The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-30
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-Jeb Stalks Promotion.

Icarefully toward the building to investi.
gate. On the floor lay krauses revolv-
er. The room was in confusion, and
there had evidently been struggle
Not stopping to search further, the men
hurried back to the locomotive and re-
ported.
Without a word the engineer start
ed his machine ahead down the track
Furthermore, he no longer ran at a
cautious crawl but opened the throttle
wide and plunged away as If making
up time on his regular schedule. The
clerks got their revolvers ready and
waited. AT the gulch they were tagged,
as the engineer had expected they
would be. AS the locomotive slowed up
in passing the head mail clerk shot the
man with the flag dead. A fusiade
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 retreat
ing figures.
Maybe they took him with them"
one Of the number hazarded.
'Tain't likely" the chief answered.
They've got enough to attend to in
getting away without lu.yging him
along"
Spread out and we'll beat the
gulch," the engineer said. I'VE can
only spend ten minutes at it, but if he
is anywhere about we can turn him up
in that time"
The men moved out fan-lilie across
the gulch. peering behind the rocks and
loW-lying bushes to see If by any
chance he had been killed and his body
disposed of in that way.
One by one the party returned to the
locomotive with no news of the missing
man. The engineer held down his
whistle rope for good two minutes,
and waited five more for results. AS
nothing came of it the trip back to
Scaly City and the Junction was re-
sumed.
AS they nearcd the platform at Scaly
City a lonely little figure stood sill
houetted in the twilight against the
passenger shanty. 1t was Jeb.
II want ter git outer here,'.he said,
tearfully, as he climbed into the cab.
There amt nothin' going to keep me
around this place."
"What happened, sonny?" one of the
clerks asked, as the dummy train ran
swiftly back toward the Junction.
Then between sobs, despite his prai-
rie training, for he wasn't very big
boy, Jeb told of Watching krause dis
appear in the gulch in the custody of
the robber.
He had sent the message down the
line as well as he could with the old
sender, and his knowledge of the code.
1t had taken him a long time to make
sure that anyone had it,. though, and
even then he did not know where it
had been received, as he knew nothing
of the calls. After the functions reply
had reached him, he said he ran to the
head of the gulch by roundabout way
and saw the robbers ride up on their
ponies. There We're four of them, not
counting the man who had Krause in
custody. From their gestures he said
they seemed to be arguing about some-
thing. At any rate they shook their
fists in l[rause's face, and one man
finally knocked him down and fired a
pistol at him. Hence Jeb said he con-
cluded they had killed l. n. He was
afraid the robbers might catch him if
he stayed any longer, so he went back
to the station and reached there just
after the dummy train had left for the
gulch.
While Jeb had been telling his story
the chief mail clerk had climbed over
the coal to the body on the tender. He
came back pale and with body all
aquiver.
I'VE got the wrong man, boys" he
said. Its Krause up there"
The other men on the locomotive were
moved according to their natures. Some
swore sympathetically, While others
simply shook their heads. The engi-
neer did neither of these things He
opened the throttle a trife and re-
marked: "Well, he tagged us for them,
didn't he?"
Yes" someone aSSented.
well, he got his wages"
Jeb spent that night with the opera
tor at the Junction. The next morning
Albright received this message:
''Send that boy Jeb that stopped the
mail last night, down to this Office.
can use him. James Brock, Dispatch
er."-New York Evening Post.
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