The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-28

de had taken on MS ragged coat ana put lG
round him. Texas glanced at him half con-
temptuously, and looked at Jack.
Elf SO be, pard," said Jack, that you have
half pipe you can spare" and Texas threw
him his little bag of tobacco Jack filed his
pipe and crammed il in tight. He picked up
live coal, and by careful balancing, managed
to get it on the top of the pipe without burning
his hand. He sucked at it till the glow Lighted
his contemplative face.
"That brother of yourD, Texas"
"'Um."
as he young feller?"
Hes 20.'
"Strong and able to hold up his own end :?
Lots of grit? Guess would he jump off a train
goin' DO miles an hour if be was told tor"
"Who should tell him to? F" asked Texas, with
quite savage look.
:" / can't rightly say, Texas. Red Jim, for
instance?"
Texas looked at his temporary partner for a
full long minute, bordering.
Il guess not" he said, softly.
"But he'll beat his way here from up
North 2"
al reckon"
"Best if he don't strike Red Jim's train.
theni"
you're a croaker." said Texas, shortly;
she knows his way about"
Jack made no reply, but, knocking ont the
ashes of his pipe, cleared away few pieces of
rock from his side of the fire. II think I'll
turn in" he said. Good night pard."
Texas watched him lie down, and then
walked slowly up to the Divide. going far
enough to see the northern slope of it. He
returned once more to the fire and lay down.
Just about an hour after he heard heavy
freight toiling up that same stiff grade. He
looked up, and waited until he discerned the
great headlight rise over the hill like burn
ing white star.
"she's goin' slow enough for any one to
get on or Off"
Once the summit was passed, the train.
driven by its own weight, increased its speed
in spite of the screwed-up breaks, and came
rafting past him. The fireman, seeing the
campfire, amused himself by heaving piece
Of coal az the men lying about it.
Beast! p" said Texas; but, getting up, he
took the lump of coal and put it on the fire.
He lay down again, but for a while could not
sleep. He was still thinking of his brother.
eff he came on that freight he'll be bound
to come down to the fire." he muttered to him.
SELF But gradually the flames died out, and
the dark night held the whole silent mountain
side. Texas soon fell fast asleep though he
had neither blanket nor overcoat to cover him.
He had walked very far that day. and the
night before he had beaten freight nearly
200 miles
Where the men slept was little level space
between two big rocks. A tall pine rising On
the other side of that to the south threw faint
star shadow over them, for the Californian
Summer air is so lucid, SO perfectly and
strangely pure. There was silence-silence
which the call of the night bird, harmonious
with the Time only deepened and intensified
until it seemed something more than mere alb.
sence of all sound.
When the silence was at its EXTREMIST point
Of reality, and the planet shadow had shifted
l0nrS distance n tha foin oh
OF something which was hardly noise began to
grow curiously in the darkness. At first, the
most accurate ear could, with difficulty, have
conceived 1t. but it became gradually more
vibrant, more intense. Had any of the
men cafnped by the track been awake, they
would have known now what was approaching
them, though it was even yet very far off-an.
other train of cars was coming to the pass. The
heavy laboring OF the great Tebachapi locomo.
tive family heralded it coming, and Texas,
who was dreaming little uneasily, woke ND
and caught the sound.
How glad the locomotive seemed when It
reached the summit of the pass II heaved q
great sigh and ceased the four heavy puffs to
each revolution. For the rest was SO simple.
Nature would help instead of hindering it, and
the ois inertia was now ris pipa 1t moved
with ease, and came on quickly and more
quickly still, with sparks leaping from the
rails where the screwed-up brake-blocks made
the hot wheels skid upon the track Yet, for
all the brakes, it ran smoothly and terribly,
and with strange devouring grace and unc-
tion. The risen star Of its flaming headlight
grew intense, opening out like an electric
flower into clear flame, that made the sight
blind TO ali things else Its directed rays
brushed the shadows into a very limbo of outer
darkness On each side. 1t grew and grew and
grew. And as the contained, inevitable ava
lanche OF wood and steel laden with men and
fire came down the long southern slope the
two tramps by the dying fire woke and looked
up the grade AS the train approached the
headlight shot over them brilliantly and
left them again in darkness. But as the srst
three cars passed they saw two figures standing
on the end of the baggage car Half blinded as
they were they saw them only darkly. But
then there was sudden fash in that darkness
and the report of pistol rang out over the rat.
tie of the cars as the body of man was hurled
into the air. In that one moment it seemed to
fall slowly, very slowly Would it never reach
the bitter rock beneath2 Then it struck q
jagged edge Of the gaping splintered stone with
dull crash not wholly deadened by the noise
Of the downward and departing train, which
sped by and was soon but single red eye glar-
ing up the grade from the far low distance.
With one impulse the three men ran to pick
mp the man; but Texas was the first TO reach
him. he knelt down aud turned his face up
ward in the light of the stars. He groaned
aloud, for even in that lucid obscure he knew
him. But he struck light and looked at him
more closely. The injured mans lips moved
very slightly; little bloody foam was between
them"
DO you know him-do you know him,
pard?" whined Hub, who was terror stricken
and trembled
" 1t is my brother" said Texas very slowly,
and without emphasis.
Then Jack knelt down by the man and took
his hand
He's dead, sure. Texas strike another light"
Texas struck one mechanically.
Dye know this, too?" asked Jack. Texas
looked. In the clinched left hand of his
brother was knot of bright red hair.
Red Jim, by God!" said Hub. And the
match went OFT.
1t was an hour after midnight when the
east.bound express had dropped its warm and
ghostiy freight well in time for the brothers
appointment on the Tehachapi At 1:30 Jack
Gates the older man, and Hub turned in
again by the gray ashes of the extinct fire.
They left Texas sitting by his brother, holding
his stifening hand. 1t grew colder and colder
as the night waned. Once or twice Texas
tried 10 chafe little warmth into it. The
air grew colder too as the hours passed, bnt
Texas never moved until there was faint
blink in the east over the sun-dried hills that
at MONDAY looked SO brown Then he covered
the dead mans face with his soft hat. He laid
the cold hand down gently, and going softly
TO where his companions were sleeping he
| quietly reused Hub.
Look here HUB" he said, without looking
at the man TO whom he spoke, 4" as passed the