate, and something in the sound
struck me as peculiar. l raised my
head to listen. Again came that
familiar too-hoot, too-hoo-h hoot,
-hoo-oow but with a tone and
infection so clearly human that it
sent cold chills up and down my
back underneath those gold bricks.
Hold on. Listen to that owln' l
said, as Dick was about to mount.
A moment later the call came again.
1t meant nothing to my companion,
as could see t., his face, but the
echoes had not died away before
sprang awheel and went off at clip
that surprised Dick.
"Oh, come now!" he shouted from
behind. "What do you mean by
hitting it up in that fashion,
"Oh, let's scorch along" I re-
piled. I'm anxious to get this stuff
off my back and off my mind as
we'll" ;"
Dick scanned my face keenly in
the moonlight as he came up. What
is it," he asked did that owl
scare you?"
"Yes, but don't lose your head,
old fellow We're in for it, I'm
afraid"
"Do you think they've seen us?'
he asked.
''I'm sure of it, replied. THAT
owl was their signal. if my ears
haven't fooled me, and we shall be
in luck if we don t hear them behind
us before we reach the grade.
Without a word Dick bent over
his handles and took the pace away
from me in twinkling We had
relied on escaping suspicion, even if
our departure was noticed by the
rascals, whom we well knew were
watching the roads day and night;
but that call meant mischief, felt
sure, in spite of the fact that $40, 600
upon ones back on lonely noun
tain road at night, coupled with the
knowledge that evil eyes are upon
you, is apt to make one nervous and
apprehensive.
With the start We would have
before the robbers could get into
the saddle and on the road, we
should have had little fear of their
catching us had all of the 20 miles
between us and the station been
level like the first half; but that ten
mile grade, with its sharp turns
around precipitous ledges, where the
narrow track hung over rocky
depths that made one dizzy to look
down into-there speed was out of
the question. With those top heavy
loads on our backs crowding US on
and ready to topple us over at every
sharp turn, the slipping of wheel
or an instant's loss of control meant