The Singing Wire

THE SINGING WIRE

BY Morris & GOSCINNY Original title: Le fil qui chante

Original edition: © Dargaud Editeur Paris 1977 by Goscinny and Morris © Lucky Comics www.lucky-luke.com

Translator: Erica Jeffrey Lettering and text layout: Imadjinn sarl Printed in Spain by Just Colour Graphic

This edition first published in Great Britain in 2012 by Cinebook Ltd 56 Beech Avenue Canterbury, Kent CT4 7TA www.cinebook.com

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-84918-123-5 ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT HAD IMAGINE, FOR INSTANCE, THAT A YOUNG MAN LUCKY LUKE TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE YOUNG UNITED RECENTLY SETTLED IN SAN FRANCISCO STATES WAS THAT OF COMMUNICATIONS DECIDED TO WRITE A LETTER TO HIS BETWEEN EAST AND WEST. FIANCÉE BACK IN NEW YORK…

ing, me arl join THE y d me for la, m d co ove iscil g an y l sire Pr thin co. M I de very ncis and y ve e Fra ver, n m Lea San as e ou i SINGING e in rong ld y her s st o ho is a gs t you thin e all abov in… s aga WIRE arm

WELL, IN 1848, THIS LETTER WOULD HAVE TRAVELLED BY THE SHIPS OF FROM 1851 TO 1852, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSPORTED BY MULE THE U.S. MAIL STEAMSHIP CO. AND THE PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP CO. TRAINS.

IN 1856, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE LOAD OF A CAMEL FROM 1857 TO 1861, THE LETTER WOULD HAVE BEEN CARRIED BY CARAVAN -75 SHIPS OF THE DESERT THAT HAD BEEN IMPORTED STAGECOACH. FROM EGYPT BY EDWARD FITZGERALD BEALE.

NOW, SUPPOSING THAT THE LETTER MANAGED … IT’S LIKELY THAT IT WOULD HAVE ARRIVED TOO LATE… TO AVOID SHIPWRECKS, MUTINIES, INDIAN WARS AND DESPERADOES… MAM A! NO TIME NOW; I’M BUSY A LETTER FOR WITH THE BABY. GIVE IT TO YOU! YOUR PAPA TO READ.

bred Pure lla t risci Stree iss P nal M 3 Ca City 12 York New

3 AND THEN THE TELEGRAPH MADE ITS … THE LINE FROM THE WEST ENDED AT … AND THE LINE FROM THE EAST ENDED AT APPEARANCE. BUT, UNTIL 1861… CARSON CITY IN NEVADA TERRITORY… OMAHA IN NEBRASKA TERRITORY…

… LEAVING A GAP OF NEARLY 1,600 MILES TO CLOSE, WHICH PROVED PROBLEMATIC. THUS, IN 1860, THE PONY EXPRESS WAS THE GOVERNMENT WAVERED BEFORE THE COSTS OF THE OPERATION.* CREATED.

DARING RIDERS CARRIED THE MAIL, TO DO THIS, THEY GALLOPED DAY AND NIGHT, CHANGING HORSES IN AN ACROBATIC FASHION COVERING ENORMOUS DISTANCES IN OUTSIDE THE RELAY STATIONS THAT LINED THE ROUTE. RECORD TIMES.

ALONG THE WAY, DANGERS WERE NUMEROUS. BUT, ABOVE ALL, THE PONY EXPRESS HORSES WERE PRIZED BY INDIANS AND BY BANDITS OF ALL KINDS. ALMOST TO THE NEXT STATION! HONESTLY! LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP! YOU DIDN’T GIVE ME TIME TO TELL YOU THAT ALL THE EXPRESS HORSES WERE STOLEN!

*THE TERRITORIES OF NEVADA AND NEBRASKA DIFFERED IN SIZE AND SHAPE IN 1861 FROM THE PRESENT-DAY STATES. THE MAP ABOVE IS BASED ON TODAY’S STATE BOUNDARIES.

4 AMONG THE EXTRAORDINARY RIDERS OF THE PONY EXPRESS, … AND LUCKY LUKE. SOME ARE STILL WELL-KNOWN, INCLUDING BUFFALO BILL…

HIS HORSE, JOLLY JUMPER, RAN THE ENTIRE WE SHOULD CLARIFY, HOWEVER, THAT RIDER IF I COULD FIND A WAY TO GRAZE ROUTE WITHOUT EVER STOPPING. AND HORSE TOOK TURNS SLEEPING. WITHOUT STOPPING, THAT’D BE PERFECT. JOLLY JUMPER, ZZZZ ZZZZ… IT’S YOUR TURN TO ZZZZ KEEP WATCH NOW! DA GA A A D T GA A A D T GA TA

BUT THE SAGA OF THE PONY EXPRESS WAS TO BE BRIEF, FOR, IN WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT LINCOLN -WORRIED ABOUT THE START OF THE CIVIL WAR -HAD SUMMONED HIRAM SIBLEY, HAPPY TO LEARN THIS NEWS STOP PRESIDENT OF WESTERN UNION. SEND INSTRUCTIONS IMMEDIATELY TO START WORK STOP. I HAVE DECIDED TO FINANCE THE JUNCTION OF THE TELEGRAPH LINES.

HAVE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES THE SAME DAY, TWO PONY EXPRESS RIDERS TOOK OFF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE ONE FROM BOTH ENDS COME TO WASHINGTON. HEADING FOR CARSON CITY WAS NONE OTHER THAN LUCKY LUKE. WE SHALL SETTLE THE DETAILS.

5 TIRED? WELL, WITH ALL THE JOUNCING, I HAD A HARD TIME SLEEPING…

PH TELEGRA ME OF THE HO TATE TO ON’T HESI ES W NG COYOT HA STOP

LUCKY LUKE, OF THE THAT’S ME. PONY EXPRESS. LET’S HAVE IT. LETTER FOR YAHOOOOOOO! THE ENGINEER JAMES GAMBLE.

GOOD FOR ME. JOLLY JUMPER AND WAIT! GOOD THE PENCIL-PUSHERS IN WASHINGTON BECOME NEWS? NOT SO GOOD FOR YOU, HAVE FINALLY DECIDED TO COMPLETE I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF LUCKY LUKE. THE TELEGRAPH JUNCTION. FOR YOU, PLAYING MESSENGER A TELEGRA - THAT MEANS THE END OF THE PONY BOY ANYWAY… PHER! EXPRESS…

I’M GOING TO NEED THE KIND OF MEN THAT’S WHAT THE INDIANS HAVE O.K. FOR THE WE LEAVE ON WHO CAN HELP ME PUT UP THE SINGING NICKNAMED THE TELEGRAPH BECAUSE SINGING WIRE! THE HOUR FOR WIRE! IT WON’T BE A PIECE OF CAKE… OF HOW THE WIND MAKES IT SING. WASHINGTON!

THE SINGING WIRE?

6 NOT LONG AFTER, THEY MET IN WASHINGTON WITH GENTLEMEN, MR GAMBLE WILL LEAVE FROM PRESIDENT ABRAHAM CARSON CITY, AND MR CREIGHTON WILL LEAVE FROM LINCOLN HIMSELF. OMAHA. THE JUNCTION WILL BE MADE AT SALT LAKE CITY, ALONG WITH JAMES CAPITAL OF THE MORMONS. THEIR LEADER, MR BRIGHAM GAMBLE, LUCKY LUKE YOUNG, HAS PROMISED HIS AID AND SUPPORT. AND HIRAM SIBLEY, THERE WERE EDWARD CREIGHTON, RESPONSI - BLE FOR THE SECTION TERMINATING AT OMAHA, AND HIS HEAD OF WORKS, WILLARD BRADWELL.

I PROPOSE THAT YOU BOTH LEAVE ON THE SAME DAY: ON OUR NATIONAL YYIIPPPPPPEEEEEE! YAHOOOOOOOOO!! HOLIDAY, JULY 4, IN THIS YEAR OF 1861.

GENTLEMEN STOP YOU ARE IN THE LET THEM BE, LET THEM BE, MR SIBLEY. GO, GENTLEMEN, PRESENCE OF THE PRESIDENT OF I UNDERSTAND THESE GENTLEMEN’S AND GOOD LUCK. THE UNITED STATES STOP REPEAT ENTHUSIASM. IT IS JUSTIFIED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TASK.

IF YOUR MR LINCOLN*? VISITORS HAVE YIIPPEEEEEEEE!! LEFT, COME RIGHT TO THE TABLE. I’VE YES, MY FIXED YOUR DEAR? FAVOURITE LAMB ? STEW.

*MARY TODD LINCOLN CALLED HER HUSBAND “MR LINCOLN” OR “FATHER.”

7 WELL, LET’S SEE WHO DON’T BE SUCH A PESSIMIST, ALWAYS THE PROVERBIAL GETS TO SALT LAKE CITY FIRST. CREIGHTON. THANKS FOR THE OPTIMIST, GAMBLE! CARE TO MAY THE BEST MAN WIN! GOOD WISHES, BUT YOU HAVE A MAKE A WAGER? SLIGHT CHANCE OF WINNING, TOO!

GOOD IDEA STOP WESTERN UNION OFFERS 100,000 (ONE HUNDRED YOU’RE ON! LET’S SHAKE ON IT! THOUSAND DO$LLARS) BONUS TO THE FIRST TEAM TO REACH SALT LAKE CITY STOP.

COME, BRADWELL. WE NEED TO LET’S GET BACK TO CARSON I DON’T LIKE THIS RECRUIT OUR TEAM! CITY, LUKE! THERE’S NOT A KIND OF BET, GAMBLE… I KNOW, I KNOW. MOMENT TO LOSE! IT APPEALS TO THE WE GOT A LITTLE GREEDY SIDE OF EXCITED… FOLKS.

… BUT I KNOW CREIGHTON. THAT GAMBLE! FORTUNATELY, YES, BOSS. HE’S A BIG TALKER BUT HE’S A GOOD SORT OF FELLOW NO DIRTY TRICKS. COMPLETELY HONEST… AND AND WE NEED NOT FEAR ANY HEH, HEH, HEH… WE’RE GOING TO WIN! DIRTY TRICKS! HEH, HEH, HEH!