The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1915-05-01
CHAPTER xxxVl.
DstaIi.

were sweeping, close-ranked, like some
vast dark army invading the land,
pouring on over the rampant OF noun
tains in the east
within the rim of hills that ringed
the plain like the Clipped and broken
nange OF titanic saucer, silence
brooded and solitude held sway
iwarfing the town of Detail that oc'
cupied the approximate middle OF the
sagebrush waste. to proportions even
less significant than might be inferred
from the candor OF its christening.
A platform. a siding, a water tank. n
wells.Fargo office and telegraph and
ticket office, backed by three rough
frame buildings; that is Detail item
lied completely.
Shortly after nightfall the steel rib
bons OF the Santa Fe began TO hum. A
headlight peered suspiciously round u
shoulder OF the eastern range, took
heart OF courage to find the plain still
wrapped in peace, and trudged stolid-
ly toward Detail. the engine whose
eye It was pulling after 1t string OF
freight cars. both fiat and box.
At Detail the train paused. Its
crew anghted and engaged in ami
mated argument. Detail gathered that
the excitement was due to the unac'
countable disappearance OF the ca
boose; none seemed to have any no
tion as to how It could have broken
loose; yet missing II conspicuously
was.
In the pause that followed. while n
report was 'elegraphed to headquar.
ters and instructions returned TO pro
ceed without delay, one of the train
men spied a boyish figure lurking in
the open door OF an empty box car.
Cunningly boarding this car from the
opposite side, the trainman caught
the skulker unawares and booted him
yaingloriously into the night
As the figure alighted and took 70
its heels, losing itself in the darkness
It uttered cry OF panied surprise and
protest which drew n wrinkle OF as
constituent between the brows OF the
trainman.
Sounded like womans voice. he
unused; then dismissed the suggestion
as obviously absurd.
II was not.
Shortly after the freight train hac
gone on Its way-before indeed the
glimmer OF its rear lights had been
lost among the western hills-a sec
ond headlight appeared In the east
swept swiftly across the plain and II
turn stopped at Detail
I'D -,
TO be a locomotive drawing single
cara Pullman.
Hardly had 1t run past the switch
however when the brakeman dropped
down, ran quickly back to the switch
and threw 1t open.
Promptly the train backed on to the
siding.
AS the Pullman jolted across the
frogs the brakeman, interposing him
self between II and the tender re
leased the coupling
BY the time that the Pullman hat
come to a full stop on the siding. the
locomotive was swinging westward
like a scared ackrabbit-though M
such milk and watery characterizatior
OF the traitor passed the lips OF any
one OF the three men who presently
appeared on the Pullman's platform
and shook impotent fists In the direc
tion taken by the fugitive engine.
When the last OF these had run TEN
porarily out OF breath and blasphemy
brief silence fell. punctuated by
groans from each, and concluded By
the sound of a voice calling from the
interior OF the cara voice as strange
ly sonorous OF tone as II was curiously
querulous OF accent.
The three men Immediately ran back
into the car and presented themselves
with countcnances yariously apollo
getic, to one who occupied corner OF
the drawing room: a man wrapped In
steamer rug and cloud OF fury.
Now when he had drained the
muddy froth OF profanity from his TEN
per II left a clear and efferyescent
well OF virulent hBmor the wrath OF
the valetudinarian began to vent itsell
upon the hapless heads OF the trio who
stood before him.
While this was In process, the
person OF boylsh appearance, who had
been keeping religiously aloOf and in
conspicuous in the background of De.
tail ever since that unhappy affair
with the trainman, stole quietly up to
the rear OF the stalled Pullman,
climbed aboard, and creeping down
the aisle unceremOniously interrupted
the conference Just as the invalid was
polishing of a rude but honest opinion
nf "a nj nal ~ nf
three named Marrophat. who figured
as his rlght-hand man and familiar
genius.
Amen TO that" the bCylsh person
calculated with candid feryCr. Ioung
Ing gracelessly In the doorway.
There's many true word spoken In
wrath, Mr.. Marrophat. Father forgot
only one thing--your mastery way
with revolver. From what I've seen
OF that. this day, I'll go bail that the
only safe place for a man you pull 1
gun on Is right In front OF the muzzle. !
There's something downright uncanny |
In the way you can hit anything but !
what you aim att"
Judith" exclaimed the invalid |
where did you drop from?"
From that freight" Judith ex.
planned carelessly neglectlng to eluci-
date the exact fashion OF her drop. Il
Judged you'd be along presently, and
thought I'd like to learn the news.
Well-what luck?"
Her father shrugged with his one I
movable shoulder. Mr. Marrophat
grunted Indignantly. The others shuf-
fled uneasily and looked all ways but
one-at the girl In man's clothing.
"None7" Judith interpreted you
don't mean to tell me that after had