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He was lying upon his side just as he fell from
his pony. The bosinn of the white dress was
crimson with blood. ' The lidy‘s hat on his head
was crushed and broken. Around his neck was
a gold chain to which was attached an old~fash~
ioned locket.

“They are all my daughter’s effects,” Mr.
Graves said, almost breaking down with emotion.

Rattler took the crushed but from the dead
warrior’s head and handed it to Mr. Graves, who
removed the ribbons, and rolling them up, put
them in his pocket.

Zeke Ruble removed the chain and locket,
and1 placing them in the grieved father’s hand,
sai :

“ You recognize that, of course?”

“ Yes, it contains the picture of Ruth’s dead
mother—see?” and he handed the opened locket
back to the hunter.

Ruble looked upon the fair face of the woman
therein, and his face instantl grew white and
his hands began to tremble. 0 one noticed his
emotions except Old Rattler.

Finally Ruble asked:

“ Is that the picture of your wife?”

“ As I said, it is Ruth’s mother,” replied
Graves, in a tone that required no keenness of
perce tion to see was evaSive.

Ru le gazed at the picture a few moments
then turned the locket over and over and looked
at it like one in mental reﬂection.

“ Pardon me,” he suddenly remarked, passin
the locket back to graves and then as he turn
away the observing Rattler caught the glimmer
of a mist in his eyes.

“ By Rosycrusianl” thou ht Old Rattler,
“what does this mean? hat man Graves
evaded a question 0’ Ruble, and I know that
picter’ is somethin’ or ruther to Zeke. Sugar! I
wish Old Kit Bandy war here to note what I
have and foot up facts and see what he can
make 0’ it. But my notion that thar’s somethin’
queer ’bout Ruble’s not weakened a bit. He’s
no fool, that I’m sure of, and the way he looks
at a feller sometimes makes him feel as though
he war at the Bar 0’ Judgment, and—”

The old hunter’s musings were here interrupt-
ed b Rambling Dan who suddenly exclaimed:

“ reat vipers! look yonder, folks! thar comes
Ingins enuﬁ.’ for Mr. Rattler, I guess.”

ut from the cover of the bushes that skirted

the base of the Hermit Dome, no less than ﬁfty
horsemen appeared riding at a furious speed.

“Indians, with a sprinkling of Red Vultures,”
sziid One-Armed Phil, looking through his spy-

ass.

_“ A sprinklin’ o’ outlaws and a shower 0’ In-
gins make a pretty big deluge for we six prairie-

olphins,” said Rattler; “and now 1 think it are
’bout time fur us to be waltzin’ across the lain
in s’arch 0’ some more salubrious atmosp ere.
Come, boys, to saddle.”

In a moment all were in their saddles, when
Old Rattler led the way across the valley in a
southwesterly course.

“ We‘ll keep in a direction that leads toward
water,” said the borderman, “ fur if we are
forced to ﬁght we don’t want to make a stand
till we reac water. But jist listen to ther hy-
enas howl! They are tryin’ to paralyze us with
terror. They don’t know that they’re bein’ led
down to death even now. If they’ll foller us
twenty miles, I’ll contract to down one for ev-
ery mile. Shoot and run are m tactics—keep
the varmints mad so’s they’ll folIer up. But it
takes a long-ranged gun, a good marksman and
a ﬂeet boss to do the shoot-and-run trick, but
then that combination are persessed by the Red
River Epidemic. And now I’m goin’ to show
you how it’s did. You fellers keep straight
ahead toward that rise in the plain ’way yander
and I’ll overtake ye, and after a while mebby
 ’ll git into s ape so’s we can all git in a
10 .

As he spoke he drew up on his rein and soon
fell behind, and after a while he stopped entire-
ly, dismounted and appeared to busy himself
about his saddle-girth.

The foe coming on at a breakneck speed were
strung out over half a mile—those on the ﬁeetest
horses taking the lead. Rattler waited until the
foremost were within two hundred yards of him,
then he uickly threw his riﬂe across his saddle
and ﬁre , and, without stopping to note the re-
sult of his shot, he vaulted into his saddle and
dashed on after his friends. As he did so he
glanced back over his shoulder, and a horse run-
ning riderless on the plain told how true his shot
had been.

As the old borderman and Indian-ﬁghter had
anticipated, the red-skins were infuriated by
the death of their friend, and urged on their
horses with heel and lash, shrieking like demons
possessed.

‘ ‘ Hurrah for Rattler!” shouted Rambling Dan;
“ he done that nice as a new ribbon.”

“ He’s a daring, dashing old man,” said Mah-
lon Graves; “ but if his horse should slip or
stumble his fate would be sealed in a. few min-
utes.

“ Very true, Mr. Graves,” added Zeke Ruble,
“ but Rattler knows his horse, and is emboldened
by a lifetime of successful adventure.”

“ But one thin that makes him so successful
in the shoot-an -run game is his long-ranged
gun,” said Graves, “and some day he’ll run
against a foe with one just as good.”

In the mean time the pursuit continued. Ten
miles were soon passed over and for half that
distance back the foe were strung along. Not
more than one-fourth of the number that had
started out on the chase were now at the front,
and one by one these kept dropping out by the
sheer exhaustion of their horses, or the deadly
bullets of Old Rattler, until but half a dozen re-
mained. As soon as their force had been thus
diminished the old borderman called out to his
friends:

“ Say, b0 5, s’pose we change the prommme
and chase t em awhile now. Thar’s orﬁy six 0’
the varmints arter us now, and I won’t run from
six red-rinds. Pull u , boys, and let’s swat ’em.”

They drew rein an prepared to meet the foe,
but the latter, seeing their intentions, drew up
also, and as soon as the whites advanced toward

. them they turned and retreated—the pursuers
became the pursued. After riding a few miles,
however, they came up with some of their
friends that had dropped out of the race, and as
they continued the retreat their force augmented
from the stragglers of the pursuit.

At length the red-skins and outlaws attempted
to make another stand, but the terrible long-
ranged gun of Rattler opened upon them, and
they were compelled, a score strong, to gallop
on to keep out of reach of the one deadly riﬂe-
man.

Rattler and his friends, however, did not press
them hard, for they had no desire for a conﬂict
at close quarters, but they resolved that when
the foe reached the Hermit Dome they would
not be far away. Nor were they, for when the
savages had straggled back to the river Rattler
and his friends were back in their position as
“ prairie dolphins.”

“ Now,” said the old Indian-ﬁghter, as he
threw himself 11 on the grassy earth, “ how
much have the in ernal fools gained outen their
grand sallies? Now, it ’pears to me that they’re
out some six or ten red-rinds, while here we
tempestuoua, Sportive dolphins lay frolickin’ in
the sunshine 0’ the prairie ocean. But, say. it
seems to me it are time to dine, boys, and I’ll
perceed to spread ther table on the round.”

Dried meats and drier bread, an ’water with
which each one was supplied in canteens, made
up their mr‘nu, but frugal as it was it satisﬁed
their appetites.

The enemy made no further demonstrations
during the remainder of that day, but Rattler
was satisﬁed that they were only waiting for
night to renew their operations; and while all
parties were thus inactive most of our friends
laid down on the plain and took a nap while
others kept watch.

As soon as it began to grow dark, Rattler
sai :

“ Now, boys, we’ll remain here till night sets
in, then well change our position so that the
Vultures and red-rinds can’t ride straight down
to us ’long the trail they made to—day paddin’
back and for’ard tryin’ to disturb we dolphins.
But nan-y saddle nor bridle must be removed
from a boss this night, nor must a man let go 0’
his rem. We must be ready to jump aboard in

an instant. And another thing: some one will
and Stonewall have reported there.”

“ I will gladly erf'orm that duty,” Ruble said,
“ for I would rather be on the move than stand-
ing idle here.”

And matters being thus arranged, the party
awaited the coming of night.

CHAPTER XVI.
STONEWALL Bos’s ADVENTURE.

WE left our friends, Kit Bandy, Stonewall
Bob and the two maidens in the Hermit Dug-out
confronted by a new danger in the sudden ap-
pearance of a hear from a hole in the darkest
corner of the cave.

As for Stonewall Bob, be regarded the animal
with no more apparent concern than if it were a
coyote, and drawing his big revolver he sent a
bullet crashing throu h its brain. With a roar
of pain, the beast fe back, and after a few
nilinutes’ spasmodic struggling, yielded up the

g 0st.

“ Thar, by the horn o’ J oshual” exclaimed Old
Kit, “if we’d some fuel we’d have a b’ar-roast
and live like kings and queens o’ the olden time
when the enemy striv’ in vain to cross the moat,
siale the portcullis and storm the castle walls,
a l

“ You’re getting quite romantic, Bandy,” said
Stonewall as he replaced a cartridge in his re-
volver; “ but then we’ll not starve even if we
have to eat raw bear-meat like fugitives in a dug-
out while surrounded by a horde of wild savages
and white outlaws.”

“ That’s intended for sarkasm, I see, Bobby,”
said Kit, “ but seein’ I are a married man swh
little anicjotes don’t make me blush; but jokin’
aside, boy, the chances o’ gittin’ outen here are
not layin’ ’round thick as dead Trojans in that
cut out there. ”

“I’ll at out of here some time toonight,”de—
clared tonewall Bob. “ Of course I’ll not at-
tempt it until the foe has exhausted all his expe—
dients to get into this dug-out, for I am sure he
will try every way to capture us under the
friendly cover of darkness.’

“No doubt but they’ll watch this place like
gurgeen cats watchin one mouse-hole,” replied

an y.

In view of all these facts the party was anxious
for, and yet dreaded, the coming of night. The
hours were by slowly, and when at length the
shadows of night began to gather, misgivmgs of
fear began to pervade the breast of the besie ed
maidens. They intuitively crept closer toge er
and clasped their arms about each other’s form
as if in this closer companionship there was a
sense of greater security.

Vigilant as the fabled Argus, Stonewall Bob
sat at the entrance to the cut with e e and ear
on the alert. The night was exc ingly dark
outside, and in the cave and the passage leading
thereto darkness could not be blacker.

Nothing, whatever, of the Indians could be
heard, but the Boy Trojan was too well versed
in Indian cunning not to know that the wil
foe’s presence was not always attended with
noisy demonstrations.

The dead outlaws and Indians still lay in the
cut, the water from the spring in the cave creep-
ing noiselessly under their bodies, and in view of
the fact that Stonewall had placed his last car-
tridge in his revolver, and that they were likely
to be sorely pressed for ammunition with which
to defend themselves, Old Kit concluded to creep
out into the passage and secure the revolvers
knives, tomahawks and ammunition that he ha
seen during the day on the bodies of the dead.
He had but little fears of harm in so doing, for
he reasoned that even if the foe should hear him
approaching they would think him endeavoring
to escape and await his coming in silence at the
end of the cut. Nevertheless, he observed all
possible silence, and as he crept away even Stone-
wall could scarcely detect a sound of his stealthy
movements.

So accustomed had Kit Bandy become to work-
ing in the darkness of night that he was enabled
to do so with much of the mechanical precision
of a blind man, his sense of hearing and touch
taking the place of sight; and so he was not gone
over five minutes, returning with three revolv-
ers, four hatchets, and no less than seven long-
bladed and murderous-looking knives.

During the da the two men had discussed the
probable plans t e foe would resort to in order
to reach the du -out. Both had been of the
opinion that a su den dash would be attempted,
and to guard against the success of such a move—
ment the possession of the enemies’ knives sug-
gested an e ient to Old Kit, and that was to
construct a 'nd of an abatis of the weapons.
So selectin four of the longest and sharpest of
the blades e stole back into the passage. About
half-way down the cave he stopped, and rising
to his feet he felt the walls of the out until he
had found a spot suitable for his purpose when,
with a ﬁfth knife, be bored 3 hole in the hard,
clayey earth about four feet from the ground.
Into this hole be inserted the haft of one of the
knives, the hole being so slanted as to incline the
point of the weapon toward the entrance to the
passage. In the wall on the opposite side an.
other knife was planted in the same position as
the ﬁrst and two feet below these two more were
ﬁxed. he space left between these points was
not over a foot, and it would be impossible for a
person, walking erect, or upon hands and knees
at a fair gait, to esca. receiving the deadly
points in his breast, an in such a manner as to
stog further advance toward the cave.

V ith a feeling of greater security Bandy re-
turned to his friends and announced the success
ful construction of his abati's of knives.

“Your bump of self— reservation is well de-
veloped; isn’t it, Kit?” 0 ved Stonewall, in a
pleasant voice.

“ I’ll confess it is, lad,” replied Kit; “ and let
me tell you that two-thirds recaution and one-
third ﬁght is the best recipe know of for a bor-
der detective or scout to compound and take
twenty—four times a day if he’d add to his lon-
gevitv and happiness.’

“ How about a little Musket—Mouth deception
and fraud?” asked Bob, the darkness concealing
the smile upon his face.

“ A leetle 0’ that added for to give the other a
body sometimes helps another feller with a
broken head,” was Kit’s res use.

“ I catch on, Kit, like a burr,” replied Bob, as
his mind reverted to the blow Jim Noel had
given him, and from which he was still suffering
no little pain.

Thus the fugitives passed the hours pleasantly
as ossible under the circumstances.

long toward midnight they were suddenly
startled by a noise as if of something dropping
in the passage. They listened, and upon hear-
ing the sound repeated knew the foe were at
work. They were dropping pebbles into the
passage from above for the purpose, no doubt,
of testing the vigilance of the besieged.

Satisﬁed that the sounds were not made by
any one in the passage. Stonewall remained per-
fectl quiet, with his ﬁnger on the trigger of his
revo ver.

Fully another hour went by, when suddenly
the Boy Trojan detected the sound of footsteps
outside the cut, and almost at the same moment
of this discovery the night was made hideous
with unearthly yells and the ﬁring of guns and
pistols on the hillside above the passage. But
the very instant the sounds burst forth the quick
brain of Old Kit saw the object in view, and said
to Bob:

“ That hell-howlin’, Bob, is to drown the noise
0’ others advancin’ through the passage!”

“ Yes, they’re comin’ now i” exclaimed Bob, in
'a whisper, but scarcely had he

 

was succeeded by gas
feet and low muttere curses.
d , “ an outlaw’s impaled hisself on them knives!
T e critter’s body blocks the passage 80’s the
others can’t advance—don’t shoot, boy, and I’ll
take advantage 0’ the confusion to skip out o’
:e{e,yvhen the varmints fall back and go for
e p.
“ No, Bandy.” said Stonewall, “ you can de-
fend here as well as I, and I can go better than
you—I’m young and supple and can run the
gantlet as easy as you—here,
volvers.”

 

have to go back to our old camp and see if Kit

_ _ _ spoken when a'
piercmg shriek of agony burst from the cut and '

ing moans, the shufﬂing of

“ By the horn 0’ old J oshual” exclaimed Ban-

Kit saw that the tone in which Bob spoke
would admit of no protest, and so he quietly took
the weapon, merely adding:

“ Have it your way, Bob. I’ll die by the
gals.”

The wildest confusion reigned on the hillside
along the edges of the cut—so clamorous, indeed,
was the noise that those making it seemed not to
hear the voices of those in the out. But Stone-
wall and Kit were more interested in those in
the passage than those above, and they listened
intently to their movements. They heard the

asping moans of one, and the curses of others
t at could not comprehend the cause of the
blockade. .

With a parting word to Kit and the maidens,
Stonewall Bob glided into the passage, his
right hand, in which he clutched his re-
volver, extended before him. He groped his
way along until the muzzle of the weapon came
in contact with an obstruction which proved to
be the bod of a man that was standing in the

go. w, rattling moans were issuing from
is lips while the crowd behind were endeavor-
ing to shove him forward.

Stonewall saw in an instant that the wretch
was impaled upon Kit’s knife-points and could
not advance nor could he retreat for those be-
hind. The fellow was so near gone that in re—
sponse to a question from behind him he could
not answer but Bob saw his opportunity, and

lacin his and near that of the dying outlaw,

e sai —imitating the man’s broken vaice:

“ God! I’m im ledl—dyin’l—ﬂee, they’re
comin’l Oh—gl— l”

“ Fall back there! fall back l” instantly shout-
ed the outlaw next to the im led man, frantic
with terror; “ the cut’s barricaded and Boker’s
stabbed to death l”

This startling news was communicated from
one to the other of the attacking party, and in-
stantly all became seized with terror and a panic
ensued. A general scramble for life followed,
and even yet those on the hillside were ignorant
of what had happened and were howling away
like demons.

Stonewall placed his hand against the breast
of the impaled outlaw and shoved his body back.
It fell with a dull crash to the earth. With his
revolver the Boy Trojan felt for the knives in
the wall. He found the two lower ones and re—
moved them, but the others had been withdrawn
from the‘ wall when the outlaw fell back, the
knives remaining in his breast. The way thus
cleared for his own passage, he walked over the
dead bodies that lay strewn along the cut and
followed along at the very heels of the panic-
stricken foe. As he emerged from the passage
the young plainsman could discern the shadowy
outlines of those before him, and as they rushed
madly into the dee r shadows of the bushes and
trees he followed t em, and soon found himself
in their very midst, igostled on every side by the
excited wretches. ut while the youth was
quite eager and anxious for other company, he
did not act hastily nor precipitafely in getting
away, through fear that his actions might lea
to detection. But unmolested or discovered he
ﬁnally made his way from the midst of his foes,
the very boldness of his adventure disarming
the enemy; and before thOSe that were doing
such demoniac yelling on the hillside could be
made to understand the situation—the failure of
the assault on the dug-out and the death of Bo-
ker—the Boy Trojan was several rods away,
movin rapidly up the river.

But ‘tonewall was destined to meet with an-
other adventure before getting clear of the foe.

He had not gone more than forty rods when,

emerging from a dense clump of bushes, he was
startled at sight of a great bonﬁre before him.

It lit up the valley from the binds to the river,

and to make good his escape he must cross this
ﬁeld of light. He saw two rsons seated near
the ﬁre—an Indian and a w ite man. Both ap—
peared to be wounded. for their heads were ban-
daged and one arm of the Indian was in a sling.
A second glance at the white man and Bob
recognized him as his old enemy, Jim Noel, who
was evidently beginning to see the light of day
again, et unable to take part in the proceedings
at the ateful dug-out.

Just beyond the two men Bob saw a number
of horses hitched, saddled and bridled, and the
youth at once made up his mind that he should
ride. But he had no hope of eluding discovery
by the Indian and Noel, and he at once decided
how he would dispose of them from offerin
him violence at least, though he hardly expec
he could dispose of them in time to prevent
them giving an alarm. But once on the back
of a horse he would feel no uneasiness.

With the quickness of a lion he bounded for-
ward straight at the outlaw who was nearest to
him and sat face toward him. The villain saw
him the moment he emerged from the shadows,
but before he could even rise to his feet Stone-
wall swept past him, 'ving him a brushing kick
in the stomach that oubled him up breathless
several feet beyond: and scarcely slackin his
speed the Youn Trojan dashed at the In 'an
who had su ed in gettin u n his feet, an
gave him a stunning rap on t e ead with his re-
volver that dropped him senseless to the earth.
Another bound carried the daring youth to the
side of a. horse which he quickly untied and
mounted: then turning its head up the river he
rode leisurely away through the timber until he
reached open ground, when he urged the animal
forward at a sweeping gallop.

When about a mile away he drew rein and lis-
tened, but he heard no sound from the direction
of the enemies’ quarters to indicate that his es-
cape had been discovered, and with a grim smile
05d triumph upon his noble face, the Boy Trojan
:- e on.

(To be continued—commenced in No. 122.)

 

 

Yuma Bill's luck.

BY C. N.

 

 

THEY were seated in the richl —furnished oﬁlce
of the proprietor. Now and is en the clicking
of the ivory checks fell 11 n the ear. The '
mustached man with t e black slouch hat,
watch~chain made of oreide skull and crossbones,
and neck—scarf tied into a hard knot, was in a
talkative mood. His attempt to borrow “just
twent more cases” from the boss of the gam-
bling— ouse was a miserable failure, and he
seemingly could not leave the party, while it
probably labored under the impression that he
was a “ tin horn.” He dropped into a cushioned
chair in front of the stove and frowned disdain-
fiéléytat the two and three-year—old sports circled
a u .

“There ain’t no use talkin’ about it. gentle-
men,” he began, squirting a mouthful of tobacco
ﬂuid at the isinglass front of the stove. “ I tell
yer it ain‘t no use. Gamblin’ nowadays ain’t no
more like it used to be twenty-five years ago
than Chinook is like Sanscrit. Them was the
days when everybody played high, and if e
needed a thousand ye got it fur the askin’. 0-
body got no stand-off.

“ Then, besides, gamblers was men with hearts
in ’em them days. Now, I s’pose, if I was to tell

er that I onc’t broke a sucker. and sot him up in

izness ag’in yer’d think I was ivin’ ye ‘ a
brace.’ I hope to never win another play if it
ain’t so. I never was sorry for it, neither.
’Bout twenty-six years ago. it was. I had just
got a start at Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was
runnin’ three-monté tables. I don’t reckon you
fellows know much about monté — Spanish

monté. Faro ain’t a marker to it. I was play-
in’ no limit, when one night a strappin’ young
man came staggerin’ up to the table where I was
dealin’.

“ ‘ Give me ﬁve hundred,’ says he.

 

 

“ I gives him the ﬁve, and he just makes one
bluff and loses. Then he ets ﬁve hundred more
and 10ses that; then a t ousand. Everybody

; about this time comes from the other tables and

ﬂocks around him. He grows excited and takes
out a check-book. Now. I’m ullin’ the cards
for all that’s in ’em—workin’ a s ort deck on him
and he never tumbles. Somebody tries to steer
.him away, but it‘s no use. Four ﬁve, six,

into my pile.

“ ‘ “'ell,’ he says, kinder quiet but determined-
like. ‘I‘ve blown in the bank-account and 1
might as well die game.’ .

‘ One of the boys whispers to me: ‘ Jim, don’t
work him any longer; he’s one of the iicwspapcr
fcllcrs; he’s a half interest in the New lUlfil‘tCl'lll.’
Now, ycr see, I didn‘t like newspaper incn no—
how; they’d turned me over onc t in big shape
when I knifcd Sam Stewart, and ag’in when I
had a little trouble with a gal in Mizzoora, and,
thinks I, here’s a chance fur me t’ git even with
the whole gang on ’em. This young ’un was so
good-natured, though, it made me feel skimpy,
but I made the la through for him. When he
asked if he cou d thecatc—is that what ye
call it? Oh, yes, ypothecate—his newspaper
shop, sa s 1: ‘Ev’rything goes.’ So he writes
out a bi of sale, and I passes him over $10,000;
that was what he said the types and things was
wu’th. Well, I Wins the whole business, cash
bank ’count, newspaper, presses, t an
everythin . Do you have an idea that he makes
a kick? ary a word. He just swallers a couple
of big drinks and walks away as calm as if _he’d
been to a prayer-meetin’. I didn’t like a hair on
no news per man’s head, but this feller—well,
he caug t me had. _

“ Next day there was the dickens to pay.

Tucker’s partner—that was his name, by the
way, Tom Tucker—Billy Manderﬁeld, beefed
like a Texas steer under the brandin’-iron. Fi-
nally a pretty little Spanish girl, one of the Cas-
tilian beauties of the town, comes to me, and
she’s in a bad scrape, too. Just see how these
things work. Her folks are well off, understand,
and she’s been trainin’ with this oung Journal-
ist Tuckera long time. The nig t he takes to
drink and runs against my game, the lovers——
same as all lovers do—had a spat. He goes off
in a tantrum, and she’s too proud to call 
back. When he wakes up and ﬁnds he’s ruined
his partner as well as himself he ets remorse
bigger’n the feller on the cross, and is ﬁxin’ up to
jump the country with the fu’st bull train that
comes along. The little sinyoreta catches onto
his scheme, and she makes this bluff at me.
Well, I’m kinder half-willin’ before she strikes
me, anyhow, and her tears and carryin’ on 1:11:13
put the mortal clinch on me, and I give up ' e
a lamb. A thousand is all I keeps out of the
twenty. The New Mexican starts up a ' as
good as new. It was always my frien after
that. When I shot Navaho Jack at Rio Hondo
afterward, it wrote the beautifulest obituary
about me ye ever saw. Said I was a nobleman
in heart and soul, and wouldn’t hurt no man un-
less he tried to hurt me fu’st. And whenever I
wanted to borrow anything under ﬁve thousand
it was always there 'waitm’ for me. Married?
Why, bless ye, yes. They married ri ht away.
It was a lesson to Tucker, though an a lesson
against the principle of all g gamblers to
give. He never played another card, but went
right along makin’ money and raisin’ children.
Both men is rich to—day, and you can take my
word fur it, if they was near here, or them days
could only come back again, Yuma Bill wouldn’t
be hustlin’ roun’ Chicago for a twenty.”
A few moments later the ofﬁce party had
broken up, and Yuma Bill was coppering and
heeling bets all over one of the faro layouts in
the adjoining room. He had touched the pro-
prietor.

 

 

Tales of Railroad life.

BY J. C. COW’DRICK.

How Sam Won His Wife.

“SPEAKING about racing, Billy,” said Sam

Cornwall, as Billy Long ceased speaking, “ re-

minds me of how I won my wife. I’ll tell you

how it was, if you would like to hear the story.”

“Certainly!” exclaimed those around him.

“Go ahead, Sam, and let’s hear how it hap-
97

 

 

“ Well,” Sam began, “it was while I was on

the D. 8:. P. It didn’t all happen in an hour, but

the commencing of it was a race that I had one

evening with a train on the C., V. & A.

\ “ The C., V. & A. is a single-track line, and it

runs side by side with the D. & P. for about half

a mile through the valleiéind along the river

west of Bloomﬁeld. The ys have some pretty

smart races over that piece of track whenever

two trains happen there at the same time, and

sometimes one road will ,win, and sometimes the

other.

“ M engine was the No. 6 and there was not

a machine on the C., V. &  that could hold a

candle to her for speed. Joe Smith, with his
No. 2, used to give me a pretty close rub once in
awhile, but he could nevvr beat me.

“ I was coming down the hill toward Bloom-
ﬁeld about half-past eight o’clock one summer
evening, with the Through Mail, when I heard
Joe Smith coming down on the C. V. & A. with
his No. 2. He was hitched to the Express, and I
pulled out to give him a race.

“When we came to the ‘ parallels ’ Joe was a
little ahead, my engine being just ahead of his
third car.

“ The D. & P. is a double-track road, and the
C., V. & A. lies on the west side of it. And, as
I was going west at the time, the two trains were
not more than two feet and a half apart.
“ It was still daylight, and the passengers all

took a great interest in the race, waving their

handkerchiefs, and in some cases shaking hands

with one another from the windows, exchanging

new. apers, etc.

“ Oe was doing his best to lead me, but I crept
slowly up on him, and in a few moments I was
abreast of his second car.

“ I was glancing in at the pmngers as I rode

along, an presently I caught a pair of the

brightest and most bewitching 8 es I had ever

seen. And the face that they a orned was per-
fectly beautiful. I felt a shock go through my
frame, as though a galvanic battery ha been
suddenly attached to my heartstrings. It was a
clear case of love at ﬁrst sight. She might have
been the wife of another, for what I knew, but I
would have loved her just the same. I couldn’t
help it.

‘ I was not a bad-looking fellow myself in
those days, and I am afrai I smiled and fa-
vored her with a glimpse of the white and per-
fect teeth that were hidden behind my mus-
tache.

“ She was eatin an orange, and, acting on a
sudden impulse, s e dived her hand into her
sachel and handed one to me. I thanked her
with a nod and another smile, and drawing forth
a card-case that I ha pened to have with me, I
gave her my card. he did not hesitate an in-
stant, but handed me hers in return, and as I re-
ceived it I pressed it to my lips. My engine was
by this time drawing away from the window
where she sat, but she saw the act, and I saw
the blood mount to her cheeks, turning them as
red as a retty rose. .

“ The 0. 6 crept slowly ahead, soon passmg
the second car, and then the ﬁrst, and at last,
when we came to the point where the roMs
separate. I was half an engine-length ahead of
the No. 2.

“ As the trains swung apart I looked for m
charmer, and saw her waving her handkerchie ,
so I took off my cap and waved it in return.
And a moment later, when the trains were about
disappearing from sight of each other, she threw
me a. kiss. _ , , .

“She said afterward that she did it just for
fun, never expecting to see me again in her life.

“Ah, ye gods! That kiss sealed my fate. I
was in love, and the sensations that thrilled
from the tips of mytoes to the crown of 111
head were utterly indescribable. .How I ever
reached the end of in run that night, I never
knew. For weeks an weeks afterward I could
think of nothing but pretty ‘ Ida Mayne.’
That was the name on the card she had given
me.

“ Where was she from! and where was she go-
ing to that ni ht? I asked myself the questions
'ten thousand imes. I tried by every means I
could think of to discover where she lived, but
not the slightest clew could I ﬁnd. I went over
to the C.. V. & A. and found the conductor of the

 

take one of myre- seven, eight, nine, and ten thousand—all goes ' train she was on. and questioned him, but he

could not remember the passenger I mentioned.

 

I could have

Not remember my ‘ Ida Mayne!’
massacred him on the spot.
“ My love for the girl took complete possession
of me, body and soul; and I cht so fai‘as to
ut a carefully-worded ‘personal’ in the New
’( rk Herald. But even that availed me noth—
ing. I was on the very verge of madness. I
could neither eat nor sleep, and I began to look
like the prize skeleton of a dime museum.
“Doctor Bolton, of Bloomfield, and I were
ﬁrm friends, and to him I went for advice.
“ ‘ I can’t help you, Sam,’ said he. ‘ You’ve
got something on our mind that you are brood-
ing over, and uness you can dismiss it from
your thoughts, no doctor in the world can help
i

on.
“ He had hit the nail ri ht on the head, you
see, and I told him all. e laughed at me at
ﬁrst, but soon said that ‘ Ida Ma ne’ must be
found, or else Sam Cornwall woul become a ﬁt
subject for a lunatic asylum, or the bone-yard.
And I agreed with him.
“ I asked for a month’s leave of absence and
it was granted. If it was possible to ﬁnd the
dear object of my heart’s devotion, I was deter-
mined to ﬁnd her.
“ It was on my last tri down, on the day be-
fore my vacation was to gin, when, as I came
into the valle that I have mentioned, I met a
train on the ., V. & A. I sawa bit of paper
whirling along behind the cars, which, as I
passed, ew right near the cab window, and I
caught it. I crushed it in my hand at once, and
was on the point of throwing it away when
something seemed to tell me to examine it. Ac-
cordingly I smoothed it out and found it to be
an old envelope, which— But my ﬁreman said
he thought he would have to catch hold of me
and hol me fast, to keep me from jumping off
the engine. Boys, the envelope was addressed to
‘Miss Ida Mayne, Chattawanna, N. Y.’ It is
uselem for me to tell you that I packed my car'-
pet-bag and started for that place by the ﬁrst
train

“When I reached in destination I engaged
board at a private boarding-house, and then pre-
redtobeginmysearchinearnest. Of course
Y‘Iiad to set to work in a careful manner, not
knowing whether the lady was maid, wife, or
widow; so I curbed my impatience as well as I
could, and waited to look around before making
in uiries.
‘ On my ﬁrst evening in the town I attended
at a lodge meeting of the Knights of Pythias,
where I had the good fortune to meet a young
man named George Mayne, who asked me to
call and see him next day, giving me his address.
Was he in any way related to my ‘Ida?’ I
longed to ask him, but then, eat Scott! what
if he should be her husband! owever, his name
was the same as hers, and I almost loved him
for that. I asked no questions. I wanted to
move slowly in the matter, and make no blun-

ers.

“ George Mayne was a young la er, and the
next day found me at his ofﬁce. I 'e soon be-
came good friends, bound as we were by the
P thian ties of F. C. and B., and in the course
0 our conversation I learned that he was not
married.

 

I about two drachms of oil.

“‘Thank God,’ I thou ht, ‘fhcn she’s not
your wife.’ And when at engtli he invited me
to go home with him, to ‘take dinner with mo-
ther sister Ida, and myself,’I mentally ejacu-
la ' ‘

“ ‘ Heaven be praised! It must be shel’

“Of course 1 accepted the invitation, and
went. ,
“The Mayne homestead was a ﬁne old man-
sion, and the ﬁrst person we met on entering was
George‘s mother, to whom he. introduced me.
George then retired to prepare himself for din-
ner, and a few minutes later his mother was
called from the room by a servant who desired
some instructions, and I was left alone.

“ In a short time, however, I heard the voice
of an angel, it seemed, singing in the hall, and the
next instant the door opened, and into the room
came Ida Mayne. lily Ida.

" She stopped short on seeing me, not expect-
ing to ﬁnd any one there, having just come in
from a walk, and I saw that she recognized
me.

“ I remembered my manners, rose up and
bowed to her, and at that moment her brother
George returned and we were regularly intro-
duced.

“ Well, to cut a long story short, boys, I be—
came a fr uent visitor at the Mayne mansion,
and at lasiql asked Ida to become my wife. She
answered ‘ yes.’

“ After we were married, she told me that she
had thought of me almost constantly since that
evening of the race between the two trains, so
on see we were both struck at once.

“ She had been on a visit to an aunt, about
ten miles from Bloomﬁeld, and the envelope
that came to me was an old one that she lost out
of the car-window on the day she returned

home.

“ I told my story to her mother, she granted
her consent, and, as I said, we were married.
Then I obtained a position on the O. & W., and
settled down at Chattawanna.

“ Some of you have seen the lady of in
choice, boys; and ifﬂyou who. haven’t will

at my house you sh be introduced. We are
not so young as we were then, but our hearts
have not aged in the least."

 

Health and Help: to It.

 

ATHLETES, professional trainers, hunters,
mountaineers. all physically strong and perfect
men, habitually breathe through the nostrils.
This is claimed to be the reason for their free-
dom from colds.

THERE is a constant stream of invalids to the
Arkansas Hot Springs, and while many get no
relief and die, it is asserted that during the

ten years upward of 25,000 people have been
cured of diseases there after having been given
up by their doctors.

OF roller-skating, Dr. Frank Hamilton (who
was one of President Garﬁeld’s physicians) says:
“ It is a most dangerous form of amusement,
and the sooner the craze subsides the better,”
and other eminent doctors point out that the
exercise causes deep breathing of devitalized air
(in rinks) freighted with rmnute splinters of
maple-wood.

A CITIZEN of East Bridgewater, Mass. , boasts
of havin eaten but one meal a day, and that as
near mi day as possible, for the past twenty

ears. He is said to be in good condition, and
works with no more than ordinary bodily fa-
tigue and wear. He sometimes eats fruit during
the day, but it is not an article of food taken
with any regularity.
IN the Aslepiad, Dr. Richardson shows how a
sick room may be supplied with salt air. A mix-
ture is prepared containing one per cent. of ozom'c
ether, two and a half per cent. of sea salt, and
enough iodine to make asaturated solution. Two
ounces of the preparation are diffused through
the room, at short intervals, by an atomizer.
The air is said to have the bracing effect of sea
air, and has powerful disinfecting qualities.
DR. DUJARDIN—BAUMETZ, who is anauthority
on the subject, has published his opinion on the
vexed question of contagion. He emphatically
declares his belief that cholera cannot be com-
municated, like small-pox or scarlet fever. by
actual contact with a cholera patient: but he
1 thinks that water contaminated by choleraic dis-
, charges indubitably commumcates the disease.
! Contagion by means of the atmosphere he re-
! gards as probable. but admits that on that pomt
* science is as yet in the dark.
AMONG the colonists who have recently come
to this country from South Russia, the chief
I remedy for cuts, bruises, scalds and burns is oil
of eggs, and extraordinary stories are told of its
eﬂ‘lcac and healing power. It is easily made
, from the yolks of hens’ eggs. The eggs are ﬁrst
.boiled hard, the yolk removed, crushed, and
placed over a ﬁre, where they are watched and
stirred until the whole mass is on the point of
catching ﬁre. At this moment the oil separates,
and may be easily decanted. One yolk yields