The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1900-09-28
COULD PITCH CURVES.
BRAKEMAN WHO HAD BEEN A
BASEBALL PLAYER.
He Did Battle with Three Tramps on
Rapidly Moving Train and Incl
dentaIIy Showed Them a Trick with
Hole in 1t.


fore. But calculate | showed three or
four of them trick with II hole in 1t
the other night. Whenever | see BIO
on the train l never make a roar If he
looks as though he might have seen
better times and keeps quiet, but when
they touch your Uncle William up for a
mark they get what's comm to 'em all
right
Last Tuesday night l was ridin' out
In the middle, all alone, as usual, for
the hind man he hugs the doghouse,
and the head man toasts his shins in
The engine, leaving me to watch things.
| was sittin' at about the middle of a
big box car, with my feet hangin' over
the side, n there was Teller sittin' at
the other end of the car toward the ca
boose from me- He seemed to be keep
IN company with his thoughts, so l
didn't say anything to him.
"'Twasn't very long before another
weary was sittin' 'longside of him, N
begosh little later, when / looks again,
there sits three of 'em. This begun to
look like business. To make me feel
more uneasy, had my whole months
stuff in my trousers pocket. We met
the pay car just as we were leayin' the
yards, m had the greenboys in wad
in my jeans. Three or four times when
l had gone back to the DOLLHOUSE
meant to put the money in my locker,
but it had slipped my mind, and now
was calm myself names for bein' so
careless. Only las week Teddy Crock
ct, middle brakey, had been roughly
handled m his watch n dough taken
from him.
1.-The train was going at pretty rapid
clip and wasn't liable to stop again for
thirty miles, as we had taken water.
SO If there was any trouble comm
was in for it. Pretty soon one of the
hos, a big genius, strolled over to ME
n in milky way asked me what time
1t was. 'Oh, about an hour earlier than
1t will be an hour later was my an
swer, n L jumped to my feet to be
ready for anything that might be doin'.
Don't get gay with your peers
says the big Teller n he makes swipe
at my lantern n put it out. Then the
other two fellers comes up and entered
the game.
1.-The next three or four minutes were
very fast, but when | had time to think
it all over was layin lat on my back
on top of the car, with the big Teller go
in through my clothes. He had just
reached my pants pocket, which con-
tanned all that stood between me m
poverty for the next month, when | de
termined to make another effort to get
away N save my money. jerked my
knees up quick n CHECKED him over
my head. Then / gets up to make
dash to the caboose over the tops of the
cars n them three felIers after me.
II had hurt my leg in the mix-up n
l knew l could never reach the dog
house, as the hos were gainin' on me.
But there were three or four fiat cars
right ahead Of me toward the caboose
the way was runnin' N thought I'd
try n make these N put up as good
q fight as possible in the open. So
pitty-pattied over the tops of those
cars N down the end of one on to the
fiat cars with the dirty rascals three
car-lengths behind me. They saw that
l was weakenin' n couldn't keep up
the pace, SO they didn't rush them
selves.
1.-THE plan of battle l had fixed up
was to get up on the ladder Of the first
box car at the other end Of the fiat cars
and stand the buns off by kickin' at
'em. This car was an old stock car
loaded with bags of potatoes, n as l
got my foot on the first iron rung of the
end ladder my hand slipped through
the Stats n touched one of the bags of
potatoes, n 10 N behold you, there was
q big hole in the bag. / filed my over
all pockets with these murphies for am
munition of war, n stepped back down |
on the fat car again. ulster be base
ball pitcher in my youth n 1 could |
throw with either right or left hand, so
1 figured that I oughter be able to put !
up pretty good fight with my pockets /
full of potatoes.
1.-THE buns thought had chucked up
the race m were coming over the fiat |
cars at dog trot with the big man in
the lead When the leader got within
about twenty-five feet of me l let him
have a potato on an inshoot from my
left hand which caught him soaker
between the eyes, n then 1 let him
have the one in my right hand right
under the belt. Well, say, he dropped
all in heap In jiffy n then l opened
up on the two fellers follerin' him. I
dropped the first one neat outshoot
behind the ear, n before he could fig
ger out what hit him l let him have an
other spud in the solar prexus. l guess
they must have heard the yellin' in
the caboose n on the engine, for the +
train commenced to slow down, n 1
could see lights comm over the tops of
the cars.
1.-The third Teller saw 'em comm. too.
n as drove out at him he dove off the
Ear. The other two fellers were too
iazed to get away, m when the other
rain hands come up we made 'em pris-
sners n handed EN- right over to the
sops at the next station. But that
learned me q lesson, m 1 leave my
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