Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1891-12-12

Crooked Joe'S q rum I'm, said one
OF his rough acquaintance. ''He
senses his trouble well enough, but he
don't let on to nobody"
Mr.. Crump, the telegraph operate or,
was JOe's constant friend. Ii was he
who, at odd moments had initiated
nm into some OF the mysteries of the
clicking instrument, which to Joe's
imaginative mind seemed some
strange creature with a hidden life OF
it's own.
1t was growing toward dark one
November afternoon. Joe-never an
unwelcome visitor-sat curled in a
corner of Mr.. Crump's office. waiting
Tor his mother to finish her work. He
was laboriously spelling out, by the
fading light, the words upon the page
oil an Illustrated newspaper, quite OBJ
hvlous OF the ticking, like that of a
very lerky and rheumatic clock, which
sounded in the room.
Mr.. Crump, too, had paper before
him, but his ears were alive. Sudden
~ he sprang to his feet, repeating
aloud the message which that moment
flashed along the wire.
Engine No. no running wild. Clear
track"
He rushed to the door, shouting the
| news.
Not a second to sparel She'll be
| down in seven minutesl'
The word passed like lightning. In
q moment the yard was in wild com
motion. Men flew hither and thither,
yard engines steamed wildly away,
the switches closing behind them
The main track was barely cleared
when ITO came in sight, swaying from
side TO side, her wheels threatening to
leave the track at each revolution.
She passed the depot like a meteor,
her bell changing with every leap 1.-THE
piston, the steam escaping from her
whistle with the continuous shrek OF
a demon, and the occupants of the cab
| wrapped from veiw in cloud ofsteam.
Some hundred yards beyond the de-
pot the track took a sharp upward
grade, from which it descended again
to strike the bridge across a narrow
but deep and rocky gorge.
Men looked after the flying locomo.
tive and then at each other with
blanched faces.
They gone. Amiracle can't save
EN-, SAID one, voicing the wordless
terror OF the rest. III they don't fly
the track on tine upgrade they'll 20
down as soon as they strike the
tresle.
The crowd began TO run along the
track, some with a vain instinct OF
helplessness, others moved by that
morbid curiosity which seeks to be
in Mt the death"
But look Midway the long rise, the
speed OF the runaway engine suddenly
slackens.
What does it mean? She never
could a died out IN that time"
shouted an old yardman.
Excitement winged their feet. When
the foremost runners reached the
place, the smoking engine stood still
IN her track, quivering in every steel.
clad nerve, her great wheels still whiz.
zlng round amid flight OF red sparks
from beneath.
What did it? What stopped herr"
The engineer, staggering from the
CAB, with the pallid face OF the fire.
man behind him, pointed without
speaking to where little pale-faced,
crooked backed boy had sunk down,
painting with exertion. beside the
track. Al his feet huge oil can lay
overturned and empty.
The crowd stared, one at another.
open-mouthed. Then the truth flashed
upon them.
" lie oiled the track"
Bully for crooked joel"
Three cheers Hurralhurral hurrar'
They caught up the exhausted child, |
Ringing him from burly shoulder to |
shoulder, striving with each other for |
the honor OF bearing him, and so, in |
IRREGULAR, tumultuous, triumphal pro. |
cession they brought him back to |
the depot and set him down among
them.
Pass the hat, pards!" cried one.
II mad been pay day, and the saved /
engineer and fireman dropped in their
months wages. Not a hand in all the
throng that didnot devo into n pock-
ct. There was the crisp rustic of the
bills, the chlnk OF gold and silver coin.
out with your handkerchief. Joe!
Your hands won't hold it all! WHY
young one-What?-what's the mat
ter?'
For the boy with scarlet cheeks and
burning eyes, had clenched both small
hands behind his back-the poor.
twisted back laden with it's burden OF
deformity and pain.
No. no." he cried in a shriIl high
voice. Don't pay me! Can't you zee
what It's worth to me, once-just once
~ all my life-to be of little use-like
other folks?"
The superintendent had come from
his office. lie had his hand on the
boys head.
Joe" he said, tive couldn't paw
you II we wished. Money doesn't pay
Tor lives! But you have saved rs n
great many dollars besides Won't
you let us do something for your"
You can't! You can't Nobody
cam" The child's voice was q shrek.
1t seemed to rend the air with the
pent-up agony Of years There's ONLY
one thing in the world / want, and no
body can give me that. Nobody can