El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-20

AhS ioih AAo $1,000, e0N
ing off his coat. wrapped it carefully
around. Then he lay down on the ties
flat on his face, and began to creeI
slowly along, squirming and crawling
like a worm.
After a seemingly endless time OF
creeping and feeling carefully with hi:
hands he felt the smooth cold steel Of
the track end abruptly. The rail had
been removed just at the highest poin,
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 well be shot saw
ing the train as now, SO he lay still.
maybe 1 won't be killed. 1 might
git through some way. An old no
count like me nd be likely to git
through with a whole hide. Anyway,
'twon't be much lost. If 'twould only
comet
1t seemed an hour since he had lain
there; then he heard the rumbling and
the distant ''whoo-o-whoo-o-o,"
and.in a 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 an
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 b~reathlessly, 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 a
dozen pairs of hands.
"He is deadI" they cried. "Shot
deadl Murdered by train wreckersl"
A young doctor elbowed his way
through the crowd. He was of tall,
commanding presence, and they fell
"Make way, therel"
He knelt down beside the tramp and
after a rapid examination said: ''The
man isn't even seriously hurt. There is
only a 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 u0 moved uu6dSlly 1TOm Time TO
time as he told his story.
"He's a real herol" cried the girl.
ga brave, noble fellow, God bless
cried another woman.
A man held his brandy flask to the
tramp's lips and another shook his hand
heartily. The tramp seemed to hardly
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
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 |
10 fur, he thought, ''but I'm mighty
glad L could save 'em all, mighty glad"
eve will make up a suitable reward
or h la brave fellow, said an old gem
leman, but the young doctor spoke up
uddenly.
See herel That man is a fakel His
tory is the thinnest I ever heard. I say
took up those rails and waved the
AoA tHS ocPS VI |
himself to give weight to the story. Do
'ou think of FIVE shots aimed straight
It a man only one would hit him and
nhict a slight flesh wound? And if he
cared the wreckers why didn't he
a " h train on the other side of the
urve? Any sane man would have done
This was an indisputable fact, and
he passengers began to comprehend the
Whole matter.
"He says he heard the two men at 6
clock" the young doctor went on.
why, he could have gone to Fords-
lille and got a posse to capture them in
hat time! And he says he took the
antern from a farmhouse stable. Why,
Ie could have gone in and informed the
Pshawl The thing couldn't be
lainer. He was after the reward. You
7iI be lucky if you are not sent up for
his, old fellow"
The passengers laughed or were an
ry, according to their various temper
ments, while the tramp tried to I'M
the meaning of the change in
heir manner, but could not exactly
Hadn't he saved the train?
They took him to the hospital at
ordsville, and later on the men whom
ney had left behind came in to report
nat they could not find the slightest
ace of the wreckers or any evidence
, prove the truth of the tramp's pre-
story.
In the morning the young doctor
alled at the hospital, and the nurse
no received him said: ''Fhe man is
He died during the night of heart
from the fright, 1 suppose"
She showed him the bed, and they
9TH stood looking down on the still
'rm lying there.
'Well, he's gone to his reward, said
lie doctor ~jocularly. Chicago News.