The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-12

oont BE Nevous-lrl See You Make
the Hotel All Right"
'Ye'd have ter take the stage back
to Topeky; loikely they'd be runnin'
thrains out from there on the now
road Itll be aisy fer me ter foind
out from some av the lads down b.
low"
The only equipment operating into
Sheridan was q construction train.
with an old battered passenger coach
coupled to the rear. A squad of
heavily armed infantry rode along. a.
protection against possible Indian
raiders. but thsre was no crowd
aboard on this special tuip, a. al
construction work had been suspended
on the line indefinitely. and most OF
the travel, therefore. had changed TO
tho eastward The coach used had
partition run through 1t, and, a.
soon a. the busy trainmsn discovered
ladies on board. they unceremoniousIy
drove the more bibulous passenger,
protesting. into Tie forward compart.
msnt This left Hope In comparative
peace. her remaining nsighbors quiet.
taciturn men, whom she looked at
through the folds Of her veil during
the long. allow. exaspsrating journey,
mentally guessing at their varievs 90
cupauons. IL was an sxcssdingiy tsdi-
ous. monotonous trip. the train slack.
sning up, and Jerking forward. appar.
entity without slightest reason; them
occasionally achieving Q full stop,
while men. always under guard, went
ahead TO AZ up some bit of dsmaged
track, across which the engineer
dared not advance. At each bridge
spanning the numerous small streams,
rainmsn examined the structure be-
fore venturins forward. and at each
stop the wearied passengers grew
more impatient and sarcastic, q per-
feet stream Of fluent profanity being
waited back whenever the door be-
tween the two sections chancsd 70 b
left ajar.
Hope was not the only woman on
board, yet . glance at the others was
spnicient to decide their status, even
had their freedom Of manner and loud
talking not made II equally obvious.
Fearful lest she might be mistaken
Tor one OF the same class. she re-
mained In silence. her veil merely
lifted enough to enable her To peer
out through the grimy window at the
barren view slipping slowly past This
consisted Of the bare prairie, brown
and desolate, occasionally intersectsd
BY some small watercourss, the low
hills rising and falling like waves 70
the far horizon. Few incidents broke
the dead monotony; occasionally
herd Of antelope appeared In the dis.
lance. silhoustted against tho sky.
line. and once they fairly crept for an
hour through . mass of buffalo. graz.
Ing 90 close that fusillade of guns
sounded from the front end of the
train. little farther along she caught
q glimpse OF troop of wild horses
oashing recklessly down into q shel.
sering ravine. Yet principally all
that met her straining eyes was ster.
lie Oscillation Here and there a great
ug.y water tank reared It's hideous
shape beside the track. the engine al.
ways pausing for q fresh supply. Be-
side II was invariably q pile Of coal,
few construction cars. q hut half
buried under earth. loop-holed and
barricaded. with several rough men
ioafins about. heavily armed and In.
quisitive. A few Of these points had
once been terminal. the surrounding
scenery evidenc!ng past glo.ies by
piles OF tin cant. and all r amer OF
debris. with occa sionally IL vscant
shack. left deserted and forlorn.
Wearied and heartsick. Hope turned
away from this outside dreariness 10
contemplate more closely her neigh
bors on board, but found them scarce
ly more Interesting Several were
playing cards. others moodily staring
out OF the windows, while a few were
laughing and talking with the girls,
their conversation inane and punctu.
ated with profanity One man was
nguring on scratch pad, and Hope
decided he must DO an engineer EN-.
ployed on the line; others she classed
as small merchants, ssloon-keepers
and frontier rtn-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 che addressed the
conductor. and the man who was fix.
uring turned and looked back at her,
evidently attracted by the soft note
o. her voice But no made no effort
at advances, returning Immediately to
his pad, Oblivious 10 all else
II was growing dark the outside
world. now consisting Of level plains.
fading into darkness. with a few great
stars burning overhead Trainmen III
the few smoking oil lamps screwed