The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-17

brakeman to climb the pole and cut {
wire. While he was struggling up Mis-
Cullen Joined me.
"Do you really expect to catch
them?" she asked.
II shouldn't like to be one of them, u
I replied.
"But how can you do it?'
"You could understand better, Miss
Cullen, il you knew this country. You
see every bit Of water is in use by
ranches, and those fellows can go more
than 80 miles without watering. So we
shall have word of them, wherever they
CO."
"Line cut, Mr.. Gordon" came from
overhead at this point, making Miss
Cullen jump with surprise.
"What was that?" she asked.
I explained to her, and, after making
connections, called Sanders. Much to
my surprise, the agent responded.
was SO astonished that for O moment I
could not believe the fact.
'This is the queerest hold up of which
I ever heard, said to Miss Cullen.
saw, in what respect asked Albert
Cullen's voice, and, looking up, I found
that he and quite u number of the pas
sengers had Joined us.
"The road agents make US dump our
fire, said, land yet they haven't cut
the wires in either direction. can't zee
how they can escape u.s..
| "What fun'' cried Miss Cullen.
II don't see what difference either
makes i'll their chance Of escaping" said
Lord Rallies.
While he was speaking I licked off
the news Of our being held up and asked
the agent il there had been any men
about Sanders, or if he had seen any one
board the train there. His answer was
positive that no one could have done SO,
and that settled it as to Sanders. I asked
the same questions Of Allantown and
Wingate, which were the only places we
had stopped at after leaving Coolidge,
getting the same answers. That eight
men could have remained concealed on
any Of the platforms from that point
was impossible, and began to suspect
magic. Then I called Coolidge and told
of the hold up, after which I telegraphed
the agent at Navajo Springs to notify
the commander at Fort Defiance, for I
suspected tho road agents would make
for the Navajo reservation. Finally
called Flagstaff as I had Coolidge, di-
rected that the authorities be notified Of
the facts and ordered special to bring
out the sheriff and posse.
II don't think" said Miss Cullen,
that am bit more curious than most
people, but it has nearly made me fran
tic to have you tick away on that little
machine and hear it tick back and not
understand word"
After that I had to tell her what
had said and learned.
"How clever of you to think of count
ing the tickets and finding ont where
people got on and off! never should
have thought of either" she said.
1T hasn't helped me much" laugh
ed rather grimly, Except to eliminate
every possible clcw"
"They probably did steal on at ono of
the stops" said passenger.
shook my head. "There ism t q stick
Of timber nor place Of concealment on
these alkali plains" replied, "and it
was bright moonlight till al hour ago.
1t would be hard enough for one man
to get within mile of the station with
out being seen, and it would be impossi-
bio for seven or eight"
How do you know the number?'
asked passenger.
II DON'T" said "That's the num-
Der the crew think there were, but I
myself don't believe it."
"Why don't you believe the men?''
asked Miss Cullen.
First, because there is always tend
ency to magnify, and, next, because
the road agents ran away so quickly"
II counted at least seven," said Lord
Rallies.
well, Lord Rallies" said, IT don't
want to dispute your eyesight, but if
they had been that strong they would
never have bolted, and if you want to
lay bottle Of wine I'll wager that
when catch those chaps we'll find there
weren't more than three or four Of
them.
"Donew said he.
Leaving the group, went forward to
get the report of the mail agent. He had
put things to rights and told me that,
though the mail had been pretty badly
mixed up, only one pouch at worst had
been rified This, the one for registered
mail, had been cut open; but, as if to
increase the mystery, the letters had
been scattered, unopened, about the car,
only three out of the whole being miss.
ing, and those very probably had fall
en- into the pigeonholes and would be
found on a more careful search.
I confess I breathed easier to think |
that the road agents had got away with
nothing, and was SO pleased that went |
back to the wire to send the news of it
that the fact might be included in the
press dispatches. The moon had set, and |
it was so dark that had some difficulty
in finding tho pole. When l found it,
Miss Cullen was still standing there.
What was more, man was close beside
her, and as came up heard her say,
Indignantly:
II will not allow it. It is unfair to
take such advantage Of me. Take your
arm away or shall call for help!'
That was enough for me One step
carried my 100 pounds over the inter
vening ground, and. using the momcn-
tum Of the stride to help, put the flat
of my hand against the shoulder Of the
man and gave him "a shove There are
thrre or four Harvard men who can tell
what that means, and they were braccd
for it, which this fellow wasn't. He
went staggering back us if struck by a
cowcatcher and lay down On the ground
a good 10 feet away. His having his
arm around Miss Cullen's waist un-
steadicd her so that she would have
fallen, too, If I hadn't put my hand
against her shoulder. longed to put it
about her, but by this time wanted to
do only what I thought she would wish
aud 90 restrained myself.