The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-02-07


ner' and stood as if deciding what to do.
Then he shaded his eyes with his hand
anu Cressy gave start, for she saw
upon the back of the hand the letter L,
and as he let ii fall upon the back of the
horse she distinctly saw that the little
hnger was crumpled-bent under to the
palm. Her heart gave an immense leap,
Tor those two things were especially
mentioned in the description she had
read from the poster as she came up the
mountain.
What could she do-for it must be the
thief and escaped prisoner, and he must
be caught She could hurry back and
down to the station and get the men
there to cOme-but that would not do.
Ned must get him. 1t would make it
all right for him again if he could take
the man back-be the one &c capture
him. That must be it. But how coulI
she get word to him? She peered over
the brink again, and felt satisfied from
the movements that the man was MAX
Ing this secluded spot a hiding-place
for time; and then she cautiously
slipped away up through the woods and
over the top, down to the station as fast
as she could, turning over in her mind
what plan to pursue that Ned might find
the man before any one else succeeded.
1t was long walk, but at last she
stood at the foot of the mountain, and
learned that Ned had missed the pas
senger train, but hao gone on only a
r. no fvoir
which had come up two miles from the
gravel pit for another fat Car and must
now be filling up at the pits for its re-
turn to the city.
cit has to wait for the special to come
up before it can go on" the operator told
her in answer to her question.
so, without word more, she set off
down the track, tired as she was with
her twO-miles walk. She felt quite
sure, as she stumbled along over the ties,
that she could reach the pits in the forty
minutes before it could possibly leave.
But her footsteps Jagged in spite of her.
Still she kept on until she reached the
long, open river bridge.
She had forgotten that, and she knew,
as she looked at it, that she could never
keep clear head to walk across it upon
the ties. She could go around, but the
gravel train might start before she
could walk around by the distant road
bridge. She shuddered, but she must
cross here in some way.
AS she looked around in dizzy terror
at even the thought of attempting the
feat, she saw a short, broad board, and
an idea struck her. She slid down the
embankment and scrambled back with
the board.
II can't fall off it, if can only do it,"
she said to herself. anyhow, mustn't
think about il; and it is long enough"
as she thrust it out before her upon the
ties inside and next the rail.
There was also narrow plank upon
the outside, which she had not dared to
venture upon alone. Now she knelt
upon the two and, grasping the rail with
her hands, shut her eyes and crawled on
in that position until she felt the end of
her board. Then she braced herself
with one hand, found footing for her
knee upon a tie, and pulled forward the
board to bridge another set of ties.
1t was slow and dangerous work, and
she screwed her eyes close shut for fear
she might see what would unnerve her.
Once her board caught and it seemed to
be slipping. 1t was a horrible thought,
and she felt that she, too, were slipping,
but she clutched rail and board and it
held firm as she crawled along.
Suddenly the rails vibrated under her
hand. Where was she? Was she any,
where near the end? The special was
coming-how far away she dared not try
to see. With one more convulsive eff
fort she pulled the board forward,
crawled its length, then sharp whistle
shrieked out-two of them. She gave
one gasp and looked. She saw few
more ties between her and safety-saw
the engine flying right at her-heard
another shrek from the whistle, wavered
a half second, then in desperation rose
to her feet, and bounded with swaying
arms along the narrow outer plank, to
strike the solid earth, leap aside, and
roll down the embankment, while the
train came to stop upon the bridge.
Cressy was not hurt, only unnerved,
and to the questions poured in upon her
she could find no answer but that she
must see Ned before the gravel train
left.
cts something important. No per-
son would ever try crawling over the
long bridge less it was," the fireman
observed.
''Can we make it?" suddenly asked
the conductor, looking at his watch.
eyes, sir" the engineer replied brief
ly, and Cressy found herself swung up
into the cab beside him and the train
sped back, to the bewilderment of the
passengers, over the last half mile.
The engine came to stop right oppo-
Cressy, who cried out:
''Oh, Ned, I've found him."
"Why, Cressy Carter, how did you
come here!"
ION her hands and knees, youngster,
some of the way" the engineer put in.
''But have found him."
"Who?"
''The prisoner" she whispered.
''Cressy Carter!" Ned was too astound.
ed to say more.
"What is it?' the conductor asked.
coming up curious to know
Ned explained briefly, when the con.
ductor caught him by the arm.
Jump aboard, boy" he cried. 'sPut
her on, Billy" to the brakeman, and
before they were hardly aware of it
they were steaming back to the valley
station.
A little quiet work, and three men &C
companied Ned to the other side of the
mountain. The man was taken entirely
off his guard when revolver was pre-