The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1900-08-03

O'Clock express? What would we doT
81 don't know" l answered; II guess
we would run. What do you think we'd
dor
well, II there wasn't too many,
we'd surprise 'em. Hit one or two Of
them over the head before they knew
what was up. then be ready to shoot
the rest If they moved. Then we would
tie them and signal the train when 1t
came by"
Rats We wouldn't do any such n
thing. But I don't like to talk about
1t out here. It's too real. Let's go to
sleep"
We lay there n long time after this
without saying anything while two
freight trains pulled by and Mr..
STUNTS lantern went across the bridge
and back after each one. BY and by
we quit looking at the stars, pulled our
noses In under the blanket and tried
to sleep. The last thing l heard was
Dutfey's yes. but 'sposen they should
come" to which l wouldn't listen, but
shivered at the thought and Struggled
closer under the blanket.
l don't know just how long we had
slept, but l woke up suddenly at DUFF
fey's pinching me. could feel that
he was trembling. looked, and there
In front Of the shanty could just
make out the forms of four men. The
door was open and the light from the
lantern shone out across the track. l
could hear Mr.. STUNTS shores plain
ly.
Then three Of the forms stepped in
to the glare Of the lantern and went
inside We saw that they wore masks
and were armed. The fourth man kept
his place outside. All at once there
was the noise of short scutile from
the shanty-a muflled yell, a confusion
OF low oaths, the lantern was kicked
over and smashed and we could hear
body falling to the floor. and then
we heard strange voice say: Tie him
up and gag the old cuss." Then fol-
lowed some mufiied swearing.
Were we scaredr We were fairly
still with fright. My hair stood on end
and whole breezes ran up and down
my spinal column. 1t was awful
they might be numbering Mr.. Stuntz.
Somehow we didn't even once think
Of making an attack on the robbers.
We just slid out from under that blan-
ket as fast and as quietly as we could.
working our way. feet first, on our
stomachs, down the hill We would
have been In Il dreadful fix If one of
us had started stone to rolling or
had snapped twig. But none of
these things happened and the man
who kept watch mt the door never saw
us or heard us at all.
At the bottom Of the gully we stop
ped and took hold of each other for
company 1 still held my revolver and
Duffey the bowie knife My teeth were
chattering and Duffey shook like a
leaf.
They're going to wreck the o'clock
express and we've got to stop EN-,
: said Dufrey, his voice trembling.
This Is where he made a little mis-
|, take. The robbers Gid not mean to
wreck the train, because 1t would have
been very easy to flag 1t, just as II
| something were the matter with the
bridge, and then rob the express car
, before the train crew really knew
what was the matter.
, Now, we didn't know what time II
( was nor how many confederates the
{ robbers might have strung out along
[ the track to keep watch. But WI
, guessed that II was near o'clock and
: that we would have to go through tn,
l woods for long way and be mighty
= lively II we We're going to stop thai
4 train SO we felt for the barbed- wir,
p fence that lined the right Of way
{ crawled under II into the black wood,
% aud started toward town. II was 5,
I dark that you couldn't see your owl
4 hand. and we were nearly scared {,
Q death as we ran into trees ami caugh
p on prickly bushes time and again.
e After a quarter Of II mile of this W,
: pushed out toward the edge of tn
[ woods and found that the railroa,
track had made turn and that tn
p. shanty was out OF sight
q Just then we heard the train whis
e tie We slipped under the fence agail
a into the ditch and then stumbled n
II onto the track Already we could hea
the steady roar Of the big, hoars
% smokestack and the steady sh-sh-sh a
IS the monstrous six-foot driving wheel
r. pounded the rails. She was comm
a a-hying. Not eighty rods away sh
{. rounded the curve and the fierce eye @
lie the headlight glared ut US and IL re
ID band OF whirling smoke appeared /
to the air as they opened the door Of tn
4, nrab,w u moo ttt,a atondtno In fror