The Colorado statesman., 1915-01-30

came TO stop, and when l reached
the engine the mountaineer had the
engineer and his man-of-all-work lined
up with their hands as far from earth
as possible He caught sight of me,
and in wink he had me doing the
high reach alongside the others.
Say growled the engineer, what
you want to do? Steal this outfit?
There isn't anything on board you can
take, unless it's the coal in the tender
Don't you-all give me no sass eau
toned the tall man of the mountains.
I'm going to borrow this train, and
you-uns'll have to run it for me-
We'll, he made us all climb aboard,
packing us into the cab, and ordered
the engineer to start up.
Say queried the engineer, with
his hand on the throttle, aren't you
going to rider
No, replied the mountaineer, I
hain't never been on one of those
pesky things an l amt going to take
no chances. l guess l can hoof it and
keep up to you; but don't you-all try
to run away from me, or I'll plug you
full of lead!'
THE engineer started up, and the
highland holdup man had no trouble
keeping up with US. The queer process
sion proceeded for several miles, then
we came to a place where a track
branched off from the main line into
the heart of the wilderness. Here he
brought the engine to a stop by point
ing his gun at the engineer and shout
ing, 'Whoa!'
Now, you-all git down and move
the track over SO we can go up this
ere way he commanded, addressing
the man-of-all-work.
"That worthy lost no time in climb
ing down and throwing the switch, and
we moved along the old unused track.
What the nation does that elon-
gated outlaw want to run us up this
old lumber line for?' growled the en-
gineer. There hasn't been a train
along here since the road stopped TAX
ing out timber
Say, you train robert shouted
the man-of-all-work, addressing the
patriarchal pirate in his most courtly
manner will you kindly inform US
whittier we are going and why, and
what is our DOOM
"'You-all II find out soon enough,
he answered. Shut up!'
"We proceeded for about three
miles, and then the griZzled guerrilla
commanded the engineer to stop. He
told the fireman to fix his fires so they
would last for couple of hours. When
everything was ready he lined us up
in single file, with the lanky coon dog
in the lead, and made us precede him
along a path in the wilderness. In
about fifteen minutes we came to a
cabin in a clearing. In answer to a
whistle from our captor. a woman ap-
peared at the door.
Mandy he said, I've brought COM
pany for dinner. Rustic around lively.
These gents is in hurry
In short time the meal was ready,
and we all sat down. 1t knocked the
wind out of me to hear that venerable
Villain ask a divine blessing on the re.
past, but it didn't spoil my appetite.
After we had finished and the table
had been cleared, our host procured
writing materials and placed them on
| the table.
L want one of you-uns to write a
letter, he said. Guess you-all had bet
| ter do it. he continued, addressing
me.
Il expressed my willingness to ac-
| commodate him, and perpared to stem
ograph his dictation.
"'This here letter. he said, is to be
wrote to the president of the United
States
Il indited the superscription and
waited for him to commence dictation.
"'Mr. President he started, and
| then continued:
| Dear Sir:
This here section of the country has been
| pestered by a lot of no-account revenue
| men huntin' for moonshiners. They made
| it unpleasant for US honest natives and
| we-all has had to feed them pretty darn
| often. To prove to you that these revenue
men you send down here are no-account
critters, I am sending you by railroad a
keg of first-class moonshine whisky which
1 made in my cabin while your varmints
YVES there eating my grub. 1 guess you
all will find it all right, but there is no
use you sending any more of them crit
ters down here to get me, for 1 am go
| ing away. Please excuse the writing, as
| 1t was done by no-account railroad man.
Yours truly,
Ghisl
JAKE X. TOLLIvER.
Gmarkl
UOuita on ovprose;ya apict1o oou