Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1888-02-08
DETECTIVE AND PRISONER


VersatiOn did not seem to be dampened nv
Che TACT that the younger of the two
carried a revolver, while his compan-
ion wore pair of those uncoveted articles
OF Jewelry which are known in criminal
circles as bracelets. -"
The few passengers who had observed
them learned from the confidential brake
man that they were a noted detective and
his prisoner on the way to trial. AS far
as ages went, the pair might have been
taken for father and son, the fine gray
mead OF the one contrasting strongly with
the crisp brown curls of his captor.
what crime had been committed the
brakeman did not know, but hazarded n
CONJECTURE That 1t ''must have been a
pretty bad one or George Munsen wouldn't
nave TOOK the trouble to put them things
on his wrists"
Presently the brakeman and the CON
ductor satisfied the joint demands of Ell
quette and curiosity by stopping to ex-
change few words with the detective:
the former then perched himself upon the
coal box directly behind the prisoner, and
the latter dropped magniicently into the
seat IN 'front.' The train was sweeping
around curve and past a ruined trestle
on the hillside at which both of the pas
sengers looked with some interest.
Il remember that place" said the older
man.
80 do ~ responded the younger: ct
was born there. Came near being buried
there, toe" he resumed, after moments
pause.
How was that?''
Its pretty long story" said the de-
tective, "but I guess we'll have time for
1t between this and the next station Wav
up there on the slope is the little
settlement where l made my debut. so to
speak; from it to the bottom of the hill
there used to be q gravity road-a long.
winding track reaching from the settle
ment down to the top of a blank wall of
earth where a slide occurred the year 1
was born. On both sides of the track
grew saplings that had sprung up since
the disaster what am telling YOU hap
pened five years later, and they crowded
the road and hung over the old rusty rails
on which the coal cars used to run. You
must remember that the houses were
built near the mouth of the pit-that was
one of the first hines worked i'll this cOun-
try, and one of the first to be abandoned.
Time l am telling about, some men were
walking up track, and a lot of children
playing near the top, little dev's, climb
ing in and out of an old car which had
lain there since it made its last trip, with
the broken spraggs still in it's wheels
''The men were miners, all but one of
them, who questioned his companion
about their work and the country they
lived in. He was evidently a STRANGER
probably newspaper man.
Presently, as they talked, a shout
from the top Of the slope attracted their
attention, and they looked up just in time
to see the car begin to move slowly down
the grade.
'There was an impatient exclamation
from the Oldest man in the party. Them
brats is always up to some mischief, he
said. They have started that old thing
off at last; I've been expectin' to see it 20
any time this five year. They'll be break
ing their necks yet with their tomfooling.'
And another of the group added: we
must dust out Of this lively, unless we
want to get our own necks broke; she'll
either jump the rail or go to pieces at the
bottom; lucky there amt no one on board
of her.
The stranger was looking anxiOusly up
at the approaching runaway. His quick
eye had caught sight of something round
and golden above the black rim.
"'There's a child in that car, he said.
quietly.
SIT was q second or two before his COM
paniOns realized the awful meaning Of
that statement A childi That was, as
If he had said that in few moments some
One-perhaps one of themselves-WOuld
be childless.
with one impulse they turned to look
at the broken rails by the edge Of the
fault. Shuddering, they fixed their eyes
again On the approaching mass, then hope
lessly on each other They could not
dream of stopping the progress of the car.
But quick as thought almost, the stranger
took hold of a sapl:ng and bent it down
till it nearly touched the track Hold it,
he said to one of the men; it will help to
check her. A rod further down another
and then a third and fourth were held in
the same way. So four of the party
waited for a few breathless seconds, while
| the two remaining ones hurried further
down; but one more effort and the car
was upon them. The first obstacle was
whipped out of the hands of the strong
man who held it and the car rushed on to
| the second with scarcely lesseDed force.
Again, the barrier was brushed aside, but
this time the speed of the old wreck was
| perceptibly less. By the time the fifth
| obstruction was reached the new conner
was able to Chamber aboard and throw the
child into the arms of his companion, but
before he had time to save himself the old
| truck had regained something of its mo-
memtum and was plunging on toward the
! precipice.
''Well, the man jumped just as they
reached the edge, Just before the vehicle
shot over into the air, but he had very
little time to choose his ground, and so
landed, as luck would have it, on the only
heap of stones in sight. The others
| picked him up for dead and carried him
up to the settlement, where the miners
held regular wake over him. But he
came to life in the middle of the festiv-
the Obsequies, mean-and it was found
that he was only crippled for life.
''The miners, folks not easily moved,
were enthusiastic about the affair and
gave such testimonials as they could to
show their gratitude and appreciation.
One OF these expressions took the form OF
a souvenir, signed by every man in the
place, and stating in very grandilOquent
language what the poor fellow had done.
His quick wit seemed to them more won
derful than his courage and devotion in
community where neither quality Is I'M
usual at all.
''The man who takes his own life In his
hand every day, and has frequently to
fight for the life Of some companion,
the testimonial was purse Of $50 and a
curious old gold cross, that had been
treasured by the mother Of the lad who
was saved, as her piece Of finery. On it
was rudely engraved these words:
"'Given by the miners at the Notch to
the man who risked his life for a child
"That was all. The poor fellow went
away and would have been forgotten,
only that the old miners told the story
sometimes to their children"
The prisoner was looking out Of the
window. The conductor rustled around
as though ashamed Of the interest he had
shown in the story--a story which he did
not doubt was pure fiction. Only the
brakeman gave way to his sympathy, and
asked whether the man had ever been
found.
'sNot that know Of, f" replied the de-
"And was You the boy what he saYedr