The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-12-07
CHAPTER x

But to GO back to the pursner, I'm his
berth. baffled and frantic and raging.
With hands that fumbIed because OF
their very eagerness he sough to get
into his garments. and find his shoes
from the melee OF blankets and other
articles in the berth, all the time keep
ing one y out of the window, for he
must not let his prey get away from
him now. He must watch and see
what they were going to do. How for
tunate that he had Weakened in time
for that. At least he would have a
clue. Where was this? A station2
He stopped operations once more to
gaze off at the landscape. a desolate
country scene to his city hardened
eyes. Not a house in sight, nor a sta
ton. The spires of the distant village
seemed like a mirage to him. This
couldn't be a station. What were those.
two doing Town there anyway? Dared
he risk calling the conductor and hav-
ing him hold them? No, this affair
must be kept absolutely quiet. Mr..
Holman had said that II q breath OF
the matter came out 1t was worse than
death for all concerned. He must just
get off this train as fast as he could
and follow them il they were getting
away. It might be he could get the
man in a lonely plaee--it would be
easy enough to watch his chance and
| FAba IiAC eNN AeA SAiO 0dCl
before. He felt far more at home in
such IN affair that he had the night
before at the Holman dinner table,
What a pity one Of the others had not
come along. 1t would be mere child's
play for two to handle those two, who
looked as IL they would turn frightened
at the first threat, However, he felt
confident that he could manage the af-
fair alone.
He painted with haste and succeeded
in getting the wrong legs into his
trousers and having to begin all over
again, his efforts greatly hampered by
h necessity for watching out the
window. N
Then came the distant rumble OF an
oncoming train, and an answering
scream from his own engine. The
two on the ground had crossed quickly
over the second track and were looking
down the steep e~nbankment. Were
they going down there2 What fate
that he was not ready TO follow them
at once The train that was coming
would ~pass--their own would start
and he could not get out. His oppor-
tunity was going from him and he
could not find his shoesl
Well what,of II? He would 60 with
out! What were shoes in a time like
this? Surely he could get along bare
foot, and beg a pair at some farm
house, or buy a pair al q country
store. He must get put at any cost,
shoes or no shoes. Grasping his coat,
which contained his money and valu-
ables, he sprang from his berth
who was hurrying back TO his car after
having been out to gossip with a
brakeman over the delay.
What's de mattah, sah2" asked the
astonished porter, rallying quickly
from the shock and assuming his ha-
bitual courtesy.
my shoes" roared the irate travel
er. What have o done with my
tQuiet, sab. please sab, you'll wake
de whole cyah,' said the porter. II
put yoh shoes under de berth, sab,
right whar ! allus puts EN- aftah
blackin'. sab"
shoes from beneath the curtain and
the traveller. whose experience in Pull
mans was small, grabbed them furious
ly and made for the door. shoes in
hand. for with a snort and a lurch and
a preliminary Jar the train had taken
up its motion, and a loud rushing out
side proclaimed that the other train
vas passing.
The porter. feeling that he had been
treated with injustice, stood gazing re-
proachfully after the man for a full
minute before he followed him to tell
MIN tnat the WASH room was at the
other end OF the car and not down past
the drawing room as ne evidently sup
posed,
He found his ma standing in stock
ing feet on the cord Iron platform, his
head out OF the opening left in the
vestibuled train, for when the porter
came i'm he had drawn shut the outer
door and Slammed down tie movable
platform, making Ii impossible for N
one to get out. There was only the
little opening the size OF a window
above the grating guard. and the man
chung to II ~ II he would Jump over