Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-07-04
JEB sTARK's PROMOTION.
A Story Of Western Railroad Life.


in the heat haze beating up from the
cnder roadbed. In the distance, the
lonely passenger shanty doomed out of |
the treeless waste, the ugliest object in
an ugly prospect. Early in the morn
ing Jeb had finished his "chores" about
the shanty. For a time thereafter he
had considered taking a nap in the wait
ingroom" on one of the side benches,
but Krause, the operator, was in such
an uncertain temper that a moments
reflection decided him on the wiser course
of keeping out of sight. He betook him
self, therefore, to the scraggy shelter
previously mentioned and carried with
him into his retirement his two dearest
possessions Sacred because they in them
selves represented the highest pinnacle
of his ambitlon), battered old telegraph
sounder and key and a coil of wire.
Jeb was some day going to be an opera
tor, and these were the means to his
end.
With the agility born of long practice,
he had Skinned the nearest telegraph pole
and made working splice to the main
line wire. From the moment that was
done. and the instrument adjusted, a
lonely Arizona waif in the midst OF a
sandy desert basked in the fascinating
details of n world far beyond his ken.
Absorbed In what to most people would
have been dry and unlnteresting enough.
| the routine of train orders and business
| HltsStbtS ntiu MIN interested TO n point
| where he became Obvious to what was
| going on about him. Therefore. he failed
| to notice. n thick-set man in blue over
| alls and jumper who suddenly appeared
| out of the plain and glided into the Office
| of the shanty. From there he emerged
in minute or two. preceded by the oper-
ator, neatly triced up with clothes-line
and a broom handle, after the approved
method of the plains. 1t was not until
they were close upon him that Jeb saw
| the pair. His first instinct was to hide
| his instrument as much from Krause as
| the outlaw.
who's the kid?" the stranger asked
| Krause sharply as they came to a halt
| in front OF him.
MY help" the operator answered surl-
lily.
sonny" the other said. addressing Jeb.
were agoing down the road a piece.
and If you want to grow up to be a man
like your pap, don't you take no notion
to see what we're about. See?"
As he spoke the outlaw readjusted the
| bandanna handkerchief across his nose
! and mouth. and. with shove sent
| Krause forward down the track in the
| direction of Miners Gulch a soft-stone
| cutting. not more than a quarter of
mile from the station.
well, l reckon Krause is drunk again"
the operator at the Junction muttered to
| himself as he banged away at the key
Scaly City office. Something's sure the
| matter" he said aloud for the comfort
| the sound OF his voice gave him In his
| perplexity.
mo answer from Scaly; number 10 due
in six minutes. What shall do?" was
the message he sent direct TO the train
dispatcher at the head of the line.
| Before he had had time to receive an
answer from his chief. the Junction oper-
ator was further puzzled by the slow. ir-
| regular ticking of the instrument on the
Scaly City circuit. At first he could
| not make out anything from the jumbled
! beats of the sounder, save that some
| thing was materially out of gear in the
| system. AS he listened. however. his
| trained ear began to pick out here and
| there letter of the message that was
| coming through.
"Scaly City; Robbers is here. Krause Is
killed. Jeb-Scaly City; Robbers is here.
| Krause Is killed. Jeb-" was the re-
peated warning that finally revealed it.
self to the Junction mans bewildered
brain.
II have you'll have you'll have you
he clicked back, as soon as the full mean
ing of what he had heard dawned upon
him. Darling to the corner of the Office
he seized a red flag and tore up the main
track in the direction from which the
mail would approach in a scant minute
and a half.
The conductor and chief mail clerk
I were both hanging from a step as the
train ground by the operator in coming
to a stop.
What's the NATTER" they asked in
one breath as soon as they could get
within hailing distance of him.
! The operator repeated his experiences
Of the last ten minutes. and the three
hurried to the Office for instructions from
headquarters.
Word from Scaly robbers. Flag No.
! 10; proceed cautiously with empty cars
/ and effect capture was being licked off
over and over again as they came in.
The mail was hastily transferred from
two cars into a third: n day coach and
smoker were emptied of passengers, and
the loaded cars backed out of harms way
down a siding. With the dummy train
In tow the locomotive started for Scaly
City with six heavily armed mail clerks
distributed over the tender and in the cab
as n guard.
The engineer felt his way cautiously
down the line. ready at a moments
notice TO bring his train to a standstill
No sign of anything out of the ordinary
was TO be seen as they came in sight
OF the shanty. The fireman and two
mail clerks made their way carefully
towards the building to investigate. On
the floor lay Krause's revolver. The
room was In confusion. and there had
evidently been struggle. Not stopping
to search further the men hurried back
to the locomotive and reported.
Without word, the engineer started
his machine ahead down the track
Furthermore he no longer ran at a eau
tious crawl, but opened the throttle wide
and plunged away rs If making up time
on his regular schedule. The clerks got
their revolvers ready and waited. At
the gulch they were tagged as the en-
gineer had expected they would be. As
the locomotive slowed up In passing, the
oh he Will ha
flag dead. A fusillade from the side of
the track was returned by the other
men on the locomotive and then silence,
save for the steady pant of the engine.
Two of the clerks tossed the dead man
roughly on top of the coal In the tender
and started with their companions on a
run in the direction in which the rob-
bers had disappeared. They were just
In time to see four men jump on bron-
chos and ride for dear life across the
plains.
what can have become of Krause?"
the chief mail clerk asked as they gazed
disconsolately after the retreating fig-
ures.
May be they took him with them"
one of the number hazarded.
'"Taint likely" the chief answered
| They've got enough to attend to in get
ting away without Juggling him along"
spread out and We'll beat the gulch,"
the engineer said. 1--WE can only snend
ten minutes at it, but If he is anywhere
about we can turn him up in that time"
The men moved out fanlike across the
] 1a1 ~