The herald., 1896-03-01


intendent, gravely.
81 know it, sir" answered Brand, "but
this is a special case. Aleck would not
ask it, and l would not, sir, If it We're
not to save the ranch"
Here George told the story of Alexis
sacrifice of Brown Bess in his efforts
to help his uncle, and of the difficulty
he had experienced in getting to Chi
cago. Il only ask that YOU 'dead-head
him to Pittsburg in my car" conclud-
ed Brand in an appealing voice.
"Well. you are brave boy, and will
do it," said the superintendent. land Ill
make it good to Washington"
A few moments later the boys left
the room with pass in the superintend-
ent's own writing. Aleck had come to
Chicago on a stock train in the care of
neighbor. who was bringing train load
of cattle to the market, earning his pas
sage by helping the men feed and water
the cattle on the way.
When they reached the depot and
climbed into the postal car. Aleck was
first introduced to the clerks. Then he
made himself comfortable upon pile
of empty mail sacks. while Brand, who
was the clerk in charge of the registered
III,
pouches. He told Aleck that these sacks
contained money and valuable packages
and that in one of them were several
hundred thousand dollars going to the
United States treasury. "Fll keep my
eye on that pouch, l tell you.' laughed
Brand; and Alexis eyes opened wide
at the idea of so much money so near
him. The next afternoon they arrived
at Pittsburg, and the mail for Washing
ton was transferred to another car. AL
eek was sorry to part with Brand. but
found his new acquaintances very pleas
ant fellows. He saw the registered
pouch with the treasury money in IT
slowed away beside the registry clerks
rack. That pouch seemed like an old
friend. and he felt that he almost had a
personal interest in its safe delivery.
That night the train was running
down the eastern slope of the Allegheny
mountains, swinging around the curves
at lively rate. Aleck was still awake,
curled up on his pile of sacks in the reg
istry clerks end of the car, wondering
how many pensions could be paid out of
the money in that registered pouch.
Then there was sudden jarring under
the car. and terrible crash. The lights
went out, and Aleck felt himself rolling
over and over, with mail sacks under
and above him. There was an awful
stiffness for d moment: then the silence
was broken by groans and cries of pain.
ltcl, tried to raise himself, but found
both legs pinned down by a great piece
of timber. He could see nothing for a
few minutes: but presently. through the
twisted mass of wreckage above. he saw
the light Of a lantern, and heard voices.
Help. Help Here ami" shouted AL
eek.
The ring of an axe and the sound of
c,asling timber told him that help was
coming. and in five minutes more hole
had been made above him. A man
passed down to him saw, with which
he soon severed the beam that held
him. Scrambling out. he found himself
on top of the ruins of the mail car and
the baggage car. The engine and two
cars had jumped the track and rolled
down a steep embankment. but the
breaking of the coupling had kept the
remainder of the train on the track. The
engineer and fireman were badly hurt.
and every man in the baggage and mail
cars had been bruised and scratched; !;
but fortunately all had been dug out Of
the wreck.
lit was none too soon. for the wreck
blazing briskly While the passengers
and trainmen were grouped around AL
eek, who was the last one taken out. the
registry clerk came up to them, crying.
"Oh, where is that registered pouch
with the treasury money? There are
$500. 900 in that wreck"
Like a flash it came to Aleck that the
pouch was near him when the car rolled
over. Without word he dropped back
into the hole from which he had just
emerged. and in moment was cropping
for the pouch.
It was not so dark down there now;
for the burning wreckage. not twenty
feet away, cast ruddy glow through
the mass of twisted iron and splintered
wood. BY this light he finally saw the
pouch beneath heap of sacks. and be-
gan tugging and hauling at the pile. He
heard the crowd above shouting to him
to return, and saw the flames licking up
the inflammable wreckage close at hand.
At last he loosened the pouch. and in
another moment had clambered out of
the hole, dragging the bag after him.
The Postmaster General at Washing
ton sat in his Office talking to four men
and boy who were standing before
him. The men had handages around
their heads; their faces were scanned
with court plaster, and the boy had
strips of court plaster upon both hands
and across the bridge of his nose.
So this is the boy who saved the reg
istered pouch, is it?" said the Postmas
ter General. looking kindly at Aleck.
"That's the boy" replied the registry
clerk, who then related the details of the
story, and told of their arrival in Wash
ington that morning upon the relief trair
sent to the wreck. The great man listen
ed attentively, and seemed much inter
ested in the account Of Alexis scram
| BILE after the treasury pouch.
But how did this boy happen to bt
| in tie postal car?" he asked. Then Alecl
| in straightforward manner told hi
story, from the time he had resolved tt
try to get his uncle's pension, and il
simple language pictured the trouble
hanging over the Nebraska ranch
"And now I've come to Washington t
try to find someone with influence, tt
help our pension case along" said he
in conclusion.
"You shall have it, my boy" said th
postmaster general; and he took Aleck'
hand in his own and pressed it warm
ly. Then he told his messenger to cal
his carriage and drove with Aleck t
the Pension Bureau. where they Wer