The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-07
The Agents Adventure.

place on earth that any one would look
for anything out of the common run
Mine was a little livelier than some Of the
stations, because it was a junction, but
the local traffic did not amount to any,
thing to speak of, except in the buckle
berry or cranberry shipping season.
Along early in September a tramp
steamer came ashore about eighteen mics
down the beach in a thunder squall and
became a hopeless wreck. Then came the
work of stripping her and sending off her
cargo.
zone night Billy Baker. the messenger
of the shore train, came into the office
with a box about a foot long al! covered
with seals and turned it over 10 me, say
ing: Look out for that, Ike. That's
money, and 1 guess you mad better sleep
on it until the OWL comes in. ! locked at
the waybill he handed me and saw that
he had receipted for vaiuo OF 5000
never had that much money in my charge
before and it mads me nervous, but I
receipted for the box and stood IL behind
the door inside of the ticket office.
Five minutes later two strangers spoke
to me on the platform and asked the
road to Newberry. l told them and they
went away. A moment later Jake Thomp
son, who lived about four miles back In
the pines, drove up in his ram-shackle
wagon and unloaded a small box, saying:
I guess that's the last this season.
There's four nice big ones in there. Kinder
close quarters for EN-, but there's plenty
Of air holes, and I reckon they'll go
through all right Send them up on the
owl tonight
This was one Of Jake's regular ship
ments, and l made no comment. I was
too busy thinking of the money pack
age, and somehow the visit of the two
strangers kept coming up in my mind.
They looked like seafaring men, and tough
ones, too, and I wondered what they could
want in Newberry, or whether they had
really left the junction.
Just then l was startled by a noise,
and found it was my landladys little
girl come to tell me that 1 was late get
ting to supper. 1 told her that l could not
leave, and asked her to bring some
thing over.
Il felt much drawer after getting some
thing to eat and began to look around
for place to hide the box of money I'M
til the train came. There was a big pot
stove in the waiting room, and 1 con-
Guided that was just the thing; but The
box would not go in the door, and !
had to disJoint the pipe and lift the top
off the stove to get it in. Then l stuff
fed old papers around it and put the top
and pipe in place. felt easier then and
went back to the office and had a little
talk over the wire with a friend down the
line, telling him about my trouble. He
promised TO tell the crew of the owl how
was fixed, and ne did it. I then sat
down and read novel, for did not dare
lie down for fear of going to sleep.
1T must have been close to 10 o'clock
when l heard footsteps on the platform,
and then the door of the waiting room
was pushed open and two strangers came
over TO the ticket office and looked through
the window al me. One OF them asked
about the late train, and as 1 looked up
TO answer him, 1 saw the muzzle of a
big revolver looking over the ledge of
the window, and he said:
Just unlock that door quickly and
don't yawp or I'll put bullet into your
head. Move lively now. You know what
we want. We've come after that box
that came up from the wreck this after
noon, and We're going to get it, if we have
to Kill you and everybody in this town.
Il ulocked the door quick enough, and
they both came in and looked around.
Not seeing the box anywhere, they asked
me where it was, and l told them l didn't
know what they were talking about. All
L got for that lie was a clip on the jaw
that knocked me over my bed, and am in
ute later | was tied hand and foot and had
a gag between my teeth. Then one pick
ed up my lantern and the other dragged
me into the freight room, where they
tied me to a stanchion and left me While
they searched the place.
Suddenly one of them stumbled on to
Jake's box, and said: Here it is. He
hain't even hid it, Ben. This is dead
easy. Fetch that hatchet.' 1t didn't take
them a minute to rip the cover off that
box, and then they jumped back with
yell as out poured four of the Iiveliest
spotted adders that ever grew. Ben drop
ped the lantern and the other fellow threw
down the Ratchet as the snakes ran out
their red and black tongues and raised
their heads as if to strike. 'Rattlesnakes!
yelled Ben, and they both dug out of that
room as if the devil was after them.
Now, l never did like snakes, and used
to handle Jake's freight with more care
than l did anything else that passed
through my hands Here l was. tied to
post, with four of the reptiles crawling
around the room, and, although I believed
pine snakes TO be harmless, 1 don't know
but what would have preferred the COM
pany OF the robbers, who had fled and shut
the door after them. I could hear them
cursing and ransacking the office. and
then heard the door of the waiting-room
shut and their footsteps going down the
platform.
The snakes disappeared behind some
coils of telegraph wire in the corner. and
soon had no company but the lantern,
which, luckily, righted itself as II fell from
the thief's hand and stood up to cheer
me with its light. l knew that l had over
two hours to wait, and my only doubt was
whether 1 could stand the strain without
fainting. Then I heard the sounder faint
" as ii licked in the far-off room 1 could
just make out that it was my friend down
the road, and that he was alarmed about
me because he got no answers to his
calls.
The time dragged YEARLY after he
stopped, and finally 1 lost all knowledge
OF affairs. l guess I swooned, but 1 came
to in time to catch the sound of the in
strument again as it told that the owl
was only twelve miles away, and that the
crew was ready for trouble at the June
ton. Twelve miles meant not more than
fifteen minutes in that case. but the If
teen minutes seemed Ike a month to me.
Then I heard the welcome whistle. and
a moment later half a dozen railroad men
We're searching for me or my dead body
They found me hanging limp by my
cords, and cut me loose. The train was
held twelve minutes before I could tell
my story. and they could pull the stove
apart and get the box. Then I was dosed
with big drink of whisky and put to
bed. Next day I was pretty stiff. but
/ sent word 10 Jake 10 come down and
box up his snakes; and when he came
l told him the reptiles had saved my life
and the company's property. and he said
that he thought il would be a good idea
% keep a box OF snakes in the station
all the time as q lay-oyer FOR meddlerS'
a few days later I got q letter telling
me that I would be relieved that evening.
and 70 report 10 the main Office as soon
as possible. They gave me job as train
on the main line, and after
ra h.a.e