Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-04-20

IN India, aud had whack at the
Iransyaal insurreetionists as a volun-
teer, only TO settle down at last, as a
telegraph operator at Rocky Forks,
telegraph station between Omaha and
Sioux City. 1t was my business to
transfer messages between the two
places, and to connect with points fur
ther along.
Inc next station, fifteen miles fur
ther up the road, was Dismal Point,
and here Tom Brown, my oldest and
truest friend operated. Tom and | had
roughed it all over the world together,
and when we settled down here it was
to be near each other
One day Tom telegraphed down to
me that he would meet me at Rocky
Forks next Tuesday for days shoot
ing. lie said he would come down ON
the O'Clock train in the morning and
wait for me to get off at noon. After
that we would go up into the hills and
shoot along the points of the ravine.
l liked nothing better than a days
outing with Tom, and l quickly licked
back word that he could rely on me
next Tuesday, as that was my day off.
The following day there came mes
sage through Omaha that the United
Express would ship S12,000,000 in bul-
lion over the road to Sioux City the
next Monday night, and that the train
would pass through my station, Rocky
Forks, at $40 in the evening. | tele-
graphed back that | understood it, and
then | opened up the instrument and
asked Tom If he had received his mes
sage yet. He said that he had, and
would look for the train seventeen min
utes earlier at Dismal Point.
That day and the next l passed In
my usual way. Sunday was unevent-
full and would have seemed long, eX-
cept for the constant ticking of the III,
strument, which was kept busy send
Ing messages about the important ship
ment 10 be made the next day. Mon
day evening at 7:30 l looked at my
watch. THE train will soon be along"
| said. Il guess | will call up Tom,
and see If he knows where it is
| called up Dismal Point, and Tom
answered.
''The express train is one station up
the road" said he, land is ahead of
time. 1t will wait here five minutes.
I'll let you know as soon as 1t leaves
here. Tomorrow"
There was a sudden pause in the
ticking and then a strange hand sent
the message, THAT is all
called up Tom again, but he did not
answer. l kept calling, but no re-
sponse came, and | thought that the
wires had become entangled.
l waited for the express with its
S12,O00,00O in bullion until S:15, but 1t
did not arrive. Then l telegraphed up
road to Tom, but there was no answer.
| waited five minutes longer and tele
''The wires must be down" | said.
| walked out upon the platform and
looked up the road. To my surprise |
saw in the distance an engine coming
toward me, slowly swinging down the
track. AS 1t came nearer | saw 1t was
empty, and as it passed me board
ed It,
Reversing the engine, started back
up the road. | went with such fire ms |
could get up, back to Dismal Point.
Here, in front of the station, stood the
express ear, ritled of Its contents.
Across one of the trunks the express
messenger lay dead. The engineer and
fireman were SO badly stunned that at
first | thought they, too, were killed,
but after some time | brought breath
back into the life of the former. He.
poor fellow, was too dazed to speak,
aud lifted him into the ear, thankful
that he was alive.
When stepped into the little station
where Tom always sat, an awful sight
met my eyes. There sitting at the in
strument with his back to the door, was
my old friend, dagger sticking
through him, and fairly pinning him to
the table. / grasped the wooden han
die, and pulled it out with all my
strength, only to receive his cold body
In my arms.
Well. they never 1ounu out the TOD
bers of the train. The engineer had
been struck from behind, and could re-
member nothing; and after waiting
only long enough to see my old friend
buried, resigned my position at Rocky
Forks. and struck out again. But on
Toms grave, back in the woods at Dis
NAL Point, put shaft of wood, and
on II carved these words: Living, |
will pursue you to the end OF the world.
Dead. | will come back to you"
Below it l put Toms name and age,
ond vowed aloud the oath that l had
tbare written, to find the murderer Of
poor Tom Brown.
Three years later, found myself
stationed at New Ellsworth, suburb
OF New York. was In charge OF pri-