Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-10-08
FOILIED.

There had been succession of extensive
freight car robberies perpctrated along tho
line of the W., c. & B. railroad, and the
company's officials were at their wits
ends.
An accident enabled Freight Engineer
Billy Burton to discover the thieves and
enabled the company to recover large
quantity Of the stolen goods.
A substantial money reward was ten
dered him for his services, but it was only
after being repeatedly urged to accept 1t
BY the president of the road himself that
he accepted it.
you've earned 1t honestly" urged his
superior, "for our offer extended to every
body. Now am going to put you on the
Imperial"
And this was more gratifying to the
young engineer than that money reward,
for the Imperial was through fast ex-
press Of Pullman cars, and the engine
which whirled it from one end to the other
of the w., G. & b. line was the fastest and
handsomest piece Of mechanism that ever
delighted the heart of locomotive engi-
neer really loving his profession and the
implements of his calling
As further evidence of the trust re-
posed in him, Billy was given two
weeks vacation with full pay.
One of his first acts was to 'dress up
and pay visit to his sweetheart, pretty
little Nettie Byrnes, whose father, old
Larry Byrnes, had died while Billy was
serving an apprenticeship at firing" on
the engine which Larry had run for many
years.
For year past they had been engaged,
and there was no reason, Billy thought,
why the marriage day should not be fixed
upon.
Of course Nettie was delighted to hear
of her lovers good fortune, and when he
pressed her she blushingly consented to fix
the wedding day.
1t was nothing strange to them that
Billy should consider himself @ man very
much to be envied when upon the expira-
ton of his leave of absence he laid II firm
hand on the throttle and felt the big ex-
press locomotive throb beneath his touch.
For a month he continued without adj
venture in his new position.
Then, much to his regret, he was
obliged to ''lay off, for several days to tes-
tify in court against the freight car rob-
bers who had been arrested through his
efforts.
When they were called up for sentence,
the leader, white faced, snaky eyed man.
turned fercely upon the engineer, and
shaking his fist called down upon the
young mans head the vilest and most hor-
riblo curses.
"I'll have your life for this, you hound"
he cried.
Nettie had been sitting beside Billy, and
when the robber turned upon her lover she
uttered frantic cry and chung to him
convulsively.
About week after the trial Billy and
Nettie were married and began housekeep-
ing in pretty little cottage at the end of
the young engineers run, SO that he could
''lay off" at home.
Nettie had often ridden on the engine
with her father, and as Billy could not
afford to take her upon an extensive we'd
ding tour she had laughingly declared that
she would make honeymoon trip upon
the big express locomotive.
So 1t happened that the morning after
the wedding found her snugly coiled upon
the engineers ''box," looking very fresh
and charming in her pretty, neat fitting
White dress.
And seeing that she was comfortably
fixed he kissed her again, and jumping
from the engine walked down the plat
form to the dispatcher's office to deliver a
message to his friend, Tom Stafford, one
of the telegraph operators
by the way, Billy" said Tom when
the engineer declared that thine was up, u
and he must get back to his engine to be
ready for the signal, "the head of that
| gong of freight car thieves escaped from
the penitentiary early yesterday morn
ing"
His face was so grave when he returned
to his engine that Nettie inquired anxious
| ly IL he were i'll.
For the first 30 miles Of the run the I'm
perial made no stops and they had nearly
completed that distance when they enter
ed considerable forest and approached 6
sharp curve just before crossing high
trestle bridge that SPAWNED a rocky gulch
through which tumbled a shallow, brawl
ing stream Of water.
As he approached the curve he seized
the throttle with one hand and the air
brake lever with the other and leaned out
of the cab window.
Like flash they rounded the curve
AS they did SO Billy's trained eyes saw
terrible sight.
-Four heavy ties, one on top Of the other
had been spiked across the rail in the cen
ter of the bridge.
At the same time strange overpower
ing influence seized Billy and he stood
rigid, helplessly clinging to the throttle
and the brake lever.
0., l., IL 1nsv
destruction, and Billy's brain reeled witt
horror.
Suddenly there was another terrible
flash Of lightning, and great tree in the
valley below was spllntered from top te
base and fell with crash.
Simultaneously the power Of action re
turned to Billy's paralyzed body, and
with his teeth firmly set he threw his
weight upon both throttle and brake lever
So sudden was the check that the shocl
nearly threw him from his feet, and Net
tie tumbled from her perch.
Would 1t never stopf
Slower, slower, and not 10 inches from
the obstruction the great locomotive came
to standstill, and Billy, with cry o
joy, rccled back upon his bench uncon
scious. When he recovered his senses
Nettie was crying and sobbing over him
and men were coming up the bank bring
ing between them dead man-the mis-
creant who had spiked down the ties.
He had been killed as he was running
across the valley by the flash Of lightning
that had seemed to loosen Billy's momen
tary paralysis.
Nettic took ono frightened look at tn,
| face and Cry of wonder escaped her
1t was the robber who threatened Bill.