The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-21
ON THE FOOTBOARD / Z: 7:;s:'"''''' 7:;:

ney Here, again, difficulty stared us
in the face. We could hardly hope to
tackle two men with success, and
Briggs had somehow learned the fact
that the messenger was to travel along
with the guard. Apparently they
judged that some attack might be
nbdc, and 1t behooved us, therefore,
:" &c duUhly careful.
IT ain't no easy go. is it?" murmured
dilN. ~ alphabetically.
However, had a faint idea of how
TIE thing might be managed, and
gradually II shaped itself in my head
until | felt sure that. with a bit of luck,
W. could pull it off.
My plan was ths-to pull the train
up at some wayside place, where Jim
was to be in waiting with a horse and
trap, secure the packet from the mes
senger while the guard was absent from
his van ascertaining the cause of the
stoppage, and put as many miles as
possible between us and the scene of
the affair afterward How this was to
be accomplished YOU will hear.
Jim" ] said, you know that little
place about twenty miles beyond Tam
worth that we visited n year or two
back on a little expedition of our own?
If I recollect Alright, the Northwestern
main line runs very close to the road
for some distance, and at one point
there are a number of large trees close
together"
Yer couldn't ave described 1t bet
ter sd yer been a guide book, guvnor
I know the SPOT"
Good. Could you be waiting near
those trees with a light trap at-let
me see-10:35 precisely tomorrow
night?"
Il dare say i could; but wots the
game?"
Never mind yet, Jim. You he there
as I've told you, and when you hear
this'--I gave a peculiar whistlc-"reply
in the same way, and ] shan't be far
off. And let your horse be ready to fly
like the wind" l added.
"All right, I'll be there" he replied
sulkily; but there's no need to be so
bloomin' Ugh landed about it ALL
suppose yer can trust me?"
20 course, else I shouldn't be doing
what 1 am now. haven't quite fixed it
in my own mind yet; but you start off
and get your part of the business ar
ranged. I'll tell you all about it when
it's settled, you may be sure"
This Modified him and after drink
ing success to our efforts we parted,
Jim exclaiming that "allus was such
long 'eaded feller."
I then set about the necessary prep
arations and went over my plan again
to see that I had not overlooked any
little thing which might prove fatal
to it's fulfillment.
/ procured a drill, small and handy.
but powerful three or four little plugs
of hard wood, some packing which
could be easily nodded, cake OF black
lead, and lastly bottle of chloroform
With these l thought / could manage
without any other aid than that of my
own ingenuity. The night arrived emil
nently suitable, dark and cloudy. and
with very little wind. ! Travelled down
by a previous train to Rugby, where
/ proposed to join the mail, which, for
tunately for my purpose. halted there
some eight or nine minutes.
Rugby is not particularly busy sta
tion at any time, and this was another
argument in its favor from my point
of view. When the mail ran in l gave
a swift glance at the van to see If my
quarry was on board. Yes, there he
was, leaning idly against the offdoor,
watching the porters as they hastily
loaded and unloaded the huge postofiice
hampers.
That much assured, when nobody
was looking I took the opportunity to
drop down behind the van and walked
along the offside of carriage about
the center of the train which had no.
ticed as being practically empty.
Now was the time for rapid action. I
took the drill from my pocket, fitted it
together and commenced to bore a
hole in the pipe leading to the brake
cylinder underneath the vehicle. The
drill was good, and / had soon made
a neat little hole. Rut ] must be
quick or the engine would come on and
then the fraud would be discovered.