Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-23


along It. and so she was perhaps safer
there than anywhere else. She CROPPED
her way along, stopping every now and
then. and holding on to the rail, letting
the cold, keen air from the mountains
blow on her face, and through her
hair, cooling her burning skin and the
aching head that was too hot even for
the shawl she had allowed to fall on
on her shouldefa
Then she wen, on again, looking up
at the light In the window OF the little
signal station, FAR away up the noun
tain grade. so high and distant that
Il might have been stpr shining
through the breaking clouds. Suddenly
she stumbled forward and fell ON her
knees. The hand-rall was gone, SEEM
ingly broken OFT short. and she was
instinotlvcly clinginE with both hands
to one OF the railway metals that
was bent downwnrds In sharp curve.
The truth flashed upon her far more
quickly than II would be-, possible to
describe her position. She heard the
water roaring and foamlng twenty feet
below her. and every now and then the
humping sound OF heavy blows. fol-
lowed by cracking and grinding
noise. II was plain that the storm had
broken up the ice that was still on
the lake higher up the valley. and
TINS had been carried down the swollen
torrent and had broken away some OF
the great cedar balits that formed the
trcstlcs OF the bridge.
She could see nothing save every
now and then q pale. white fash OF
Foam on the swirllng water below her.
She had no notion how far she had
come over the bridge, no Idea how
wide the gap was, but she did know
that No. would be due at the station
IN about half an hour, and TINT the
telephone and telegraph wires would
nave been broken with tho fall OF the
bridge. The slgnalman up at the
station would know nothing Of the ao-
| cident II would be no use for her
TO no back to SiN-Milc Creek, for not
only would that talJo up too much
time, but nearly all the men had gone
| down the line to clear away the mud
slide, and there would be no way ot
| communicating with the upper line,
| even II they had all been there.
There was only one course that Of
| tcrnd the faintcst hope OF saving the
train and Tom. She must lnd some
| way OF getting across the black gulf
| that yawned In unknown width before
| her, so that abe could get up to the sig
nal station and have the train stopped
ON the down grade. II she couldn't
| ret ovcr--well. thon she would have
done what she could, and, at any rate,
| she wouldn't be there to see the grent
engine, with It's big. farlng headlight
and the long shining line OF cars be-
| hlhd II. come swinging down the grade
| al forty miles an hour TO plunge in
| awful ruin and destruction into tho
gulf that the river had dug to receive
| II.
Alice was n mountain-brc girl. ana
the moment she realized the danger her
head was ma clear and hcr limbs az
steady ms they had ever been standing
behind the little counter In the store
she lay down nat ON the plank, and
| groped hor way across to the other
side Of the bridge The opposite rail
. ! curved ODkymKtu tntxuFlu tho
| over tumbled wreck of plnnkinF, but
| IL didn't slope nearly na stocply as tho
other and II only nwayud to and fro
n little. She felt her way along II for
yard or so, and then let herself down
backwards, hand under hand. along II.
stendylng herself by her feet and knees
ON the broken timbcra
At last one Of her feet went into tho
water She didn't draw It back, she
only gave II little gasp nv the chill OF
tho Icy wnter ran quickly past, and
then she put the other In after IT, This
was the point where her task really be-
gan. She had expected Il, and she
didn't finch Mt t. She crawled ON
down, and went deeper and deeper un-
~ the winter was M 10 her whist and
pressing her hard against the timbers
with the force OF the current, sim
the rail that she grlpped tightly with
both hands held fast and had not yet
curved down 10 tho water.
.
and for n moment her feet were car
ried clear OF the bottom. For an In
slant she swung under, and then with
supreme effort. she dragged herself
up by her arms An eddy caught her
ana nwung her townrd the opposite
shore. Her feet touched solid. firm
mass OF timber: she hooked them under
II. ana dragged herself along the rail-
again for three or four feet. Then the
, rail began to curve upward the winter
| % shu1lnKyRT md lhtN tlmlpIH flImNr
under her feet, md tho current weaker
/ about her body. Now hope supplies
mcntod her failing spirits, and she
{ pulled herself hand over hand up tho
rail. until she felt the timbers clear OF
I the water. and dragged herself up
/. them on her hands aud knees. until at
4 last she was able to Htagger 10 her
! feet, painting. shiyering and trembling.
l but safe.
/, she CROPPED about I'll she found the
I two rails again, and then. wrlnglng tho
. water as well az she could out Of her
I saturated alSlrta Hhe started on, Mt
(, first walking quickly. una then, na tho
! blood began TO move in her Veins ana
{ the stiffness Of the chill 10 work out
j OF her limbs, TO run up the grade
G towards the light I'm the signal cabin.
, which now abone like vefitnblo star
b OF hope above her,
I, Al every step she took she drended
i TO sec the headlight OF the engine
n flashing down the line, and 10 hear tho
F. rumble OF the train rolling ON It's swift
@ way TO destruction. but the Hignnlmhns
y lamp remained the only Hight In tho
darkness and at last, breathlesa and
J, trembling after her terrible cxcrtion,
4 she stood striking the door OF the sig
y nal cabin with her iiata ana gaApin8'
o ''Sinul SilnRl Let mo ini The bridge
= In downl Hurry up. for PHYS sake, ana
+ stop the trainl"
n The signnlman threw the door open.
n and she staggered IN to the Hight and
q warmth OF the cabin, dripping and
n drngglod. with hcr torn dress hanging
/ about her In rags.
d Lord, snkcs alive. Miss Alice. 10
that your Why. where In thunder have
y you come fromf'
II "Thc bridget The bridgel' she
o gasped '1ts down at this end. Is
a No. on timer"
L "Just reported from Beaver creek.
@ Good Lord, you don't ayl--Hold up.
- Miss Alice. Great Godi There she Is
e Tho signalman's cry mingled in
AlIoe's ears with the weird, long-drnwn
% note OF the whistle as she dropped
o senselcEs to the .ioora When she came
Y To herself the cabin Was full OF people.
N and the train was pulled up outside.
~ The flrnt thing she heard was the hiss
II Ing OF the steam from the engine. then
q "A confused murmuring OF vioces. and
10 then a once familiar and well-loved
~ voice. saying:
~ Great land alive. burned IL u AIN
IA "A. - AIt9uff