The Hickman courier., 1914-12-17
Detail

In the east
Within the rim Of hills that nnred
plain Ike the chipped and broken
.uer of titanic saucer silence
dad and solitude held eva,
.araug the town Of Detail that oc
.Ird the approximate middle of the
.r.uush waste. to proportions even
.. sruihcant than might he Inferred
-n me randor Of lta christening
platform. siding water tank.
HUH FARGO ofico and a telegraph ans
tIHt Office backed hy three rough
nr buildings that Ia Detail tenn.
r.i completely
Shortly after nlEht'hll the steel rb.
.Hr of che Santa Fo began 90 hum A
E.IIrht urerod Huswclouslr round a
.l.r uf ibr ,rHirn range. took
...t of ro.faro to nut tfo H.aI1 tu
.urred in pocr. and trrdEsd .tol.d.
ID toward Detail. the engine whose
... ar pslllus after ii o. string Uf
rrhi cars both Hai and box
so Detail the train paused lis
. lurhiod aud engaged .n ami
Hl argument Detail gathered that
PM. excitement wac due go the unac
rable disappearance of the ca.
sa none seemed o. have any mo-
ru as 10 how IL could have broken
1Hr. yet missing Il couhpicuously
#as
tho pause that followed while a
REPORT Was 'eloFraphed 20 hcadquar.
uu and instructions returned 70 pro
..si without delay, one Of the train.
m,a spled q hoyiah hEurc lurking In
fHr open door ~ an empty bon car.
OrnlnFly boarding this car from the
opposite side. the trainman caught
fH. tkuikcf unhNnres and booted him
.HrIonouHly into the uiEht
Af ihc aruro anghtcd and took TO
FOL heels. losiug Itself 10 the darkness.
uorcd q cry 81 palned surprise and
protest which drew wrinkle Of az.
rnabmont between the brows Of the
fnumhn
Sounded like a voman's voice" he
ulfsd then dismissed the suggestion
obviously absurd
n aas net
shortly after the freight train had
gone ou lts way--beforo. indeed th"
Simmer Of lia rear lights had been
bose among tho western hllls-a sec.
arl headlight appeared In the east.
Fsopt sviftly across the plain and in
uH stopped At Detail
The second blrdof passage proved
t0 De- a locomotive drawing singlo
ara Pullman
Hardly had Il run paHt the switch,
hoeoycr. when the brakeman dropped
l0Fu ran quickly back 20 the switch
and throw Il open.
Promptly the train backed on io the
siding.
A1 the Pullman iolted across the
'fnu the brakeman. intorposing him
s.t hetwcon Il and the tender. re
leased the coupling
I1 the time that tho Pullman hat
0.ue to full stop ou the siding the
H.nwoiivo was swinging westward
0.e scared iackmbhit though n'
arh milkand.Vatcry Characterization
ihe traitor passed the lips OF ans
nls Of the three men who presently
HUnrod ON the Pullman'a platform
I shook impotont fists in the direc
uHH taken hy the fugitive engine
When the last Of these had run tenn
Yuu'l out of breath and hlasphcml
brief silence fell. punctuated b'
Fuaus from each. and concluded By
i.r sound Of a voice calling from th'
Interior OF the car "a voice as strange
I souorous Of tone 40 IL was curioush
rrulouH of accent
The three men Immediately ran bacl
a'1 the car and presented thcmsclve
With countonauces yariously apollo
roilo 20 one who occupied a corner %
drawing room a man wrapped u
aioamer rug and a cloud Of fury
Now when he had drained th
muddy froth OF profanity from bis ten
Iv % loft clear and cnervcscen
'. of yiwlent humor the wrath O
nh" Ualeiudinarisn began TO vent iisel
.H the haposs heads of the trio VII
.Ht before him.
While this was Ia process, IN
.uon of boyish appearance. who hn
Doom becpiug rcligiously aloot and 10
..nspcuous ln the background OF ID
ever since that unhappy anhi
no the traiuman. stole quietly up I
rear OF the stalled Pullman
climbed aboard. and creeping dow
NIB. aisle unooremoulously inteuupte
mn" conference Just as the invalid wa
l'shiug on a rude but honest opinio
ibe intellectual caliber Of one OF IN
..no named Marrophat. who figure
Dos rghthand man and iamilia
-.uIus.
Amen 70 that" the boyish perso
'1culatod with candid feryor lounl
Af gracelessly In the doorway
heres many a true word spoken
...lh MIR Marrophat. Father forge
..' one thlng-your mastery wa
y Mo a revolver. From what I've see
that this day. IN go bail that IN
safe place for a man you pull
100 uu ig right la front OF the muzZl