The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-02-06

and CreSsy gave start Tor she saw
upon the back OF the hand the letter 7.
and IS he let it fall upon the back Of the
horse she distinctly saw that the little
finger was crumpled-bent under to the
palm Her heart gave an immense leap.
for those two things were especially
mentioned In the description she. had
read from the poster as she came up tho
mountain.
What could she do--for 1t must be the
thief and escaped prisoner, and he must
be caught She could hurry back and
down 70 the station and gee the men
there to come--but that would not do.
Ned must get him. IT would make 1t
all right for him again Il he could take
tffa fhan BECK Sc the. one. TO capture
him. y That must belit. Nat how could
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 hiding place
for a time; and then SHE cautiously
slipped away up through the woods and
over the top, down TO the station al fast
as she could. turning over in her mind
.whatep lanstos fsslrsaeeta Ned might find
the man before any one else succeeded.
II was a long walk, but at last she
stood at the foot Of the mountain, and
learned that Ned had missed the pas
senger train, but had gone on only
short time before on gravel train
which had come up two miles from the
gravel pit for another nat car and must
now be filling up at the pits for its re-
turn to the city.
ut 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
=fstfrc, az she stuinbleda1ong 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 a 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 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 1t, !"
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- nextthe-rai s----------------
There was also a 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-b board. Then she braced herself
with one hand, found footing for her
knee upon tie, and pulled forward the
board to bridge another set of ties.
slow and dangerous work, and
she screwed her eyes close shut fer fear
she might see what would unnerve her.
Once her board caught and it seemed to
be Slipping. II 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
han. Where was she? Was she any
where near the end? The special was
coming-how far away she dared not try
a LIT. e
fort she pulled the board forward,
.crawled its length, then sharp whistle
shrieRed out--two of them. She gave
one gasp and looked. She saw few
more ties between her and safety-saw
Che engine flying right at her-heard
anosher shrek from the whistle, wavered
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.
Crcssy was not hurt, only-unnefyed,
and to-the questions poured In upon her
she could find no answer but that she
must see Ned before the gravel train
left. y
Its something important. No per-
son would ever try crawling over the
long bridge less it vas" the fireman
observed.
Can we make lt?. suddenly asked
the conductor, looking at his watch.
Yes, 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 a stop right oppo-
site Ned, and he was astonished to see
Greasy, who-cried ont:
''Oh, Ned, I've found him"
"Why, Cressy Carter, how did you
come here.p
''On her hands and knees, youngster,
some of the way" the engineer put in.
"But have found him.
'NNho?'
1.-THE prisoner she whispered.
Greasy Carter!n Ned was too astound-
ed to say more.
.What is it?n the conductor asked,
coming up curious to know.
Ned explained briefly, when the SON
ductor caught him by the arm,
= Jump aboard, boy, he cried. Put
her on, Billy to the brakeman, and
before they were hardly aware of 1t
they were steaming back to the valley
station.
"A little quiet work. and three men ac-
companicd Ned to the other side of the
mountain. The man was taken entirely
off his guard when a revolver was pre-
scented with command to throw up his
hands Ned had the satisfaction of
placing the handouts which he had in
his pocket upoL his prisoner, and es-
corting him to the city before the sun
went down, fastened to his own wrist
You see l thought | would fix the
handouts so they couldn't run away
Ned~explained, slyly, as he delivered
him over to his uncle.
The latter was delighted at the deed,
and lanUhad haartily Mt Nad.q rani nd or