Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-03-01
started for the other side of the mount

| denly into the ravine below II was "A
dark and lonely spot--so covered with
/ growth that the bottom, where a shal.
low stream ran. could hardly be seen.
Cressy was curious about the ravine be-.
fore her and threw herself upon the
| ground to peer down into the gloomy
depth. wondering how she could get
uown there, when splash and a rattle
OF stones startled her, and she saw. the
next moment, man carefully picking
his way through the ravine and leading
1 horse whose step in the water and on
the shaly rocks had reached her ears.
How queer. IL that horse was a
chestnut might think the man was the
one Ned wants.
She parted the bushes and looked
again. He had stopped directly below
her. and stood as IL deciding what TO do.
Then he shaded his eyes with his hand
and Cressy gave start. for she saw
upon the back of the hand the letter T,
and as be !st IL 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 the
| mountain.
What could she do--for Ii must be the
thief and escaped prisoner, and he must
be caught She could hurry back and
down 10 the station and get the men
there TO come-but that woald not do.
Ned must get him. IL would make 1t
all right for him again II he could take
the man back-be the one &c capture
him. That must be it. But how could
she get word to him? She peered over
the brink again, and felt satisfied from
the movements that the man was maxi
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 10 pursue that Ned might find
the man before any one else succeeded.
IL 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 haa gone on only
short time before on a gravel train
which had come up two miles from the
gravel pit for another fiat car and must
now be filling up at the pits for its re-
turn To the city.
1T has to wait for the special TO come
up before ii can 90 on. the operator told
her in answer to her question.
So. without word more. she set of
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 il 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 1t. that she could never
keep a clear head To walk across 1t 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 n 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 of II, IL I can only do IL,
she said TO herself. Anyhow, mustn't
think about IL; and it is long enough"
as she thrust Ii out before her upon the
ties inside and next the rail.
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 board. Then she braced herself /
with one hand, found a footing for her
knee upon tie, and pulled forward the
board To bridge another set of ties.
II 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 1t seemed TO
be slipping. Ii was 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. Who're was she? Was she any /
where near the end? The special was
far away she dared not try
to see. With one more convulsive ef-
fort she pulled the board forward.
crawled its length. then a sharp whistle
out--two of them. She gave |
one gasp and looked. She saw a 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 tho
train came TO stop upon tine 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
''Its something important No per
son would ever try crawling over the
long bridge less It was" the fireman
observed.
eCan We make it?' suddenly asked
the conductor, looking at his watch.
ayes. sir" the engineer replied brief
~. 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
Cressy. who cried out:
..Oh. Ned. I've found him.
"Why. Cressy Carter, how did you
come here!s