Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08
THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1902

for the canyon opened out of the opposite
side of this gully and they had to descend
below the trestle.
1T would be a short cut If we could cross
that trestle," remarked Lem effort, who
made one of the party. They were slipping
and sliding down the slope and the pipe, rid
ing on the slender framework, was then 20t
feet above their heads.
t~s"Yes,' remarked the sheriff drily, 81 car
think of no easier way of committing sui
eide
They followed the torrent that crossed
the gully and as they entered the canyon
they shouted all together to make known
their arrival. An answering shout came
back reyerberating like the echo of theil
own.
My Cookbook therer'
1t was the sheriff, and he was gazing
straight upward at the pipe on the trestle
where 1t left the embrasure in the canyon
Wali.aIhere on the brink, two men were
notwithstanding one another backward
and forward apparently oblivious to the
peril of their situation. One of them was
actually astride of the great pipe, his legs
ciasping 1t as they might the side of a fat
horse. The other swayed over him, some
times on the pipe-sometmes on the can
yon wall and seemed to have him in pow
erful grip which he endeavored to shake off
Ihey 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 10 act
1t is Richards and Joe Hutchngs." 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 per-
force.
Evidently their coming put new energy
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 powerful effort he got
Richards off his feet, and there was only a
loosenlng grasp between him and eternity,
brtf D;al,,, IL
his peril, loosened his own grip of Hutchings
and hurting himself violently backward chung
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 ali about?''
cried Sheriff Black he hurried up.
Mad replied Richards. stark mad
Been so for week. Tried to kill me and
himself several times. Now it's something
else. | was close to it that time. Look at
him; he'll go off there before he is half
way across.
Hutchfngs crawled steadily out on the
recovered pipe. The watching men trem-
bled for him, but he seemed devoid of fear
When half way over he stopped and looked
back. The sheriff entreated him to return,
assuring him of their good will. But he
only cried out mockingly and continued on
his way.
Follow me, Bob Richards he called.
Follow me now. No? Well, I take your
best wishes to her for a sneaking hound
The rescue party climbed down the slope
ana ran across the gulch in the hope of
heading him off, but the distance was too
great. He got to the other end of the
trestle ahead of them and disappeared in
the woods
''He took the short cut-heh?'' exclaimed
Lem effort, specifically
"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 re-
iuctant to reply. "Oh, just a crazy notion -
he said, eVaSively.
No: 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 Rich
ards, 1T is only that the man Is daffy
You see, we've been alone up here to-
gether for three months, without a soul TO
speak to, and with no word from the out
side after the wire broke. 1t was enough
TO drive any man off, and poor Hutch was
piue from the first. We quarreled about
tribes, and afterward called each other
fools, and made it up again and again. At
I1rst we had the wire, but-WelI YOU see
knew little of the code, and used 70 talk
TO the telegraph operator in town-Miss
Coyne, you know-just to pass the time
away you know-and that used to make
MIN wild, although / did not discover if
until afterward-said 1 was making love to
ner over the Wire-'
Which as matter of fact Won uera >,
interrupted the sheriff
NOW. Black, as friend, you must prom
Use not to bring her name into this T
merely, eh-talked to her on ordinary ton
ics-and Hutch went off about If Perbo ne
1t was the December storm but T oiu,a We
DelleVed he broke that telegraph wire He
seemed greatly amused over it-used To al,
me each morning afterward what was the
news from the station He got vio1ent
d iDht he
out OF my bunk just after l got to sleen
lie mad me by the throat, and we mixed #
up Tor an hour before he quieted down 7
had to be always on guard against hin, 7
couid not leave him alone. and the loss of
steep was firing me out. Then | thousbt of
swapping the switches in and out to attract
attention in town. did 1t for several nights
before he saw through it. Last night whiIe
l was signaling he jumped for me. All
ne said, at it again, are you? The cur
rent went off, and we had it out in the
dark saw your fire, and knew YOU were
coming. but did he Then he tried 70
get away. barricaded him in the switch
room, but he broke out just as you arrived
You saw what happened on the nine
thought it was all over once-but YOU will
ter, will you now?' --''
MY boy,' answered the sheriff, 81 don't
lady's name" 'ii1
THANK you. old man, /,
Yes" continued the sheriff. eft will, mot
be necessary. She told me all about it be-
fore left" u NC
"Whatw
Yes. you must have kept the wire hot
between you. But how a man can make
love by long-distance transmission heats
me-Pd want to get nearer than fen miles y
Richards grinned
There was another thing" said the
sheriff !He
Yes"
Yes: 1t seems that Hutch proposed and
last fall Np iiei
What! Well, why didn't she tell me
that?" 'e'i ihe
How could she. and him standing at
your back all the time?' 90
POOR Hutch! If I had only known"
well go inside now, and flash down the
news to her that everything is o. K. She'll
be waiting. What'n you say? Wei. if Won
don't know can't tell you"
Then, turning to his party, the sheriff
said: M
Hutchings." p''-