Arizona republican., 1891-11-13
LANCE ELLIOTT'S IDEA.

ignorant drudge?" Lance Elliott dashed the tears angrily from his eyes with , feeling of shame, though there was nc one near to see his wet cheeks and quiv ering lip. Coward! To. be crying al my age!"
 With his elbows resting on the iror brake wheel and his head between hi, hands, Lance stood thinking sadly of hi: unhappy lot. He was only fourteen years old, but for nearly two years ht had earned his living in various ways He had blacked boots, run errands and held horses. More than once he had gone supperless to bed, and very often the bed had been hayloft or a cowshed. Now however, he was regularly employed selling papers on the express train which left Woodstock at 9.30 every evening. Though he was earning fair wages con. sidering his age, he was growing more and more dissatisfied every day. for he saw no prospect of improvement.
 Mir Bascom, the conductor, to whom Lance had confided his troubles, had said, 1.-The thing, my boy, is to do your duty in whatever position you are placed, and let the rest take care of itself"
 But Lance was not content with this. Ut seems to me-" he had answered, "just the difference between walking on level ground and climbing up pair of stairs"
 Tonight he had sold all his papers for the trip and had gone out upon the rear platform of the traiu where he could be alone The rapid motion of the express seemed to soothe his troubled thoughts, and he stood long while watching the lights along the tracks as they flashed by and were lost in the darkness behind
 As he gazed dreamily before him, gradually a dim perception of something unusual or out of place among the fa- miliar objects along the road grew upon him. At first he could not make out what it was, but in another moment he understood. It was new light and one that he had never seen before.
 But what chiefly puzzled Lance was the position of the light. It seemed to be directly in the center of the line of rails upon which the express was travel ing It could not be signal lantern, for it was too high in the air; besides there was no signal at that part of the road
 As he continued to watch the strange object with growing wonder, he sud. denly became aware that the light was in motion. More than that, it was fol- lowing the express! As the train swept around curve the light vanished, only to appear moment later, showing that it, too. had come around the curve.
 Lance had already guessed what it was, but he was afraid to believe his own eyes. If it should be thatl He felt cold chill creep over him.
 While he was confusedly trying to think what he ought to do the door of the car opened. and Mir. Bascom, the conductor, stepped out upon the plat form. Without waiting for him to speak Lance caught him by the sleeve, and pointing to the light behind exclaimed:
 Look! Look! Do you know what that is?''
 Mir Bascom shaded his eyes with his hand and gazed earnestly at the light. Then, without word, he turned and hurried back through the train.
 In another moment the engine of the express sounded a shrill warning whistle, and Lance felt the train suddenly in- crease its speed. Presently MT. Bascom. accompanied by one of the brakemen. was back on the platform beside Lance again.
 Both men examined the light, which had meantime drawn much nearer, with evident alarm. Then the conductor swung the red lantern he carried sev- eral times.
 That is No. 26," said Mir. Bascom. "She was standing on the siding at Rich field as we passed"
 What does she mean by following us?" asked the brakeman. And why doesn't she answer our signals?"
 Because" said MT. Bascom, "there is no one on board to see or hear them"
 "A runaway" exclaimed the brake man.
 "Just that. replied the conductor. "It has happened before. They have run her out on the track ready to take her train. and somehow she has got started.
 Lance, who had listened attentively to this conversation, understood it per fectly. The light behind them was the headlight of engine No. %. He, too, had seen it on the side track as the ex- press passed As Mir. Bascom had said, after the express had gone by, this en- zine had drawn out upon the main track ready to take it's train, which was not to start until half an hour after the ex- press, and in some unkown manner had got started under full head of steam. with no one on board to guide it.
 Engine No 26, as Lance knew, was one of the most powerful engines on the road, and 1t was running free, whereas the express engine was drawing six heavily loaded cars Unless something could be done to stop the runaway, it must soon catch up with the express.
 The express should have stopped at Beverly, but there was no time for that now; and as the train roared by Lance caught a glimpse of white astonished faces, waving arms and flashing lights Then all was swallowed in darkness again.
 By this time the passengers of the ex- press had learned of their danger, and were in state of panic that the utmost efforts of the trainmen, themselves pale with alarm. could auell. Mir. Bascom