Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-09-12
Copyright, 1900, by Frederick Reddall.
FIFTH DAY.
SIDE TRACKED.

FIFTH, DAY.
SIDE TRACKED.
. This is what had happened. The Dal-
Ion gang had stolen the Miranda and
the Pullman!
When No. 80 pulled out from the wa
ter tank, the two cars, as we have
seen, were held to the rest Of the train
by a single coupling pin only. Just be-
fore reaching the old switch they were
disconnected, when the main body OF
the train shot away on the down grade,
which was the reason that the engineer
did not Immediately discover the loss
of part Of his load.
The instant the last car Of the main
train passed the switch to the spur
track the spike was picked up, having
previously been loosened, 80 that when
the Miranda came along she and her
consort, propelled by their own mo-
mentum, the switch was pushed over,
and they went creaking and sliding
down the gentle incline toward the
gulch. A half dozen blows Of q ham,
served to spike the switch back in its
old position. and then few handfuls
Of loose dirt were cast on the frogs and
busted of again with sombrero so as
to hide the marks Of the tools. 1t would
have needed practiced eye after that
to detect that the switch had been tam
pered with.
OF course the two coaches would be
missed as soon as the ''Thunderbolt'
reached Denver, but this Jim Dallon
had foreseen. Before any effective
search could be made his captives
would be safely hidden where he could
make his terms with them at leisure.
The railroad people might find the
coaches and welcome, though this was
doubtful but the birds would have
flown.
Talk Of consummate daring! Engines
have been stolen again and again, train
robberies there have been without
number where q handful of armed des-
peradoes held up" and held at bay an
entire train crew and hundred pas
sengers. the latter being stripped Of
their valuables. but robbers had never
before been known to attempt to get
away with q train itself or part Of q
train.
Dallon slapped his leg and chuckled
with glee at the success Of his plan 30
far. The rest, he thought, would be
comparatively plain sailing.
When the Miranda and the Pullman
came to standstill, guards were post
ed all around the cars. two on each
platform. five or six on each side, some
1S or 20 In all, with strict orders to
prevent any one getting away. As the
doors were securely barricaded from
without the only possible chance for
escape was through the windows
Within the Miranda all was dismay.
The brightly lighted interior-the car
had its own gas tank-only served to
make the darkness outside more palpa-
BILE and intense. After the car came to
a final stop and it was discovered that
the doors were fast Draper and Ches-
ter both rushed to a window, but on
opposite sides Of the car. Scarcely had
the sashes been flung up than there
came the peremptory command:
"Shet that winder" accompanied by
the ominous click Of a Winchester.
Draper obeyed, but Chester tried to
parley. The only answer he received
"Shet that winder and shet 1t derned
quick"
Though his blood boiled with indigna.
ton at being thus caught like rats In a
trap, Chester was compelled to obey
out Of regard for the feelings Of the Ia.