Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-30
The Phantom Train.
lorisinaI.I

SEN
eating for train. There was no
..a,,ou no station agent. baggage
aaont-uothing. no one-on that dismal
winter morning except myself. unshel-
,orea the wind driving the loose
an,w mast me IN sheets. had TWEEN.
- minutes TO wait for the train which
: mus, Tag myself. The engineer,
however in SO sparsely a settled coun-
,rv would have NO objection to stop
ming for the purpose Of taking on q
single passenger.
Half the time had elapsed when,
herring footstep crunchlng on the
snow behind me. turned aud saw a
man approaching. As he ncared me
noticed that be carried his right arm
an a sling and had his 0vercoat but
toned at the throat over the arm. A
felt hat was drawn down to cover his
fare. so that would not sce much Of
his features. when be came aud
stood beside me. locking up the track
for the train. nv that be had dark.
saudy hair and Z I'd bsard, rather
unusual combinafi0n-
~Train on dime. sirr' he asked.
"Don't know" I replied Il don't
fancy waiting loug f0r 4 hsee."
The man seemed nervous. He cast
a glance q me thAt made mo uncoui-
Portable. Els wss an ugly. looking Tel.
low. and n he wsrU prepared to do 70
n would b 40 axcslIent place to mnr.
der and rob me. then htdo my body In
the snow and escape ~ The train when
1t came.
II don't IKE IL hooks Of this mist
10 the air." - renafked.
singular. Isn't 1T don't know
that ever saw anything just like It
before. Hello. there's the train COM
ing!"
1t sprang suddsnly into sight with.
out sound 10 givs N warning.
Jumped Oh the track on which was
standing. then waved my handkerchief
for 1t to stop. which It did. but some
200 feet before 1t reached ~. SEEKING
my satchel. which had set on the
end OF tie. ran up the track to get
aboard. followed BY the man who had
Joined me. But before We had covered
quarter Of the distance the train dis
appeared AZ suddenly n II It were q
ghost train run By ghost otiicinls !
stared for few moments at the place
where it had been. then glanced at my
companion. He was looking up the
track with the most terrified express
sion I have ever seen on any mans
face.
Did you see itT I asked
He didn't hear ine. He was mutter.
ing incoherently and acting in other
respects like one demented. tried to
reassure him by telling him that we
both were 50 anxious for the train to
come that we had created 1t In our
imaginatious-a very lame explanation,
by the way-but was unable to quiet
him. Suddenly saw him looking out
over the snow with new and height.
ened terror in his eye followed its
direction, aud there out on the prairie
was the train running along as smooth.
iy as II 1t were still on the rails.
So intense was my astonishment. So
'eerie the feeling the phantom train
gave me, that forgot my companion
, completely till, herring groan. look
ed about and saw him lying writing
In the snow. This startled me. aud
forgot the train In the responsibility
of being out on broad prairie with a
man who might be In death struggle
There was little ! could do for him
except get his head on my knee and.
taking fask from my satchei. pour
drink Of whisky down his throat.
While he revived. be did not recover
bis head even twelve minutes later
when the train--the real train-preced-
ed by rattllug on the rails aud the
usual ciatter. steamed mp and at my
signal stopped beside us The conduct
or, standing on platform. saw me be-
Side the sick man aud. jumping OF. as
sisted me to get him aboard
A number Of persons were crowding
around the invalid. gaping at him.
when one 81 them a trainman, ex.
Claimed:
IN bet that's Dan Horgan.'
Who's Dan Horganf' asked
One of the men who threw the -
uain on the track two weeks ago. kill
ing the engineer. fireman and several
passengers. Then they robbed the
express car. One Of the gang is in
jail, has turned states evidence and
named Horgan as their leader"
But why do you suspect this man
to be Horgan?"
The informer has described him as
having sandy hair and a red teard
besides. be says that florgan's right
arm was shattered by a shot from the
conductor. We've had the description
On this train ever since II WAS cireuiat'
ed by the company ten days ago
The invalid had not regained his
mead when We reached the next town.
where the sheriff. advised by telegraph.
entered the train and took him into
custody. He did not know that he