The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-02-10

following, Rhinelander entered the sta
| ton. Helen went to her desk to wire
| for a confirmation of the dispatcher's
message. AS she did this, her eyes
fell on the clip on which had been filed
the duplicate of Spikes message to
Seagrue. Across it she had thrown
her crochet work and her eye was now
met by the words of the cipher mes
| sage as Spike had meant the secret
message to be read by Seagrue:
Changed ties RhInelander to Sea-
srue."
Startled, she called to Rhinelander.
With Lyons, the latter read the mas
sage as she now pointed 1t out to them.
The two men saw the import at once.
But outside the station Spike and Sea-
grue were listening. You see you're
caught" muttered Seagrue to Spike.
They'll wire for confirmation and
help. We're in for trouble"
mo trouble at ALL" declared Spike
coolly. "Ill save them the work Of
wiring"
"How?"
"By clipping their wire. Just keep
cool, Seagrue. I'll get you through"
Spike, without delay, climbed a pole
and with a pair of clippers made good
his threat.
Helen, sitting at the instrument, was
trying to call. She stopped. "The
wires are cut" she exclaimed.
Seagrue and Spike on the platform
passed the window. Storm, at this
juncture, ran in from the field of bat
tie. There's too many of Them" he
said in disgust. Every time you
knock n dago down, two Greeks
come in to take his place. The way
to wind this thing up, Mr.. Rhineland-
er, quick and clean, is to capture Sea-
grue and lock him up. We can do it.
Stick him in the freighthouse here
and pile a couple Of dozen bags of ce-
ment on him. No? l say, yes!!! Some
things got to be done"
Can't you get a message through
somehow" asked Rhinelander of
Helen in agitation.
YES" she answered, unhesitatingly,
Il can I'll get n through for you"
So saying, she caught up an extra in.
strument, ran out on the platform and
climbed the pole Spike had climbed, to
cut in with her pony above the break.
Storm called into conference the
handiest of his men-men who cared
neither for the law nor the devil-and
giving brief and hurried instructions,
ran from the station at the moment
rushing the outnumbered Tidewater
gang.
Pushing straight through his own
demoralized forces to the thick of the
scrimmage, knocking men right and
left when he had to and lodging in
between when he could, Storm. his
two TRUSTEES at his elbows, struck,
showed and jumped his way straight
to where Seagrue was urging his fight
ing men On. The latter, busy with the
main encounter, saw Storm too late.
Ihe engineman catching him by the
collar whirled him unceremoniously
around, pinioned him before a blow
could be struck and with his helpers
dragged him VIGOROUSLY off.
Bedlam was let loose. Seagrue's
men, seeing the trick too late, ran
in with a yell to rescue him. Back
and forth the fight swayed, while
Helen, above at the depot, attached
her instrument and sent to the dis
patcher her hurry-up message.
"Seagrue has the ties. Send Help.
H."
But whoever had the ties, Storm
had Seagrue, and his men were now
easily standing off the onslaughts of
~Seagrue's men on the platform. The
latter, needing help, sent for re-en-
forcements, and a moment later the
entire gang, leaving the unloading of
the tie cars ran down the track to
join In the fight. The train was left
deserted. Storm, seeing this, turned
his prisoner over to his men and
chose a moment when he could break
away to run to the engine. Gaining
the cab, he Immediately started to
back the train up to Rhinelander's
camp, where the main body Of their
men still were. AS the train drew
past the station, Helen, having fin.
ished, sprang recklessly from the pole
to the top of a box car and running
forward met Storm, who had started
back, and showed him a message from
the dispatcher:
"Will send sheriff to Signal"
While the men were still fighting
In front of the station. Spike man
aged to tear himself loose from the
fray In time to see the freight train
backing up the hill. He knew what
this meant and realized the move
must be stopped. Running to his
horse he mounted and spurred after
the receding train. But his interven,
ton had turned the fighting in favor
of Seagrue's men, and they were fast
beating ~Rhinelander's gang of. BY 0
sudden rush on the freighthouse they
even recaptured and released Seagrue
himself.
The latter, covering the situation
at q glance. saw. as Spike had seen
the real danger: Storm now in posses
sion of the ties was running away
NM