Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-25

glanced about the cur. The porter's eyes
were big, his eyebalIs staring.
"Wait till i come back, - said Mr..
Jarvis presently, and let himself out at
the rear door. The lastsleeper was dark
and silent. Every curtain seemed
drawn. Jarvis found his bunch Of keys
and after few seconds tumble opened
the door, The air within was close, al
most sitting, for every section was &C.
cupied. He found the porter snoring i'll
the smoking room, stirred him vigor-
ously and propoupded rapid questions.
The bewildered darby answered to the
point. Some of the young men among /
his exoursionists might have pistols in
their grips, but he'd only seen one in a |
hip pocket. There were 10ladies and IL
men, he said, all unconscious of danger
of any kind, and, as it was a chartered |
car and they were out for long pleas
ure trip, no doubt there was plenty of
money, to say nothing Of watches and
jewelry in the party. 1t was the first Of
the kind that had come up the road for
a month. Jarvis knew it had been we'll
advertised. What more likely than that
the daring fellows who had made things
lively on the other road should have
planned to hold up this particular
train? What better place could they Sc
lect than the lonely, rugged, almost
mountainous tract between Thunder
Gap and Bowlder Creek? And if they
weren't already boarding his train, one
or two at a time, just as they did on the
K. P, then call him a Chinaman. That
swagger and stylish young man at the
Junction, "salooning the soldiers and
making himself solid with them," the
shivering tramp at Willow Springs who
was SO promptly found and SO lavishly
paid for and provided for by the same
suspicious party e. Fancy his enlisting!'
thought the conductor; that cock and
bull story that he told Long was enough
to damn him from the start"), and now
these two oovboysiin the smoker-fel-
lows that took supper and left their
| plugs at Hank and said they were 60
ing up to Pawnee for a fier, but allow
ed they knew nobody there or in that
part of the valley. jarvis felt more un-
easy with every minute
"I'm blessed if I don't think I ought
to wake some of the li'keliest of these
young fellows, = said he to the porter,
"but I'll go and have out the lieutenant
anyhow -
Suiting action to the word, back he
went to the forward sleeper. "Wake the
gentleman in No. 8, I" said he to the por-
ter as he re.entered and found that dusky
guardian eagerly, anxiously awaiting
him.
He's gittin up, sub. Idone called
him. And at the moment, rubbing a
j pair Of bleary;; sleepy, red trimmed eyes
with one hand and buttoning . cavalry
sack coat With the other, a stocky,
3 heavily built man of about So came
lurching down the aisle. Briefly the
conductor told his suspicious and asked
what help he could have in case Of
trouble. The cavalryman was evidently
trifle hard to rouse. He seemed slow
of comprehension. He pondered bit,
looking dumbly from the conductor to
the porter, with eyes that did not clear
as rapidly as they should have done.
At last he said:
"One of them in this carp
eyes, smoking in the compartment
yonder."
Following the conductor, the officer
meandered up the aisle. The Pullman
was swaying violently now. The train
had reached the summit of the divide
and was rushing down the westward
slope at a speed that became swifter
every moment. The lieutenant stopped
at his berth and rummaged Gader a
pillow.
you're net getting gun now?''
Whispered the conductor warningly.
} "No, only a pocket pistol. !" was the
answer as the blue blouse Strengthened
: up and produced half filled flask.
81 wish your men, those recruits
, had arms muttered the conductor az
, they went on again. Then he held up 6
! warning hand. They We're just squeez
ing through thenarrow passage between
, the smoking compartment and the sid'
of the car. "Wait till see what he'
doing, y said Jarvis and disappeared
around tho corner. Presently he beckon
q ed, and, flask in hand, the lieutenan
followed on, glanoing casually at tn
dim form near the window, stepped t.
the washstand and found tumbler
p half filled it with liquor and proffere'
it to the conductor, who shook his head
! The soldier poured in little water AM
swallowed it all at gulp.
"Now," said he, have loo
at your man.
The conductor stepped inside tn
smoker, feigning to try to decipher tn
h writing Oil card he held in his hand
d but as though the light were too dim
4 reached up and turned higher the flame
brightly illuminating the little com
o partment in moment. Gray may hav
Q been doing. He glanced quickly up, a
4 though startled, and his eyes met thos
a of the stout mau in cavalry uniform
~ "a - 7 4