The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-03

,that fellow ut the cab window had
only taken his eyes Off me for a mo-
ment I'd been out there helping tho
boys Those at the rear of the train
then joined those in front, and all
made dash at the open door of the
express They were all in n bunch in
the light
''Thc first man to enter the door
stood moment and then fell back out
side in the crowd. The shot came from
the darkness away out to the left An
other man tried it. AS he fell on his
face in the car, the others, who had
been watching, fired q vcllcy at the flash
away off in the dark. The next man
who tried to enter the car succeeded.
Tho others kept watch until he re-
appeared at the door. Something was
wrong. Two others got in to help
him. Then one of them whistlcd, and
my man ut the window jumped of and
ran back to the train.
THAT was my chance. Ont came
the gun from under the seat, and rot
snap shot at TOMS man. but missed
him. As he turned on me Tom struck
his arm with wrench, knocking the
pistol from his hand. He Jumped Off
into the darkness. We backed her
slowly up to the train, fling as we
went
Suddenly dark form rose up on
Toms side of the track and threw
something into the tender Tom and
L both tired at the man. He staggered
up against the cab steps and groaned.
lhen by asuperhuman effort he caught
the hand rail, and just as we were pre-
pairing to give him another shot he
dragged his face into the light.
ut was Charliel We both had hit
him!
"'Pull out, Jim, and save the boxr
That was all he said 1t was the
box he had thrown into the tender.
NO matter how much there was in it,
the stuff wasn't worth the life of the
boy who saved it to the company.
While lifted Charlie up into the seat
Tom threw the old engine wide open
and we ran away from the train, rob
bers and all
1T was forty miles to the nearest
station. small government post. Tom
fed and worked the engine. sat ON
the seat beside Charlie and held him ND.
The rattle and rumble of the wheels
accused me at every revolution.
They seemed to be repeating the
words: You've killed himr You've
killed him! Tom made those forty
miles in an hour; good time over that
road ut that day, but it seemed to me
an age. AS we were running in, Tom
gave the bell and whistle both, and
then when she came to stand he fred
two shots. The bluc-coats were ont in
4 jiffy.
Everything was told in n few words.
Charlie was carried into the quarters
and turned over to the surgeon. fine
old fellow named Hamilton. With an
escort of twenty men we ran back to
the train. The robbers had left it.
FINDING the express empty of treasure,
they had tried to go through the train.
There were too many revolvers among
the passengers and they drew off.
When we reached the post again
Surgeon Hamilton walked up to the
cab Are you Jim Cook? said he.
nodded. Take these to Mr.. Whites
wife, and he handed me Charities
watch, handbook and Il bunch of
Keys. He told me to tell YOU the
surgeon went on, mot to feel bad about
that shot The road agents found him
with that last vollcy, and he would
have gone under anyhow from his
other wounds His body will go back
with you on your return, and l will
give you letter to the express com
pany.'
Tom cried like n child. couldn't
cry; my brain seemed to be on fire; l
was thinking one minute OF how re-