Nevada County picayune., 1888-02-08

iheIe was long silence. Out sIde l could hear the steps of one ot the men pacing up and down. rubbed my head against the wal behind me and succeeded in get ting the handkerchief on my mouth to fall around my neck. bad scarcely accomplished this when there was lap Oa tine inner door.
 'Robert," Alice said.
 "fes, love. Speak low: there i, a man under my windUw.n
 II am going to R.. There is no man under my window, and caH get out there. have six long roilert"wels knutted together and | have cut my white skirt into strips to join them. The rope i made so reaches nearly to the ground. l shall fasten 1t 10 the door knob and let myself down. IL will not take long to reach home saddle Splim and reach B. in time. Don't fear for me.'
 Nine o'clock /, As the bell Of the church clock ceased to strike rumble, a flash. told me that d storm was coming rapidly. Oh, the long, long inmates of the next hour. Ten o'clock. The rain talling in torrents, the thunder pealing, lightning flashing! Alice was so afraid of lightning! The storm wa, over, though still the night was inky black.
 The midnight down train was coming swiftly, surely to destruc- ton Where was my wife? Had the ruffians intercepted her at the cottage Was she lying dead somewhere upon the wild road ! Her heroism was of no avail. but was her life saved? In the agony of the question the rumble of the approaching train was far more'the bitterness of Alice lost than any horror of the doomed lives it car ried. Why had let her start on her mad erranl
 The heavy train rumbled past the telegraph office. IL was an express train, and did not stop at Wolseley station; but as 1 listen ed. every sense slarpened by men tai torture, it seemed to me that thc speed slHckcucd. Listening intently, knew that it stopped at the embankment, as nearly as l could judge. Not with the sicken- ing crash l had expected, not pre- "eding walls and groans from the injured passengers, but carefully A moment more ahd heard shouts. the crack of firearms. sounds of some conflict.
 What could it all mean ! The minutes were hours till l heard a key turn in the door of my prison, and a moment later two tender arms were around my neck, and Ahce was whispering ii my ear:
 "They will come in a few min utes, love, 10 set you free!"
 "BuL have you been to B!
 Yes, dear"
 In all that storm"
 "Selim seemed to understand He carried me swiftly and surely l was we'll wrapped in my water proof cloak and hood. When l reached B. the train had not come from D.
 "But it is here"
 "OAly the locomotive and one car. In that car were sheriff deputy sheriff and twenty men armed to the teeth to capture the gang at the embankment. l came too and they lowered me from the platform, when the speed .slacken' ed, so I could run here and tell you all was safe!"
 While we spoke my wife's fin gers had first united the handker chief around my neck. and then, iu the dark, found some off the knots of the cord binding me. But was still tied fast and strong, when there was a rush of many feet up on the staircase, and. in another moment, light and joyful voices.
 "We've Captured the whole nine.r was the good dnews. "Thrce including John Martin are desper atplv wounded. but the surprise was perfect. Now, old fellow, foi you.'
 A dozen clasped knives at once = -.-l .l loo.