The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-11-16

| thrains out from there on the new
road. It'll be alsy fer me ter foind
out from some av the lads down be.
low"
The only equipment operating into
Sheridan was construction train,
with an old battered passenger coach
coupled to the rear. A squad OF
heavily armed infantry rode along, as
protection against possible Indian
raiders, but there was no crowd
aboard on this special trip, as all
construction work had been suspended
on the line indefinitely, and most of
the travel, therefore, had changed to
the eastward. The coach used had
a partition run through 1t, and, as
ladies on board, they unceremoniously
drove the more bibulous passengers,
protesting, into the forward compart-
ment. This left Hope in comparative
peace, her remaining neighbors quiet,
taciturn men, whom she looked at
through the folds of her veil during
the long, slow, exasperating journey,
| AAACAI oAAy 3uCcold6 C4Cll Fdl 1Ouo ~
equations. 1t was an exceedingly tedi-
Gus, monotonous trip, the train slack.
ening up, and jerking forward, appar-
emily without slightest reason; then
occasionally achieving full stop,
while men, always under guard, went
ahead to fix up some bit of damaged
track, across which the engineer
| oh hysiI
spanning the numerous small streams,
trainmen examined the structure be-
fore venturing forward, and at each
stop the wearied passengers grew
more impatient and sarcastic, a per
feet stream of fluent profanity being
| waited back whenever the door be-
tween the two sections CHANGED to be
left aiar
Hope was not the only woman on
board, yet glance at the others was
sufficient te decide their status, even
had their freedom of manner and loud
talking not made it equally obvious.
Fearful lest she might be mistaken
for one OF the same class, she re-
manned in silence, her veil merely
AllICu ClIOuEH W clldDlS ISI W DtCl
out through the grimy window at the
barren view slipping slowly past. This
consisted of the bare prairie, brown
and desolate occasionally intersected
by some small watercourse, the low
hills rising and falling like waves to
the far horizon. Few incidents broke
the dead monotony; occasionally a
| hnr1 0f onfo1CHn in ho
lance, silhouetted against the sky
line, and once they fairly crept for an
hour through a mass of buffalo, graz
ing so close that fusillade of guns
sounded from the front end of the
train. A little farther along she caught
a glimpse of a troop of wild horses
dashing recklessly down into a shell
tering ravine. Yet principally all
that met her straining eyes was ster-
lie desolation. Here and there a great
ugly water tank reared its hideous
shape beside the track, the engine al
ways pausing for a fresh supply. Be-
side it was invariably pile of coal,
a few construction cars, a hut halt
buried under earth, loop-holed and
barricaded, with several rough men
loafing about, heavily armed and in
quisitive. A few of these points had
once been terminal, the surrounding
scenery evidencing past glories by
piles of tin cans, and all manner OF
debris, with occasionally vacant
shack, left deserted and forlorn.
Wearied and heartsick, Hope turned
IL.
contemplate more closely her neigh
bors on board, but found them scarce
ly more interesting. Several We're
playing cards, others modify staring
out of the windows, while few were
laughing and talking with the girls,
their conversation inane and punctu-
ated with profanity. One man was
figuring on a scratch pad, and Hope
decided he must be an engineer en-
ployed on the line; others she classed
as small merchants, saloon-keepers,
and frontier riff-raff. They would
glance curiously at her as they
marched up and down the narrow
aisle, but her veil. and averted face,
prevented even the boldest from
speaking. Once she addressed the
conductor, and the man who was fig
uring turned and looked back at her,
evidently attracted by the soft note
of her voice. But he made no effort
at advances, returning Immediately t.
his pad. oblivious to all else.
CTO BE CONTINUED)