The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-16

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/ found the cypress agent tied hand and
foot.
<,ueruue. one from Laguna and four
from Coolidge. This latter would have
looked hopeful but for the fact that it
was a party of three women and a man.
Going back beyond Lamy didn't give
ANYTHING, for the conductor was able to
account for every fare as either still III
the train or as having got off at some
point My only conclusion was that the
robbers had sneaked on to the platforms
at Sanders, and gave the crew good
dressing down for their obrelessness. OF
course they insisted it was impossible,
but they were bound to do that.
Going back to 81, got my telegraph
instrument, though thought it waste
of time, the road agents being always
careful to break the lines. told a
brakeman to climb the pole and cut q
wire. While he was struggling up, Miss
Cullen joined me.
"Do you really expect to catch
.hem?'' she asked.
IT shouldn't like to be one of them, J"
I replied
"But how can you do it?'
''vou could understand better, Miss
Cullen, if you knew this country. You
see every bit of water is in use by
ranches, and those fellows can t go more
than so miles without watering. So we
shall have word Of them, wherever they
CO."
Lime cut, Mr.. Gordon" came from
overhead at this point, making Miss
Cullen jump with surprise.
what was that?' she asked.
Explained to her, and, after making
connections, called Sanders. Much to
my surprise, the agent responded. 1
was SO astonished that for a moment
could not believe the fact.
''This is the queerest hold up of which
I ever heard, - said to Miss Cullen
law, in what respect asked Albert
Cullen's voice, and, looking up, found
that he and quite a number of the pas
sengers had Joined us.
1.-THE road agents make us dump our
fire." 1 said, land yet they haven't cut
the wires in either direction. I can't see
how they can escape us. +"
s'What funr' cried Miss Cullen.
''I don't see what difference either
makes in their chance of escaping, said
Lord Rallies.
While he was speaking I licked of
the news of our being held up and asked
the agent if there had been any men
about Sanders, or if he had seen any one
board the train there. His answer was
positive that no one could have done SO,
and that settled it as to Sanders. I asked
the same questions of Allantown and
Wingate, which were the only places we
had stopped at after leaving Coolidge,
getting the same answers. That eight
men could have remained concealed on
any of the platforms from that point
was impossible, and / began to suspect
magic. Then called Coolidge and told
of the hold up, after which photographed
the agent at Navajo Springs to notify.
the commander at Fort Defiance. for
suspected the road agents would make
for the Navajo reservation. Finally 1
called Flagstaff as I had Coolidge, di-
rected that the authorities be notified Of
the facts and ordered a special to bring
out the sheriff and posse.
II don't think said Miss Cullen,
"that / am bit more curious than most
people, but it has nearly made me fran
tic to have you tick away on that little
machine and hear it tick back and not
understand word.
After that I had to tell her what
had said and learned.
How clever of you to think of count
ing the tickets and finding out where
people got on and off, / never should
have thought of either, she said.
1T hasn't helped me much, " laugh
ed rather grimly, Except to eliminate
avery DOSSihle cleyy -
.'They probably did steal ON at one of
the stops. - said a passenger.
/ shook my head. There ism { a stick
of timber nor place of concealment on
these alkali plains,' replied, land it
was bright moonlight till an hour ago.
1t would be hard enough for one man
TO get within mile of the station with
out being seen, and it would be impossi-
BILE for seven or eight.
How do you know the NUMBER
asked q passenger.
II don't" said. That's the num-
Der the crew think there We're, but
myself don't believe it. -.
why don't you believe the men?"
asked Miss Cullen.
First, because there is always tend
ency to magnify, and. next, because
the road agents ran away SO quickly.
IT counted at least seven" said Lord
Rallies.
well, Lord Rallies, - said, Sc don't
want to dispute your eyesight, but if
they had been that strong they would
never have bolted, and If you want to
lay bottle Of wine I'll wager that
when / catch those chaps we IL find there
weren't more than three or four Of
them. -
'sDone!' said he.