Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-04-16

remembered in the one circus he had at
tended in his life. He stopped for mo-
ment to listen. The noise rose and died
on the evening air, and mitsled with 1t
rose another sound like the clink Of in
struments against steel.
"That sounds as if somebody was
hammering on the track, he said as he
listened. But he was late and so hurried
on toward home.
As he neared the gate his mother
came running down the walk, her apron
over her head. Jimmy, she cried hys-
terically, "where is your father?'
Il don't know" answered the boy.
staring i'll dismay at his mother, who
was pale and trembling.
"Oh, NY child" she screamed,
"there's st4nething wrong. Your father
went over an hour ago down into the
woods to find the stray lambs, and he
never stays so late, and 10 or 10 min
utes ago a crowd of yelling, cursing men
swept by here like cyclone and down
into the woods, and fathers there, and
maybe they've killed him..
"Hold on, mother" cried Jimmy.
"Don't take on So I'll run down to the
edge of the woods and see what's up.
Fathers all right. What would they
hurt him for, Id like to know?"
Though he spoke so stoutly, the boy
was frightened, but he ran as fast as he
could toward the woods. He remember
ed the noise he had heard at the track
and suddenly it rushed over him what
it meant. "They're sympathizers of the
strikers, he whispered as he tore across
the field, "and they're tearing up the
track, I'll bet. ~
When he reached the woods, he stole
along as cautiously as possible toward
the din and uproar, which every mo-
ment grew louder. Suddenly he saw
them.
There were 30 at least bareheaded,
ragged, prying up the track with crow
bars-a frightful sight to a lonely little
boy creeping among the trees. The stray
lambs, huddled together under tree,
were bleating in frightened, helpless
way. Jimmy felt sure his father must
. DO iCHl thClli, Spi NlCOplhS Oii tiit
knees now, the boy crawled slowly along
and suddenly saw his father tied to a
tree, watching the rioters completing
their work of destruction. AS Jimmy
saw his father Mr.. Saunders, turning
his head, saw his son.
Jimmy was not 10 feet away from
his father, while the mob was at least
40 feet away from both.
jimmy" murmured his father,
run, my boy, run! The New York
special with soldiers! Run up the road
and signal it Never mind me, but save
the train. "
With half sob the boy crept back
through the tall grass to the edge of the
forest and then darted across the field
toward the farmhouse like an arrow.
His mother met him. "Don't stop me,
mother, he gasped. "Father's alive,
but the strikers have got him. You run
to Mr.. Somers' for help. I'm going to
signal the special" Signal the special !
Suddenly he stopped. What with? How
could he, little boy, stop train before
it reached the cut yonder? All, the red
lantern, the despised, common thing he
had sneered at that very day.
Two minutes later this towheaded,
freckled faced young hero was flying up
the track, his red lantern lighted, his
bare feet spurning the earth, painting,
stumbling, sobbing, falling, up again
and on, on.
A low rumble broke on his ear The
rails began singing under his feet. cts
coming!" he shrieked, and putting all
his remaining strength into this last
effort he dashed on few rods farther.
There came great white light glow
ing at him like an angry eye, nearer
and nearer, larger, brighter. Would
they ever see him as he stood there,
desperately gripping his red lantern and
swinging it with both his tired little
arms?
At last! The engine gave scream.
81 see you, Jimmy - it seemed to cry tc
the poor child. Then a shiver rar
through the long train. 1t groaned and
stopped, the engine painting and signing
at the feet of James Saunders. hero.
DO you suppose, if Jimmy lives to be
100 years old, he will ever forget that
moment-the shouts, the questions, the
excitement, the soldiers crowding around
him, the glistening bayonets, the praise
the thanks, all the pride of the instant
as he knew that he, little prairie lad
had saved the special laden with Uncle
Sans troops?-Adyance.