The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-02-16
The Wages .of Sin Il
Death ". L. French.

a disagreement. with the foreman Of the
roundhouse over his right to certain
run and was discharged, and oreaniza-
ton then being in its infancy among
railroad men, he was compelled to look
elsewhere for work. Two months later
we find him firing a freight engine on
the "Overland" out Of prairie town
that was the end Of two divisions. with
Lefty settled down to a new home
trying to become accustomed to the
changed surroundings. Changes came
rapidly on the road on which Ed. was
now employed. The road was new and
expanding, and then, too, business was
gradually getting better all the time as
the country became more and more fill
ed with immigrants. In a year he was
holding a good passenger run on the
main line.
In the later part of September, as the
train on which he was firing drew up
to lone watering tank, there resound-
ed on the air the crack of numerous
revolver shots, and fierce commands
for everybody to hold up their hands,
an order, by the way, wholly unneces-
sary, for although train robbing was
in it's infancy and the country new, yet
it had passed the cowboy stage, and
and those aboard the train knew that
train robbers were aboard, and every
body seemed intent on attending to
his own particular business, which at
that time seemed to be the secreting
of valuables or the getting down behind
seats of their own particular bodies.
Ed. Hunter had gone up the back of
the tank to take water is speedily as
possible when the train should come to
stop, and when the fusilade of shots
commenced, he took in the situation
and dropped down out of sight ON the
back of the tank to await develop
ments. A burly robber delegated to
to look after the engineer and fireman
had swung himself in the gangway be-
! fore the. wheels had stopped turning
and had compelled the engineer to
| thow up his hands. He glanced warily
from side to side, trying to locate the
fireman, who, from his point of van
| tage, could see without being seen.
Hunter thought that if he only had
/ OA1C VI IAAO WV VIC Guns AACAu NY IAC
robber guarding the engineer, much
good could be done toward defeating
the bandits and driving them away.
He knew he could rely upon the quick
intuition and bravery Of his engineer:
| Tom Wesson, to aid him in any move
he might make. He grabbed coupling
pin, as the only weapon to be had, and
silently worked his way over the back
board and toward the front of the
tank. He had begun to think that he
would be able to approach near enough
to the robber to strike him a disabling
blow before the latter would discover
his presence, when he accidently dis
lodged large piece of coal which roll
ed down into the deck with loud
noise that gave the bandit great alarm
for he whirled about facing the tank
for an instant forgetting the engineer
who instantly sprang upon him just as
he fired upon Hunter. The ball flew
wide, and the next second a heavy blow
from the coupling pin on his arm, shat:
Etered the bone, and the weapon fell
to the deck. Wesson quickly wrenched
the weapon from the other hand anC
he was bound with a piece of bell:
cloth and left lying on the engine deck
-cursing and believing with pain.
"Now, then, Tom," said Hunter, an(
each with revolver in hand started
out of the gangway. AS Ed. dropped tt
the ground he could see in the hal
light, a man coming rapidly toward thu
engine not more than twenty feet away
The robber saw him at the same in
slant, and the two revolver shots rang
out on the night air almost as one
The bandit spun half around and ther
fell heavily to the ground. Hunter
felt a sharp pain in his heart, every
thing seemed to be swimming abou
him, he felt himself sinking away, ant
all grew blank.
When his senses returned he foun(
himself lying on a cot in the baggage
car and he could tell by the swing O.
the car that the train was in motion
He learned later that the rest of thu
bandits had fled shortly after the fal
of their leader, and that he was tn
only one injured on the train. TIL
baggageman came over. and spoke !:
few words to him and asked him hov
he felt, and treasured him by telling
him that he would soon be home wher
he could be treated for his injuries
After the baggageman went away hi
eyes wandered, to an object lying Of
another cot near him, and instinct toll
= him that in the beared, fierce-lookinl
man there, he beheld the author of hi
. injuries. -
$50 you have come to at last" sal
: the robber in weak voice, Il had be
. gun to think that you never would
and that I would have another sin ad
ded to my already long list" -
II hope not on my account" sal
Hunter, and he tried to smile, but
was dismal failure.
"Your name is Hunter, and you wer
firing the engine, were you not?'" sal
the robber. =
"Yes," was the reply.
well, it's strange news to you, n
doubt, that outlaw and ruffian as