Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-06

rows; broad flashes of flame, Quencned Tor
moment in the black smoke burst up and
fiared in the wind like shreds Of some vast
tattered canopy. Along the ground the
brush &ilted away, burning with a sharp
crackle like that of a musketry discharge;
and up through the hollow tarlaracks the
FIRE swept with noise like the below OF a
filing sail Great trunks tcttered and fell
with booming crash like the sound OF dis
tart cannon The hot air Guivered around
them and they gasped spasmodicaily as
they shook of the burning sparks and
laughed Historically between short howls OF
pain Ahead all WIS red and blsok-a sea
of fire. Murphy called out once more,
STEADY, boys, steady" and they plunged
into if resoluteIy with the desperation of
wounded bull charging on the espasia's blade.
STEADY, MY men! Up and down, up and
down! Stick TO her, lads; it'll soon be over
now.'
Then the flames closed upon them, and as
they lowered their heads before the whiTl-
wind of fire and smoke that was hurled at
them they shivered al the crisp crepitatlon OF
their hair and beard and felt the hot grip OF
the fire fasten on them as they Writhed III
pain. Something struck the car and it
reeled for a moment.
''Stand by her, boys; steady therew They
grasped the handles again and struggled on;
by the hollow sound of the wheels they kneW
that they were on the bridge at last, and it
lent them fresh strength. Then something
struck them again Hard, hard at work
there! Jim, Mike, Dick, all of you-pump
away, for Gods sake, boys! we are nearly
there Try again! the switch, boys, mind
tho switch! all together now, heave" But
strain as they migh5-and they strained with
4 fierce, desperate energy, for there was
something in Murphy's tone that went to
their hearts-the car was fast and would not
move. Then they heard a wild cry above
the laundering crash of the bridge as it fell
from under them; the CIR was suddenly shot
ahead and sPrang away easily over the deorls
thai lag across the iron. The trestie was
passed. but at the rear handle Mike stood
alone; his partner, Matt Murphy, was gene;
that last falling brace had struck him square
" across the arms and when he saw That he
could no longer pull his weight, he jumped
oil and put all his remaining strength IL that
last push that sent them through into the
comparative quiet beyond.
STEADY, boys, and God be with your came
once more from cut the chaos of flames be-
hind them, and that was eli. On the other
side, beyond the clay Cut, they heard the bel
lowing whistle of the engine; few more
strokes and they reached the switch.
"JunIp, Jim; Tor God's sake jump quick"
! The next moment the train swept round the
curve over the frog and giide3 smoothly down
/ the siding, where it stopped; but the hand car
had disappeared
When they came back they found Jim
/ Reeves body by the broken lever of the
switch; Long Mike, too, they picked up beside
him, with q shattered leg and an ugly cash
/ across the forehead, while on the other side
! OF TIE tracl; Dumb Dick" was clutching the
/ broken handle OF the hand car and soboing
/ like child. Strong men lifted their crushed
/ bodies with tender care. and side by side they
( laid them on a bed of fragrant balSam
boughs; woman's light hand wiped away
the blood from Mikes rough face and held
moist linen to his bleeding brow. Soon he
opanea his eyes and looked solemnly, with a
puzzled expression, into the anxious faces OF
the women and children that stood around
him, silently watching for his recovery. Then
he remembered ali: for a moment a bright
smile lit up his plain features and died away
slowly as he caught sight of his companions
stretched beside him. Coming through the
! distant smoke the RAYS of the red evening sun
touched their pale faces with rudy glow
and wove a soft golden halo around their
passive heads. With a slight culver Long
! Mike passed away in the sunset silence TO JON
his comrsdcs.
When Jack finished there was a pause;
then we ell looked up at him with the same
question on our lips. He rose slowly from
the corner in which he had been sitting.
You want TO know where ! heard all this!'
be asked. "Ohl 1 I'm Dumb Dick. To be
frank with you. boys, have been special
detective on the c. P r. for several years,
and if I tell YOU so now it is because nv con-
tract IS up as soon as have handcuffed Mr..
James BovleS over there. Dent you move!
he called out. covering him with his revolver.
Il suppose" he continued, addressing TIE
man he had called BowleS, that 1t would
have been more correct 70 chain you first and
tell nv story afterwards; but L knew you
could not give me the slip. That man, boys
was Nurphy's partner in a contract on thl:
road and tried 10 get him to syvind!e the com
many. Matt wouldn't do il and threatened L
show him upland now that he's dead, TIN!
fellow ta.,ss his revenge out in attacking hi
character However, he's 50 badly wanted
at headquarters just now that he viii keey
his mouth shit about Murphy for the mex
Ter, years. John Heard, Jr., in The Century