The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-10-01

anything! He flung himself over the
separating plank tc;wccn the two
tracks, and stunned and confused for
almost the first time in his life, he
dropped prone upon his face and clung
DESPERATELY with his hands until his
finger-nails seemed to burst, and drops
of blood oozed from the sides of them.
It was in vain he might have told
himself that in reality the cars could
not touch him there. The trains
thundered over with demoniac rush
and roar like the voices of monsters.
His hair-his hat had long since
been lost-rose from his head as if
lashed upward by furious wind, and
his face, save for the glaring protrud-
ing eyes, was livid like the face of the
dead.
He had a sensation in his ears like
that, perhaps. which the diver first
feels when the air flows down the tube
when he descends into the sea-as OF
something snapping and bursting.
The man thought that his brain had
turned-that he never should be able
to think again.
When the trains had gone on, after
moment, he knew that he was alive
that his mind resumed its sway. con-
fusedly, though, at first.
He lay perfectly still; and in mo-
ment he began to wonder what he
should next do to escape pursuit.
"Why not let them shoot me?" he
asked in a whisper. IF it were not
for Kate, think would. If it were
not for her, my life would not be worth
the fight"
The thought of the woman who loved
him. and whom he loved. reused him
still more. But still he could think of
no expedient. He was still at his wits
end. The moment he moved and
showed himself again. he would be
liable to be shot
While he lay thus, a penetrating but
restrained voice from directly below
him came to his hearing:
tom. are you alive?'
Here am, Kate" he replied in the
same voice.
Cant you crawl up to the next sta
tion, get off and swim the Harlem to
Ned Stover's? They think you are
working down toward New York. and
will try to let them. Only one of 'em
has gone up to watch where you'll get
off Harlem way, and if you see him,
you must manage him-no matter
how
'.All right
Tine next moment the woman below
heard her name said in hoarse whis-
per:
s'kate!'
'sTom!'
IF anything happens to me-good
bye!'
The woman's voice was dreadful in
its pathos, but she only said:
Goodbye, Tom!''
Then he could see her moving away
in the direction of New York.
He did not rise to his feet, for he
feared he would be seen; but all his
energy and acuteness of mind came to
him.
He crawled on to one of the rails,
and worked himself along with an in
credible rapidity, almost as snake
glides.
His trained muscles served him well
now. Thus moving, he could not be
seen ut all from below, and he trusted
entirely to his feeling the vibration OF
a coming train for his knowledge OF
that impending danger.
It was his intention to 90 near to the
next station, and then to descend to
the ground as he had mounted-a COM
parativelv easy thing to do.
He slipped through one Of the open
ings and swung himself out on to
the nearest post; the next minute he
was on the ground, and he saw the
river cleaning beneath the city's lights
few rods away.
He Strengthened himself for one deep
breath before he should dart forward
across the space between him and the
river.
s'There is no one near" he muttered,
and put out his foot for the start.
At that instant a hand was laid on
his shoulder, and an exulting voice
said:
you're my man,
Tom turned, quick as a panther
turns, and struck up the pistol in the
officers other hand, flung himself at
the mans throat, and bore him down
! to the ground from sheer suddenness
of onslaught.
In vain the officer tried to strike out.
Giving him one last twist of the fingers
| in the throat, Tom left the man sense
less and sprang down towards the
river.
He was halfway across it before the
officer came to his senses enough to sit
up and stare about him.
The policeman was one who rarely
let any one escape him. Angry. more
resolved than ever, he rose to his feet.
and plunged along in the direction OF
the river, shrewdly guessing that in
that way the fugitive would go. His
pistol was gone. He had only his club
at his belt.
Reaching the shore and peering for
ward, the glitter of gaslights revealed
the wet and shining head of man
moving towards the opposite shore.
The officer threw off his hat and coat,
and Jumped as far out as he could into
the water. He did not hear the splash
that sounded from the water almost as
soon as he began to swim. he did moi
see the form that pursued him with
the movements that told his pursuel
was an experienced swimmer, while he
himself was bungling one by COM
parison.
All at once he felt his arms pinioned
by an embrace so close that both inn
mediately began to sink.
1t was Kate, who had succeeded in
following, for she knew that near here
would come the decisive moment o1
the pursuit. If Tom could only reach
Ned Stover's, there was place o.
concealment there which, she believed
could not be discovered.
Furious at being thus detained, the
officer made desperate effort to shake
off the incubus that held him.
He put forth his strength and tore
himself from her arms.
As he did so, an irresistible impulse
made the woman cry out in an agony
of pleading and terror, the one name
ever in her heart:
''Tom, Tom, beware!''
The cry sounded over the flowing o
the river.
It seemed to the man who heard it
and who was just scrambling up th'
bank, as if it were a cry for help, ant
he turned and dashed again into tn