The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-09

claSp1ng 1t as they might the S1deS oil
a fat horse. The other swayed over him
sometimes on the pipe-sometimes on
the canyon wall and seemed to have
him in a powerful grip which he en-
deavored to shake off. They painted and
cursed, and the noise they made came
down with the pebbles that ratified on
the heads of the men in the gulch. The
sheriff was quick to act
"It is Richards and Joe Hutchings,! ,!
he cried. They've had a run in-after
me- boys To the top, to the top!" and
with a stentorian yell' to the men on
the trestle he ran up the slope, his
party following perforce.
Evidently their coming put new en-
ergy into the men above, for the latter
redoubled their efforts. Once it seemed
| that the man astride the pipe, who
was Hutchings, had conquered, for
with a powerful effort he got Richards
| off his feet and there was only loos-
| ening grasp between him and eternity
but Richards, with a nimbleness born
of his peril, lossened his own grip of
Hutchings and hurting himself violent
ly backward, clung sprawling to the
wall. Instantly Hutchings turned over
and on his hands and knees started to
crawl along the pipe out over the
| abyss.
my God, Richards, what is it all
! about?" cried Sheriff Black, as he hur-
ried up.
Mad" replied Richards. STARK
mad" Been so for a week. Tried to
kill me and himself several times. Now
it's something else. 1 was close to it
that time. Look at him; he'll go off
there before he is half way across
Hutchings crawled steadily out on
the ice-covered pipe. The watching
NIa5 fr,- h h =
devoid of fear. When halfway over
he stopped and looked back. The sher-
| iff entreated him to return, assuring
him of their good will. But he only
cried out mockingly and continued on
his way.
Follow me, Bib Richards!" he called.
Follow me, now. No? Well, l take
your best wishes to her for sneaking
hound"
The rescue party climbed down the
slope and ran across the gulch in the
| hope of heading him off, but the dis
| tance was too great. He got to the
| other end of the trustle ahead of them
and disappeared in the woods.
HE took the short cut-hey?" ex-
claimed Lem Giffort, superficially.
"a sane man could not have done it,"
replied the man next to him.
The sheriff drew Richards aside.
! What did he mean by taking your
| best wishes to her?'" he asked.
Richards dropped his eyes and seemed
reluctant to reply. 80, just crazy no.
tion." he said, evasively.
mo, that won't do, Bob" replied the
| sheriff. I've got to know what has
been going on up here"
But on my word, Black" replied
Richards, ''it is only that the man is
daffy You see, we've been alone Up
| here together for three months, with
out a soul to speak to, and with no
word from the outside after the wire
broke, it was enough to drive any man
off, and poor Hutch was blue from the
| first. We quarreled about trifies, and
afterward called each other fools, and
| made it up again and again. At first
we had the wire, but-wen, you see,
| knew a little of the code, and l used
to talk to the telegraph operator in
| town-Miss Coyne, you know-just to
pass the time away, you know-and
that used to make him wild, although
did not discover it until afterward-
said l was making love to her over the
wire"
(Which, as a matter of fact, you
| were," interrupted the sheriff.
Now, Black, as a friend, you must
promise not to bring her name into
this. / merely eh-talked to her on
ordinary topics-and Hutch went Off
about 1t. Perhaps 1t was the December
storm, but l always believed he broke
that telegraph wire. He seemed greatly
amused over it-used to ask me each
morning afterward what was the news
from the station. He got violent about
week ago. One night he hauled me
out Of my bunk just after l got to
sleep. He had me by the throat and
we mixed 1t up for an hour before
he quieted down. l had to be always
on my guard against him. l could not
leave him alone and the loss of sleep
was tiring me out. Then L thought
of swapping the switches in and out
to attract attention in town. did-it
for several nights before he saw
through it. last night while / was
signalling he jumped for me. 'Ah,' he
said. AT it again, are your The cur
rent went off and we had Ii out in
the dark. ! saw your fire and knew
you were coming. But so did he.
Then he tried to get away. barri-
caded him in the switch room, but
he broke out just as you arrived. You
saw what happened on the pipe-I
thought il was all over, once-but you
will not mention Miss Coyne's name
in the matter. will you now?"
my boy" answered the sheriff, 81
don't believe it will be necessary to
mention the lady's name"
THANK you, old man, +"
eyes" continued the sheriff ut will
not be necessary. She told me all
about 1t before left" NJ
What"
"Yes, you must have kept the wire
hot between you. But how a man can
make love by long distance transmits
sion beats me-I'd want to get nearer
than ten miles"
Richards grinned.
There was another thing" said the
sheriff.
"Yes?"
Eyes. II seems that Hutch proposed
and was refused just before he came
up here last fall"
What Well. why didn't she tell me
thatg"
How could she. and him standing
at your back all the timer
Poor Hutchl n ! had only known"
well. go inside now and Hash down
the news 10 her that everything ie q.
X She'll be waiting. Whntil you
say Wen, " YOU don't known ] can't
tell you"
Thsn turning 10 his party ths shsr.
in said
CONS. boys. we've goi 10 hne poor
Hutchluga"