The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-11-29

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midway between the two bay windows.
In accordance with the usual plan of
such stations, the office opened into the
waiting room in front and, by three or
four wooden steps, and a common small
door, into that monstrous ghostly war
room which occupied the entire north
ern two-thirds Of the building.
In addition to being awakened by my
call, during cold weather I wa often
awakened by chiiliness. Sleepily then
I would get up and replenish the big
stove, soon to return to my slumbers.
During the blacklist hours Of a wintry
night, with a terrific blizzard raging
across Silver Bow flat, I thought I was
up looking for the poker with which to
stir up the fire. But somehow I couldn't
find the cussed thing. In socks and
underwear only, gradually I realized
that I was fearfully cold. Suddenly
then 7 discovered that I was in the
dark. I always kept a bracket lamp
burning over the telegraph desk at
night. Obviously the lamp had gone
out. I could not even see my hand be-
fore my face. But why had the lamp
gone out, and why was I 50 desperately
chilled? During a stunned moment
Then came panic.
."Good-gosh-a-mighty!" I whispered.
Robbers have drugged me and dump
ed me here to freeze to death, and are
going through the safe. B-but-b-but !
feel no wind. Where In the world am
I? Um-m-m I've got t. TO- Dr. f-f-f-
freeze t. d-death."
Gingerly I began to walk, and soon
realized that I was on a wooden floor
Of some kind. Fearing that I was on
the platform in the lee Of the building,
I walked carefully lest I fall off the
high structure and land crumpled on
the rails. While all the time feeling
for the edge of the platform, I walked
and walked. But I found no edge.
There seemed to be no end to that
platform, In heavens name. what
could be the meaning of it all? Shaking
violently at length I stopped and in
voluntarily looked upward in hope of
seeing a star or two. Just why I did
this I do not know. On such a terrific
night I could not hope to see a star
or even a moon, had there been one.
Yet I did see a very faint glimmer of
light or thought that I did. At length
I discerned the very dim outline OF a
window standing cornerwise just like
the window high in the north gable of
the wareroom the only window in that
deSolate enclosed vacant wilderness.
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dow. It's in the wrong direction. Some
how then I had the sense to realize
that I might be turned around. It SEEM
ed utterly impossible.
While keeping my eyes focused on
that wavering very faint glimmer, SLOW
ly I backed away from it and soon
found the door to the office. Next
morning my tracks in the powdery
snow that had drifted through numer-
GUS cracks in the neglected walls of
that nightmarish great void showed
that I had walked in a nearly perfect
circle forming a real trail.
Though delighted. my finding the Of
flee door and regaining my sense of
direction did not end my trouble. The
door was locked.
49," softly I chartered, the robbers
drugged me and put me in here, and
locked the door inside. Good-g-gosh-
Almighty! What am I going to do?"
There was a key on the office side
which I always turned at night. But
only from the office side could that key
be turned. For me, at the moment,
that was proof that robbers were in the
office or had lately been there.
Profoundly chilled, I was shivering