The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-01-31


''if We hsys good luck tomorrow let's
ran down 70 the station after supper
and send q mess Of trout home to the
folks
"All right; I'm with you," said Dick.
"We can get a box and some ice at the
station to pack them in. The moon
viii be fine and what a coast we'll have
down that grade by moonlight"
"Yes, and break your wheels and your
neoks in the bargain, put in the super
intendent. But, go ahead You'll come
to that in the end anyway, flying oyer
these grades on those spindling things.
Bill, hare, can gather up the remains
when he goes down with the freight
team the next day. The box and ies
won't come amiss, anyway"
The men rOared at this, and the whole
camp was out to see Us off the follow
ing evening, when, just at dust, with
creels snugly packed and slung to our
backs by straps over the shoulders and
about the waist, we mounted at the Of
fee door. But how those creels did pull
down! l nearly went over my handle
bars when tried to mount, the weight
made me so topheavy. We got away all
right, however, with the men laughing
at our wabbly gait, and, once started,
soon pulled ourselves together. The
weight tour backs gave US little trouble
when we became accustomed to it, and
atan easy swinging pace We rolled along
the smooth road on such a nightas only
the mountain regions of California af-
ford. 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. Cottontails lodged
out of our way OF scurried along ahead
until we were about to catch them, and
night birds twittered in the trees over
head.
We stopped for a drink at a spring
soon after we gained the stage road, and
as I put my lips down to the water
big owl hooted loudly from the ridge
above US. l am no ornitholigist, but
there is not a bird in all the woods
whose call I cannot initiate, and some
thing in the sound struck me as peculiar.
I raised my head to listen. Again came
that familiar "tOO-hOOt, toO-hOO-hOOt,
too-hoo-oo" bat with tone and infec-
ton so clearly human that it sent cold
ohiIls up and down nay back under
meath those gold bricks.
"Hold on. Listen to that OWLS said
as Dick was about to mount. A moment
later the call came again. It meant
nothing to my companion, as I could
see by his face, but the echoes had not
died away before 1 sprang awheel and
went off at a clip that surprised Dick.
"Oh, come now!" he shouted from be-
hind. "What do you mean by hitting
it up in that fashion"
"Oh, lets scorch along, " I replied, "l'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 your"
"Yes, but don't lose your head old fell
low, We're in for it, I'm afraid"
"Do you think they've see us!" he
asked.
I'm sure of it," I replied. "Thst 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 a twinkling. We had relied on
escaping suspicion, even if our depart
ure was noticed by the rascaIs, whom
we we'll knew were watching the roads
day and night; but that call meant mis-
chief, I felt sure, in spite of the fact
that $4,000 upon ones back on a lonely
mountain 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 70 miles between rs and the sta
ton been level like the first half, but
that ten mile grade, with its sharp turns
around precipitious lodges, 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 topheayy loads on our backs
crowding US on and ready to topple as
oyer at every sharp turn, the slipping
of a wheel OF an instant's loss Of control
meant destruction.
My thoughts we're in a Whirl as we