Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-04-30

I'm India. and had a whaCk at the
/ Transvaal insurrectionists as a yolun-
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
Their along.
The next station, fifteen miles fur
Their 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. He 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 ray1ne.
liked nothing better than a days
outing with Tom, and | 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 $12,0OOOO0 in bull
lion over the road to Sioux City the
next Monday night, and that the train
would pass through my station, Rocky
Forks, at S:1J 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. lie said that he had, and
would look for the train seventeen min
utes earlier at Dismal Point.
That day and the next | passed in
my usual way. Sunday was uneyent-
full, and would have seemed long, eX
cept for the constant ticking of the in
strument, which was kept busy send
ing messages about the important ship
ment to be made the next day. Mon
day evening at 1870 l looked at my
watch. The train will soon be along"
l said. Il guess l 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 knsn as soon as 1t leaves
here. Tomorrow"
There was 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. | kept calling, but no re-
/ spouse came, and l thought that the
wires had become entangled.
| waited for the express with its
/ $12,00O,00 in bullion until S:15, but 1t
did not arrive. Then l telegraphed up
road to Tom, but there was no answer.
l waited five minutes longer and tels-
graphed again, but still no response.
THE wires must be down. | said
/ l 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 it came nearer | saw it was
empty, and as it passed me l board
ed IL.
Reversing rhe engine, l started back
up the road. | went with such fire as |
could get up, back to Dismal Point.
Here, in front of the station, stood the
express car, rifled 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,
and | lifted him into the car 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. a 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 found out the rob-
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, l 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, ana
on II I carved these words: Living, |
will pursue YOU to the end Of the world.
Dead | will come back to you"
poIn, II nut Toms name and age.