Corpus Christi caller and daily herald. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1911-1917, 1914-11-15
CHAPTER xnxvi.


,rs,ins on over the nmpart u moan
n.ns 10 the east
within the rim Of hills that riuged
ns plain like the Clipped and brokea
,srse OF titanic saucer. silepce
hrooded and solitude held sway-
susreng the town OF Detail that oc.
eup.ed the approximate middle OF the
,.sebrush waste. to proportions even
l,ss significant than might be inferred
RON The candor OF tie christening
A platform. a slding water tank. a
W,lls.rGrgo once and telegraph and
ueket once backed by three rough
frame buildings; that 10 Detail item.
ised completely
shortly after nightiall the steel rib
hons Of the santa Re began TO hum A
headlight peered susplciously round a.
shoulder OF the eastern range. took
heart o. courage 20 and the plain still
Wrapped 10 peace and trudged stolld
~ toward Detail. the engine whose
eve Il was pulling after ], h string OF
freight ears both fiat and box
Al Detail the train paused lis
crew aughted and engaged In ami.
mated argument Detail gathered that
the excitement WAS due TO the unsc.
EQUITABLE Disappearance OF the ca.
boose none seemed to have ANY no.
ton a. 70 how II could have broken
loose yet missing Il conspicuously
was.
In the pause that followed. while a
report was 'elegrsphed 20 headquar.
tiers and instructions returned 20 pro.
coed without delay. one OF the train.
men spied boyish figure lurking IN
the open door Of an empty box car
Cuunngiy boarding this car from tho
opposite side the trainman caught
the skulker unawares aud booted him
yaiuFlor.ously into the night
A. the ngure alighted ana took 20
is heels losing itself In the darkness.
It uttered a cry OF panied surprise and
protest which drew wrinkle Of az.
constituent between the brows Of the
trainman
Sounded like a womans voice" he
mased then dismissed the suggestion
as obviously sbsurd.
Il was not.
Shortly after the freight train had
gone Oh its way--before. indeed the
gl.umer OF IFS rear lights had been
lost among the western hills--a sec.
ono headlight appeared in the east,
swept swiftly across the plain aud IN
turn stopped at Detail
The second bird.of passage proved
TO be locomotive drawing a single
car Pullman
Hardly had u run past the switch.
however when the brakeman dropped
down. ran qHickly back to the switch
and threw n open.
Promptly the train backed on 10 the
siding
As The Pullman lolted across the
frogs tle brakeman. interposing him
set between il and the tender, re
leased the coupling.
by the time that the Pullman had
come 90 a fun stop on the siding. the
hcomouye was swinging westward
Ike scared ackrabbit-though no
such milk.snd watery Characterization
Of the traitor passed the lips az any
one OF The three men who presently
appeared on the PuilmAn's platform
ana shook impoteni fists liz the direc
tion taken by the fugitive engine.
When the last Of these had run tenn
porarily out OF breath aud blasphemy
brief silence fell, punctua;ed BY
sroans from each. aud concluded by
The sound OF a voice calling from the
Interior OF the cara voice as strange
y sonorous OF tone as IL was curl0usly
querllous OF accent
The three men Immediately ran back
INTO the car and presented themselves
Win countenances yariously apollo
setlc TO one who occupied a corner Of
The drawing room man wrapped IA
steamer rug and cloud OF fury.
Nos when he had drained IN,
muddy froth Of profanity from his TEN
per II lett clear and erervescehl
We'll of yiruleut humor the wrath ol
The saletudlaaTlan began 10 vent itsell
upon the hapless heads Of the trio who
ftooc before him.
While this Was IN process. th'
person Of boyish appearance. who hac
been keeping religionsly aloof and IN
conspicuous in the background OF DE
TAN ever since that unhappy aHAil
with the trainman. stole quietly up Z
me rear OF the stalled Pullman
climbed aboard. and creeping doWf
TIE aisle unCeremoniously interrupted
The conference Just as the Invalid va
polishing on rude but honest opinion
Of the intellectual cAliher Of one OF th'
'hrse named MArrophai. who hgure'
a. bis rlghthand man and familial
selius
Amen to that" the boyish persoE
calculated with candid feryor. loung
Ns Eracelessly In the doorway
There's many true word spoken u
wrath. Mr. Msrrophat. Father forgo
only one thing--your mastery VA
Nlih a revolver From what I've sect
* that this day. III 90 bail that TN
only safe place for man you pull
kan on is right ia front Of the mUzzle
There's something downright uneann'
~ the way you can hit anything pu