The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-09-08
CHAPTER XVII.
THE sHADOwGRAPH.


TORTY-TwO miles southwest Of |
l. Angels. at a point where all |
further progress seemed def |
Il nitely barred by the huge bar
rier OF the great mountain range. the |
Red Butte Western. having picked its
devious way to an apparent cul-de-sac |
among the foothills and hogbaeks.
plunges abruptly into the echoing cam
ycn Of the eastern Timanyoni.
For forty added miles the river
ch1ssm. throughout its length a mar
row, tortuous crevice:: affords pre-
carious footing for the railway en-
bankment. At it's western extremity
the canyon forms the gateway TO
shut In valley Of upheaved hills and
interior mountains isolated by wide
stretches of rolling. grass land. To the
eastward and westward Of the great
valley rise the sentinel peaks Of the
two inclosing mountain ranges.
Red Butte the center Of the evanes-
cent mining excitement which was
originally responsible for the building
Of the railroad. lies high pitched
among the shOuldering spurs of the
western boundary range. On the
south bank of the river. at point
short distance beyond the stream
fronting cliffs. lies the landmark hill
known as Little Butte, and at the sta
across the Timanyoni.
On the engineering maps Of the Red
Butte Western the outline of Little
Butte appears as roughly described
triangle with five mile sides. the three
angles of the figure marked respec-
lively by Silver Switch. Little Butte
station and bridge and the Wire Sill
yer mine. ~
Between Silver Switch and the
railroad follows the base of the TRAN
gle, with the precipitous bluffs of the
big hill on the left and the torrenting
flood of the Timanyoni on the right.
Along the eastern side of the triangle
and leaving the main track at Silver
Switch ran the spur which had for
merly served the Wire Silver when
the working opening of the mine had
been on the eastern slope Of the ridge
y
| the summer of Overturnings this spur
had been disused. though its track.
ending among a group of the old mine
buildings five miles away. was still in
| commission.
| Along the western side of the TRAN
| gle, with Little Butte station for its
| point of divergence from the main
line, ran the new spur. built to accom-
| mOdate Flemister after he had dug
| through the hill and ousted the right
/ full owner Of the true Wire Silver
vein and had transferred his labor
hamlet and his plant. or the major
| part Of both, to the western slope OF
the butte, at this point no more than
a narrow ridge separating the eastern
| and western gulches.
Train 2O5, with ex-Engineer Judson
| apparently sound asleep in one of the
rearward seats of the day coach. was
on time when it reached Little Butte
| A moment later Judson had let him
self silently into the rear vestibule OF
the day coach and was as silently
opening the folding doors of the vesti
bule itself.
Hanging of by the handrails, he
saw the engines headlight pick vi
the switch stand Of the old spur. The
train was Enthusiastically slowing now
and he made ready to jump II the
need should arise. picking his place al
the track side as the train lights show
ed him the ground. AS the speed was
checked Judson saw what he was ex
| hn IN
slant Of the switch passing mar
dropped from the forward step Of the
smoker and walked swiftly away III
the disused track Of the old spur. Jud
sons turn came moment later. ant
when his end Of the day coach f1icket
past the switch stand he. too. dropped
to the ground and. waiting only unit
he could follow without being detect
ed. set out after the tail figure, which
was by that time scarcely more thar
an indistinct and retreating blur in
the moonlight
The chase led directly up the ole
spur, but it did not continue quite t
the FIVE mile distant end Of It. A few
. hundred yards short Of the stockadt
inclosing the. old buildings the shad
owy figure took to the forest and be
gan to climb the ridge, going straight
up. as nearly as Judson could deter
mine. The ex-engineer followed. still
keeping his distance. From the frs
, bench above the valley level he looked
| back and down into the stockade in
: closure All Of the old buildings wer'
dark. but one Of the two new and IN
painted ones was brilliantly lighted
and there were sounds familia
enough to Judson to mark it as th
Wire Silver power house. Notwith
standing his interest in the chase
Judson was curious enough to stan,
! moment listening to the sharply de
fined exhausts OF the high speed steam
: engine driving the generators