Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-06-06


 shower of stones followed him, the crash of breaking glass sounded along the cars, and at full speed the train pulled out of Seed City, carrying it's doubtful honors with 1t.
 Meanwhile in the woods that flank the Seed City station shed the principal in the conflict stood surrounded by the men that had come violently to the rescue
 sYou fit lem smart, you didy' cried one, and the man. looking round saw that it was the tall mountaineer who l had sat behind him in the car. "Why, boys," laughed the mountaineer, The l fit off the hull crew on them!'' He was still laughing when newcomer strode out of the bush and joined them. Whats up?'' this one asked.
 Hello, Doc. You jes' missed it" The lank mountaineer pointed in ex- I pIanation to the Stranger among them, and the newcomer eyed him keenly. 'sWell, what's it all aboutY' he de l manded. The story was told, spiced with a flow of complimentary oaths, the picture drawn of the one man bat ting coura geously with the oppressor, and when it was finished the man they had called Doc reached out his hand. Good for you!,' he cried. I'm right glad to meet you. My names Burdle"
 "Oh,'' said the other slowly. 'Yer Doc Burdle, then?''
 Right you air. You must hearn tell on mel"
 "Yes," said the other, his eyes gleam- ing. T surely have"
 Six weeks had passed since Flanders departure without word or sign from him. The chief, uneasy at his long absence, was wondering whether he had not been too harsh, too ready to send him upon this mission, where death. in a sense, was wagered as the stakes Now, the best that Tower could do was to promise himself that on the following day he would send out trailer to find what had become of the missing man.
 Down the main line at this moment the operator at Guamo Siding, in soli- tary possession of the place, was deep ly lamenting the chance that had set him down as the surveying monarch of
 
 the landscape glimmered in the tortur- ing heat; the air droned with the shrill voices of myriad of insects, and the breeze, veritable furnace breath, add ed to the inferno with the dust it drew up in its train. In desperation the op- erabor set to filing points on his sound CTS and keys, but this only increased his torment. The rasp of the tool add ed to the manifold sounds from the superheated world outside. driving him to the brink of desperation. In dis gust he threw down his file, shook the beads of hot sweat from his brow and was tapping a glass of tepid water from the barrel in the corner when a low voice broke in on his reflections:
 Say, you there!'
 At the window beside the keyboard a hand was holding up the curtain, and underneath appeared a face, dust stain ed, burned to a copper red and set with two marvelously gleaming eyes. Star tied, the operator dropped the tin cup clattering to the floor and leaped to one side. The next instant he was with his back to the wall, pistol gleaming in the dull light of the shaded station. What do you want?' he demanded shrilly
 .'Well, swamp laughed the man. seThe hot has got on yer nerves, son ny, ain't it? Put down that gun, you chuckle headed brass pounder! I ain't goin' to hurt you"
 But the operator was too old bird to be trapped. The man that had left the place before him had been trapped in just such a way and tied down to his desk, the western mail had been Jagged almost in front of the siding, and the express and postal cars had been dynamited first and then rifled of their valuables. Make a/move if you darev' shrilled the operator, drawing a bead on the head in the window. Don't you darev'
 In answer the man tossed scrap of paper through the window. Quick, you! Rush that to the main office. Tell lem to dupe it to the chief Tower, mean Get a hustle on an then ske- daddle out CT this! You hear me? Ske- daddle! Vamoose lively, 'capse it'll be hotter here afore long than the hottest dog days that Gehenna ever saw. But don't you forgit to send that dispatch, or by Sam Houston you won't be wuth the fat to fry doughnut nex' time we run agether. Adios, sonny, an look out for yourself"
 The face vanished from the window, and the operator, a palsy upon him, still stood shaking against the wall. Outside, the sounds of the day resumed their droning intonation, the breeze sighed fitfully, and, though he cracked his ears listening for some sign of stealthy attack, he became at last con vinced that he was alone. With his re- volver still ready he tiptoed across the floor and snatched up the scrap of pa per. Then. with q sharp glance about, he read and at the next instunt had jumped to his instrument. "G-x," ''G-x," "G-x,' he called, his hand banging the key at frantic speed ''G-x," "G-x," "G-x" Somewhere down the line another station, noting