The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-28

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wise imagined it possible for us to es-
cape. The smoke could be plainly seen
at fort Scott, which was about three
miles away. | soon had the packing
! rings cut out and the cylinder. heads
bolted back into place again, and all
we could do now was to wait for the
steam to raise before we could start,
aud ii seemed as if the Indicator never
moved so slowly before. If we could
only get back over the line into Mis-
souri,, the laws there would protect us
and we would save the Come. Only II
miles lay between us and the border
line-could we reach it before they over
took us?
| The guage showed 100 pounds pressure
| run the governor belt off so that we
could travel to the full capacity of our
power without being automatically
checked then | pulled open the throttle
and the next moment we were rolling
out across the open prairie toward Mis-
souri,, in a race with the stake of 81 200
The Comic did nobly. With a roar like
small thunder she belchpd up huge clouds
of black smoke and steam, and fairly
quiver:ng with the fun pressure upon
her. as she rolled along. Now and then
we ran afoul Il line of barbcd wire fence,
but we tore through It like Il network
Of .winc.
/ looked back just after we had got
we'll started. and saw ON knoll about n
mile back the pursuing party-three Of
ghcm--the sheriff and two men with
him in his buggy. and their horse at a
run. and then | opened the throttle
iitticWidcr. 1t was now all q question
Of Spced-if they overlook us before we
reached the State line they might take
It's and our machine, too; Il. however,
we crossed. first we would be beyond
the.r jurisdiction, and they could not
serve the attachment. One, two. four
miles we passed over. our engine at full
speed. with an average Of 80 pounds of
steam on, and We could plainly see that
we were still holding our own against
them. Eight miles we had Travelled now,
and | was beginning to feel pretty highly
elated over the success of our scheme,
when | heard Fish utter a cry of dis
may
The Goals all gone he exclaimed
1t was true, for in the excitement ]
had not noticed its rapid depletion. I'M
til now. and not more than four or FIVE
almost stunned us both for q moment
perhaps we might be able to make it hold
OUTPUT doubted it greatly Ten miles
the coal was all gone now, and | empt-
led one of the oil cans into the fire box
TO keep up the steam, and then we began
to break up the wood work about the
tender.
Eleven miles-only one mile more now
and we would save the Comic. but the
last stick of fuel was gone even to the
last splinter and / could see that the
speed was already beginning to slacken
down.
The sheriff seemed 10 notice that we
were beginning to slacken mp Il little.
for he now laughed sneeringly and rose
TO his feet and stood upright in the buggy
and began to urge his almost exhausted
horse on with shouts and free use of the
whip. . The light vehicle swaycd and
plunged about from side to side as the
horse broke into a headlong gallop. while
the two men hung desperately on as the
horse plunged frantically forward, still
urged by the whipand furious shouts
Of the sheriff They were rapidly over
taking us now and the Comic" was
lost unless we couId manage IN some
way TO keep up the steam few moments
longer. | looked back again and saw
that the sheriff was STILL coming and was
now within 100 yards of us and still
gaining on us at the rate we were NOV
ing. He saw me as / glanced back at
him, and he began to shout something
at me, but the engine made so much
noise that / was unable to understand
x.-baf hot hn hIIf I
guess almost, FOR / could see the look
of exultant satisfaction in his face and
hear his knocking laugh as we began to
slack down and almost stand still-the
fire in the furnace having died down to
few smoldering embers. They were
now almost within speaking distance and
still coming nearer each moment. | could
plainly hear the labored breathing Of
the sheriff's exhausted horse, and | knew
that Ire could not go ON much further at
that speed, and then / heard the sheriff
shout tauntingly: "Ifofd On-yOu can't
get away now. We've got you all right
This was almost too much-especially
with neutral ground not mile ahead,
and then with a grim determination that
I would make another effort to save
the Comic" in spite OF them all, pulled
off my heavy WOODEN coat anu, pouring
what OIL there was left in the can on it
and saturating it thoroughly, l opened
the firebox and showed it quickly into the
furnace among the smoldering Goals.
In another moment it blazed furiously
up and we began to increase our fast
diminishing speed a trihe The sheriff
was now near enough to plainly see what
/ was doing, and as we began to gain
Roadway little ne began to curse and
swing the whip more furiously than ever
upon his plunging horse. In moment
the coat was consumed, bat we had held
our own while it lasted, and feeling
somewhat encouraged by our momentary
success / threw in my cap, while Fish
went me one better by following SUIT
with his coat and overalls. This we did
not moment too soon, however, for az
the fire had died down the sheriff had
begun to gain again, but as soon as the