Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-07-10


tpdrd robbers
I'm gong TO quIt. wnars the use:'
he went Oh slowly. How can | tax"
charge Of conductors, talk to conduct
ors? How can discharge Il condrcto!
for stealing when he knows I'm thief
myself? They know 1t; Bucks knows
1t. There's no place among men for
thief"
"Dave, you take 1t too hard. Every
thing ran wide open here. You're the
best railroad man on this division: cv.
erybody, old and new, admits that"
II ought to be a railroad man. l held
down division on the Panhandle when
was thirty years old"
"Were you Il railroad superintendent
ut thlrty?"
II was trainmaster at twenty-seyen.
I'm forty-ninc now. and thief. The
woman that ditched me Is dead the
man she ran away with Is dead; my
baby Is dead. long ago" He was look
Ing out us he spoke on the flying desert.
ashen In the moonlight In the car the
passengers were hard asleep, and we
heard only the slew Of the straining
flanges and the munied beat Of the
heavy truck under US.
There's no law Oh earth that will
keep man from leaving the track
once In awhile" argued: there's
none to keep him from righting his
II, to 0ffnra1
say mars braud to do It, II you
won't do 1t here, choose your place,
and TIL go with you. This is a big
country. Dave. Hang It. I'll go any
where. You are my partner, aren't
you?"
He bent to pick up his lantern. TOM
mie, you're u great boy"
well, mean it." He looked at his
watch. l pulled mine. 1t was !
O'clock.
Better go to sleep, Tommie." Hook
ed up into his face rs he rose. He
looked for an instant steadily into
mine. "Go to bed, Tommie." He
smiled, pulling down his visor, and,
turning. he walked slowly forward. l
threw myself OH the couch and drew
my cap over my eyes. The first tning
felt was hand OH my shoulder.
Then I realized had been asleep and
that the train was standing still. A
man was bending over me, lantern III
hand. 1t was the porter.
Whats wrongY" l exclaimed.
There's trouble up ahead, MIR.
Burnes," he exclaimed huskily.
sprang to my feet. Have you got
your pistol:" he suffered.
Somebody came running down the
aisle. and the porter lodged like z hare
| penlnd me. Ii was the nind emo praAS
man, but he was SO scared he couio
not speak. | hurried forward.
Through the head Los Angeles sleep
er. the San Francisco cars ana tne
| Portland ran without meeting Nv
ing soul. but the silence was Ominous
When caught glimpse Of the inside
| OF the chair car l saw the ferment
Women were screaming and praying
and men were burrowing under the
foot rests. They've killed everybody
In the smoker!" shouted travelling
man. grabbing me. -.
"Damnation, make way, won't you!
I exclaimed, pushing away from hin
through the mob. At tire forward door
taking me for one Of the train robbers
there was another panic. Passenger
from the smoker were jammcd togethel
there like sardines. had to pile then
bodily across the seats to get through
and into the forward car.
II was over. The front lamps wer'
out and the car smoking blush.
cowboy hung pitched head and arm'
down over the heater seat. In the mid
die of the car Henry Cavanaugb, crouch
ing In the aisle, held In his arms Dav'
Hawk. At the dark front end Of tn
coach l saw the outline OF maj
sprawled on his face In the aisle. III
news agent crawlcd out from under
seat. It must have been short and hor
ribly sharp.
They had tagged the train east o
Bear Dance. Two men boarded tn
front platform of the smoker and on
the rear. But the two in front opene
the smoker door just as Dave was hui
rying forward to investigate the stoI
he was no man to ask questions. II