_Exterior of station, as in 18._
Black Jack sees poster near door with his picture. Reads: “$1000 reward
for the capture, either dead or alive, of Jack Rindge, generally
known as Black Jack. Was railroad despatch operator 1898 to 1907.
Description:” (Follow with description of Black Jack.) Latter does
bravado business, posts Bird as guard, and enters station.
[Two purposes are served by the author’s introduction of this poster.
He has let us know that Black Jack is an unusually desperate character
from the fact that so large a reward is offered, and, of even greater
importance to the story, he has told us that Black Jack is a capable
telegraph operator. Both are points necessary to the plot later on and
skill is shown in introducing them indirectly now. How unconvincing it
would have been to have Black Jack say later to Carson, “I am an old
telegrapher operator,” and thus give the audience its first intimation
of the fact.]