The times., 1897-03-28

|
He sprang to the KEY and tried t. teIe-
graph a question; but he could get no re-
| sponsc- The wires seemed badly out Of
/ order. He was much alarmed. Something
| was wrong-horribly wrung-at Buu.ufy. :
Glen lt would not do 70 waste time.
He ran out OF the depot Look after
things, Mac he called To the baggage
| man
| HIS bicycle was Leaning agat nst the
| buiiding ne had brought II out tEst dav
for the first time since winter set in
| WIN quick push and leap ne wasiu :he
sauuie, bounding along the dim. frozen roaI
bim-yct for mere starlight the night
seemed wonderfully luminous But the
hght was rItrul; there were moments when
al seemed buried In darkness. Then the
landscape frightened aud giiuimered as
u The moon had emerged from behind a
cloud But there was n0 moon. he knew
Nat the moon would not rise until morn
fng was near
The railway circled the foot Of the hill,
but the road ran straig ght over the summit.
by stFenuous effort he had already reached
the crest, AMI the hard driven wheel leaped
forward with a fresh burst Of speed as it
felt the downward slope
Suddenly the air seemed fun OF rosy
lielr, as II tinged with the glow OF
dawn Though we were now running at
a breakneck pace, he glanced upward
The sky was afiame with the niekeTing
pennants Of the aurora borealis. Near
the horizon lay a bank Of dusky haze.
through which the stars CLEANED faint
~ Above It wavered a pale phOsphO-
resent curtain, which shivered as il
shaken by gusts OF wind: fIOm behind
which ruddy stTeamers shot up TO the
very zenith, and fIickered and waned
and frightened 1t was q magnificent
display: but as the descent was becoming
sleeper every moment, lie was obliged 10
Keep his eyes fixed on the road
He was now rushing down the rough
track with a violence that almost defied
control The Overstrdined tubing gave
under his weight to the very limit Of It's
strength; the machine heaved and paIpi-
tated like a frightened horse, and SHE'D
wildly amid the TUts and stones that he
could not avoid At sharp turn Of the
road he swung out so far that he felt the
hind tire slipping on the icy edge, and
barely escaped plUnging down the en- ban K
ment then the depot windows flashed INTO
view.
after tiidJ the FClc ilSU nave chosen
ItSOwD course for StuTgin wasH0trnuscin Is
of guiding it. For the sash was raised.
and against the yellow Iamp-Iight ne
saw the dark outline OF a man era wiling
insi'rough the opening. another followed
The last figure had scarcely disappeared
when his wheel came to "A stop IN the deep
sand Of the station yard He dropped
from the saddle, pulled 44-caliber re-
volver from his nip pocket, and spraEg 20
the window.
The depot consisted OF a single Icom.
The safe and the telcgIaphic apparatus
We're on the further side. III the mid
die Of the floor stood Lena. defiant. With
cIenched hands and glowing checks. look
ing straight down the black muzzle ef a
pistol that Il huge desperate was holding
-lOsetO her face
You unlock that safe. right quick. and
no nonsense he was saving
Il won't, I can't" cried Lena.
The other Intruder, a seedy little fellow
with thin lips and a Ratchet lace. was by
the safe examining the lock He turned
toward the girl
''Ye might as well save trouble he
said. We kn0w what's here an were
goin 70 have It. This Is biz. understand.
We Niitu l4i4lt We To ~ fcil. HFG-
The grl glanced az him with angry CON
tempt. Her blood was boiling
There amt .oin to he nobody to help
ye.' the fellow continued. The road
bridge is down swep away by the freshet
and the fellers from the Mills won't git
here set awhile. Yer mas too fur or, an
She amt no good anyway We got to
have that key, fur We amt got no tools
laudy. Be lively now We kin be rough
4 we have ter
With a sudden motion Lena pulled the
KEY from her apron pocket The big
-uiflan beside her Snatcned at it, lowering
lis pistol he did so: hut with the quick
ness or cat she flung the little piece Cr
steel through the open door OF the stove,
where IL slipped down among che glowing
;uais. The fellow caught up the poker
md plunged it into the red-hot mass, but
lie key had disappeared With cry OF
age he sprang toward the grl; hut while
bis back was turned she had darted TcrOss
he room and ierked open a drawer
Throw up your hands, You scoundTeI -
The command came in d hOaTse roar
from the open window. The deseprado
saw fierce. livid face glar-
ing in from the outer gloom, saw also
4 leveled weapon, and suspected more
behind He dropped his pistol and obeyed.
LAYING his lrft hand on the sill, John
Sturgin leaped through the window VIII
)ne bound There is no record-breaker
like love and anger in things athletic
Meanwhile the lesser villain was strug-
Cling with the fastenings of the nearest
window: but when lie glanced over his
shoulder and caught the CLINT Of another
revolver in the hands OF Lena a. Sne
stood by the open dTa wer, he deSiSted.
Give it up he said CoOIy "Ye got
ne sure, little girl; though how them
eIIers got acroSt so quick beats me
Now, don't git narvOUS with that pepper
IF ycurn. III rest easy, an amt got
10 gun anyway"
Give me your pistol, Lena" said
,turgIn, lis voice SUI 1ua6ing with &
tement. Now, YOU two brutes stand
iere, face to the wall, hands up. Lena,
,lease send a message through the Grand
,Ort for a train and posse -
She sent the message as she was bid
len. but the steadiness was gone from ..rr
and and the color from her cheek. She
cit faint; she threw open the door and
,azed up the track. The night had grown
'ery dark, though a filmy Veil OF aUroral
ght still fitted now and then across
he starry background.
AT length the rumble of an engine was
card, a welcome sound TO StuTgin, whose
rms were so palsied with WEAKNESS and
ervous tension that he could hardly hold
ne pistols. 1t was just as well that his
risoners were so placed that they couldn't
ee him. Soon, however, they were in the
q ndS nf the dpnutv sheriff and tho strain