Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-15
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Woman Who Went
After a Glass of Water
1Original.1


When the Pacific railroads were new,
a great deal of the property cong the
lines was a wilderness. 1t was often
many miles between stations, and u
station was frequently merely a place
for people to come from a distance to
get aboard the cars.
One evening in December train APP
preaching one of these sheds-for that
is all it was-was tagged with ban
danna handkerchief by four men. The
engineer pulled up at the platform. and
the men got aboard. They were for Il
time very we'll behaved. looking about
them evidently with view To observ-
ing their surroundings. The train con-
sisted of a locomotive, a baggage car
and coach. The only passengers were
two men. peaceable looking farmers
and two women, apparently their
wives.
See here, Mr.. Conductor" said one
of the party, I'm the president of this
company jist now, and you're TO look
to me for orders. I'll trouble you to in
crease this funereal pace and snake us
along 10 the next station across the di-
vide. You go tell the engineer that I'll
give him three hours to make the 112
miles"
who are your asked the conductor.
who am L? I'm Simms."
There was n grim silence The two
farmers cast glances at each other. and
their wives got down under the seats.
Simms and his gang had terrorized the
fnf he hninNr
Tested No one either dared or felt dis
posed to make it his business to hunt
them down. A few days before they
had entered a town, plundered a bank
in broad daylight and taken to the
desolate region through which they
were travelling.
Now. we don't want nothing" con-
tinued Simms. but to git on. There's
no plumber aboard this train. and we
don't want 1t if there is. Git us TO
b by o o'clock, and neither you nor
your passengers will be molested.''
"All right" said the conductor. 'I'n
get you through without fall
One of the gang went forward with
the conductor to take position on the
locomotive. another stationed himself
in the baggage car, while the other two
train proceeded on its way as if moth
ing had happened. Simms at first re-
manned in the coach. but soon got up
and went forward. but not until he had
called man to take his place He was
very sharp with his men. cIutioning
them not to relax their vigilance be-
cause they had everything their own
way, but they seemed to dread moth
ing, at least within the train, and in
deed there did not appear TO be any
thing to dread. The few train hands
aboard moved about at their usual du-
ties, while the farmers and their wives
seemed to be dreading every moment
that they would be murdered. Dark
ness came on, and one of the hands
lighted the lamps. Simms came into
the coach and talked in low tone with
the two robbers there. One of the
farmers heard him say: eff this luck
holds, well be where we can go in Ell
Their of five directions. In this dreary
region we'd git starvation sure" Then
he went forward again.
1t was about s o'clock. The two rob-
bers in the passenger coach were sit |
ting talking together. They had taken |
a position where they could keep the |
party of farmers before them. The |
farmers occupied two seats facing each |
other, the men facing the women and |
the robbers, the women with their |
backs to the robbers. The latter had |
quieted down. One of them got up and |
walked past the outlaws to the rear of |
the car They followed her with their
eyes till they saw that she had gone to
get glass of water, then ceased to pay |
any attention to her. Suddenly two
words rang out sharp and clear above |
the rattle of the train:
Hands upr'
The order was shouted within foot |
of the two robbers ears. At the same