Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-02-27

/ Dduk Oh 0dTGn abruptly GOWN
on either side.
The tramp lit his lantern and tax
ing off his coat, wrapped it carefully
around Then he lay down on the ties,
fat on his face and began to creep
slowly along, squirming and crawling
like worm.
After a seemingly endless time of
creeping and feeling carefully with his
hands he felt the smooth cold steel of
the track end abruptly. The rail had
been removed just at the highest point
in the gully.
Now he had nothing more to do but
wait. And be killed. He wondered how
! it felt to be shot. A strong desire to
| get up and run took possession of him,
but he might just as we'll be shot saw
ing the train as now, so he lay still.
''Maybe I won't be killed. I might
git through some way. An old no
count like me 'u'd be likely to git
through with a whole hide Anyway,
'twon't be much lost. If 'twould only
come!'
1t seemed an hour since he had lain
there then he heard the rumbling and
the distant -o-whoo-o-o,"
and in minute the train rounded the
curve. The tramp flung his coat into
the gully and sprang to his feet, wav
ing the lantern up and down over his
head. Five pistol shots rung out sharp
ly above the noise of the train, the lam
tern tumbled into the gully, and the
tramp fell forward across the track, the
engine coming to a standstill within
two feet of his body.
Instantly a clamor of voices arose,
the engine pulled breathlessly, lights
flashed through the darkness, the ties
were examined, the lantern, the coat
and an empty pistol were rescued from
the gully, and the tramp was lifted by
dozen pairs of hands
''He is deadr' they cried. ''Shot
dead Murdered by train wreckersl'
A young doctor elbowed his way
through the crowd He was Of tall,
commanding presence and they fell
back before his authoritative voice.
''Make way, there!'
He knelt down beside the tramp and
after rapid examination said: ''The
man isn't even seriously hurt. There is
only flesh wound in the hip. He has
tainted from fright.
Even as he spoke the tramp opened
his eyes. a young girl sat down and
took his shaggy head into her lap,
where he moved uneasily from time to
time as he told his story.
''He's a real herol" cried the girl
GA brave, noble fellow, God bless /
himp' cried another woman.
A man held his brandy flask to the |
tramp's lips and another shook his hand !
hear Tho cd 70 hor w
understand it all. He blinked at them
stupidity, but chung to the brandy flask
They carried him aboard the train
and the engine backed slowly toward
the town, a mile away, and as the
tramp reclined upon velvet cushions,
surrounded by sympathetic faces, for
the first time in his life treated as an
equal, a man among men, strange,
new desires stirred vaguely in his
heart.
81 amt been nothin but a no count
SO fur, :" he thought, ''but I'm mighty
glad could save EN- all, mighty glad -
eve will make up suitable reward
for that brave fellow" said an old gen
tleman, but the young doctor spoke up
suddenly.
''See here! That man is fakel His
story is the thinnest I ever heard. I say
he took up those rails and waved the
train in the hope of a reward, shooting
himself to give weight to the story. Do
you think of five shots aimed straight
at a man only one would hit him and
infiict a slight flesh wound? And if he
feared the wreckers why didn't he
wave the train on the other side of the
Any sane man would have done
that -
This was an indisputable fact, and
the passengers began to comprehend the
whole matter.
''He says he heard the two men at =
o'clock,'' the young doctor went on
''Why, he could have gone to Fords-
vile and got a posse to capture them in
that time And he says he took the
lantern from a farmhouse stable. Why,
he could have gone in and informed the
farmerl Pshaw! The thing couldn't be
palmer. He was after the reward. You
will be lucky if you are not sent up for
this, old fellow
The passengers laughed CT were an
cry, according to their various temper
while the tramp tried to IN i
lerstand the meaning of the change in
their manner, but could not exactly
Hadn't he saved the train?
They took him to the hospital at :
louisville, and later on the men whom
hey had left behind came in to report
hat they could not find the slightest
race of the wreckers or any evidence
10 prove the truth of the tramp's pre-
oosterous story. !
In the morning the young doctor 9
allied at the hospital, and the nurse
who received him said: ''The man is
lead. He died during the night of heart