The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-04-18

mangled hand from which the blood
was dripping. She made him cut her
shirt waist sleeve and bind up the
wound while she called lockwood.
I'm heartless, know, but" she
broke off as lockwood answered.
Send out armed men on engines.
Train Al held up at Bigler's Siding.
Robbers. Explain later. Must be
quick"
AS the girl turned to him Ben
thought she was the weariest crea-
ture he had ever seen. Her face was
colorless and she seemed ready to
faint from exhaustion and the strain.
She smiled wanly at him and be-
gan listlessly to bandage his hand.
Tell me about it," she said.
Il was sitting here waiting for
your call and 1 think 1 fell asleep. 1
know was thinking of you, for when
l awoke the first thing L thought of
was how cold your fingers were. I
put up my hand to feel them and ran
against that gun" He shuddered at
the memory. Il was wide awake, and
l jumped for that drawer, but he'd
shot my hand dead limp before 1
moved almost"
'Of course 1 began to call, and
then you broke in. l was nearly
crazy. When l got them he told me
every word to say, and 1 had to send
it because he was an operator him
self. l was sending an order to Rock
wood, and that was unusual, and
with my left hand, too. The fellow
| at lockwood kept asking me all the
| time if it was me. But when I told
him to get a move on or he would be
responsible for the wreck of the mail,
he said all right. That fiend then en-
| tertained me with a description of
what they were doing down at Big
ler's Siding. There were six of 'em,
and l don't know how they got onto
the fact that the mail had so much
money tonight. Some one on the
road squealed, but he didn't tell me
who it was. You know Bigler has
that track in there for his lumber,
and when they had killed the en-
gineer and fireman they were going
to take the whole train up in the
woods, and load the Doodle into wag-
ons. They were going to take their
| time and"
Ann wheeled around to the ticker.
They were calling her again.
"Have sent out three engines.
About 40 men, all armed. Wilson
wants to know what's the matter.
He's going out"
Ann started to send, and she was
still busy ticking the long and graph
ic story to the astonished railroad
officials at lockwood, when she
heard the familiar putting of, an en-
CINE coming up the grade. She broke
and ran out to where Ben was stand
ing. An engine was slowing up for
the little Office. 1t was covered with
men, hanging on with their very toe
nails. 1t stopped and they all piled
| off.
"Well, what in the DEVIL" began
one grimy fellow. Then he saw Ann.
He turned to Ben. eve got 'em all
down there, but how'd you come to
send such a message? You must be
one of the train robbers, yourself. 1
guess you're the other one, they're
turning to the other men, "this
things got to be looked into. I move
we arrest this fellow"
Ben tried to speak, but they ST.
fenced him.
"You can explain later" said the
grim trainmen.
Ann was laughing Historically.
They were some distance down from
the office, and she turned and ran up
the track and around the little house.
The enraged railroaders were brutes
in a moment. They thought she was
running away.
Catch the hussy!" they yelled.
"She helped him in his deviltry."
But when they came upon her
around the corncr of the house, she
was standing with her eyes closed,
against the side of the house, and at
her feet, the red clot still oozing on
his forehead, lay the missing high
wayman.
When it was all explained they
took her back with them and the
three living bandits were shown to
her at the Siding. The attack had
just begun on the train when the
engines arrived, and all the rascals
had run. Two were shot and the
others were captured. They were
carried into lockwood in the car
with the gold they had hoped to
steal, and Wilson himself was there
to meet them. AS Ann climbed off
the train he came to meet her bare
headed. The girl flushed crimson as
he took her hand, and said so that
they all heard: "My girl, you have
saved the B. & O. $3,OOO,OOo, to-day.
Do you know that you are very won
derful?"
81 did it for Ben" she said, quietly,
land can you send me home now?"