Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1897-12-30

sides were armed men peering fearfully
at the frightened people in the cars.
"You can't stop here" said their lead
or. Just you run through as fast as
steam will let you. Nobody gets Off"
rs that you. HANK" said man, joy
fully, AS he stepped to the platform and
was about 10 descend to the ground
Glad it's ydn. want to come to your
house. Tho wife and children are with
me-" &c., t,....'..r. ..ul ..,.i
Get back there. Didn't you hear me
say nobody alghts. Don't care if you are
my brother. Stay on that train or I'll
fill you with buckshot.' was the grim
reply, as the man covered his shrinking
brother with his ready rifle. .,...,
Then on again rushed the train. the oc-
cupants filled with an even greater ter
ror. Where could they go? Who would
receive them? All the country was
aroused. On all sides cleaned the guns
which held them at bay. Death might be
on the train. 1t was certainly out of it.
On the rear platform Il distracted girl
struggled to Il sitting posture as the train
resumed it's rapid flight. Two men stand
ing huddled with the crowd near by saw
her. She was ill.,. She might be suffering
with the dread scourge. Must others
suffer! No!
With Il common impulse they rushed to
where Mamie Butler lay half-eXtended on
the atfornl, lifted her suddenly in their
arms and shot the fragile form out into
the wilderness, rocking little Of the almost
certain death their cowardly and brutal
act would entail. .'''
Fortunately another swoon followed the
first wild cry as the girl felt herself lifted
in the arms of those brutes. She fell
limp and helpless into Il friendly cump
of wayside bushes. Her fall was broken
so that little injury resulted. But she
was left in the swamp regions, miles from
any human habitation, the prey of the
elements. barred from intercourse with
her kind by the rigid law of the shotgun
patrol" now fully organized all over the
State. Slowly her senses returned. Slow
ly her desperate situation dawned upon
her. Out in, the wilderness without food,
poorly clad in the hurry of the flight from
Magnolia. and re red in home of luxury.
she was lttle fitted for any kind If fight.
Her situation was such as to appall the
most determined and stoical man. What
could a frail girl do?
Slowly and painfully with badly brnis-
ed ankle she took up her way on the
tracks. Where should she go? Home.
of course. Her father was OF the lines
He would admit his child. even if to the
dangers of infection and death. Death
from the plague at home with her loved
ones was preferable and not more certain
than out in that swamp. Home she would
go. Bravely-for the girl had her fathers
rugged forceful nature-she started to
walk back to home and safety.
How that frightful journey was accom-
plished the halfdelirious girl never knew.
Three days and nights she wandered,
driven away from every camp she APP
preached by the same iron rule. Food she
had none but wild berries and acacia
buds. But on she struggled under the
blisterng heat or the cooler shades of
night until at last she saw the tall tower
of the city hall in the distance. Gratefully
she sank in the sand and thanked heaven
for her deliverance. Home was near and