Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-09

Coz
Being thus encouraged, the old-timer con
tinued:
Billy was working for some rusty rail-
road and there were only two stations on
the line besides the terminals. Billy was
the whole thing at one of these stations,
and a young fellow whose call over the
wire was b was operator at the other.
The way Billy told it he didn't see very
many human beings in a month and any
thing out Of the usual that turned up
was a theatre to him. Well, he was stand
ing in the door of the station one hot after
noon wishing for something to happen,
and suddenly a little yellow cur appeared
around the curve to the east and came
trotting toward the station. Billy said
that the dog seemed to have a smile on his
face. 1t s~quatted on the platform and
looked up at Billy. Billy spoke to it and
1t seemed to him that the dog had the
most nervous tail he had ever seen a dog
wear. AS Billy went on to talk to the
cur the tail became more agitated, and
here's where the story comes in. Billy
caught the rapping of the dogs tail on the
planks. The raps made four dots, dot,
long dash, five dots, over and over again,
i suppose you boys have learned the
code,'' said the story-teller, turning to the
messengers, and know that that spells the
word 'help?'"
Some of the boys nodded and some only
looked sbeepish.
"When the dogs TAIL" he continued,
kept on pounding out that word help
Billy realized that the cur was a wonder,
and he called it into the office. A dog
telegraph operator, even If he can only
make one word, isn't to be run across
every day. The little cur was desperately
hungry and gobbled up a big chunk of
meat that Billy gave him. Then it jumped
on the desk and lay down, as If 1t were
used to no other bed.
THE road that Billy worked for was
principally a carrier for silver bullion from
mines and smelters at one terminal to d
trunk line at the other terminal. or course
there was considerable attraction for train
robbers, but there hadn't been a hold-uI
since Billy had been employed on the road
Just at this time, however, a gang OF des-
perate men-and they weren't hard to fine
in the west in those days-had determined
to have a try at a bullion train. The trains
had to slow up on the curve just east Of
Billy's station, and this point was chosen
by the robbers as the right place for them
to operate. Accordingly, a few nights aftel
Billy had adopted the dog operator. he
was awakened by d Tou6n hahu peih6 i"iu
on his mouth, and an equally rough voice
told him to keep his head shut. Billy was
dazed, of course, but he realized what was
going on, particularly when one of the
men in the office took down the red Ian
tern from it's nail and lighted 1t.
''The gang agreed that Billy must be TIED
and he was soon fastened good and tight u
his narrow bed with a long piece or rope
The gang then went outside. Billy was
sort of dizzy with excitement, but when he
turned his head and saw the little yello"
cur sauatting on the table near the Key
sounder a feeling that he had a pal came
over him. He spoke softly to the dog ano
that started the nervous tall. Inc tai MI
the key and Billy could tell by the SOUND
that by some chance it was open. The dog
sent that one word help over and oveI
again.
BILLY kept on talking to the dog and
wondering what the effect Of the nervous
tail would be in BIS office. By stretching
his neck he could see through the window
for the moon was up, that the desperadoes
were at the curve. They were too far away
to hear the instrument. The train would b'
there in an hour Billy calculated. The min
utes dragged on and the dog curled up ant
went to sleep. Just then the sounder be
gan. b. had been awakened by the clicking
of the instrument. He asked what the mat
ter was again and again and all Billy coulC
do was to lie there and swear and present..
the sounder shut down. Billy could no
make himself believe that the good lucl
would happen that the other operator would
stop the train and warn the crew. III,
didn't know what a bright young fellow b
was.
1T seemed hours to Billy before he hearc
the distant roar OF the coming train
Pretty soon the track began to sing AM
the train was only a short distance thu
other side of the curve. The suspense mus
have been something terrible. The trail
stopped, obeying the signal of the red Ian
tern swung across the track. In a momen
more Billy heard a volley OF shots. A bull
Let tore through the thin nlankInP of Ruly,