The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-07-28


the trouble?"
Polly answered as well as she could,
and Mercer made another attempt to
arouse Pinckney.
Her fathers train was now due. 1t
should be whistling cheerily at the
lower bend. Polly stepped out on the
platform and peered up the track.
Yes, there was the familiar headlight
she would have known it among a
hundred. Then came the whistle
"Hello, Polly" and Polly ran back
into her Office much relieved and sat
down to warn Mercer. At that in
slant she heard a peculiar cracking
sound that sent her heart quivering
deep in her bosom. Then there was
the shrill scream of the locomotive
whistle, suddenly interrupted, as if
the hand that had drawn the lever
had been struck from its place. Polly
knew it was cry of distress. It
seemed to say "Help" in a long,
tremulous wall. Instantly Polly
darted outside and few up the track.
Already the express should have thun-
dered past the station, but she could
see its headlight a hundred yards or
more away. The train had stopped.
With hundred terrifying questions
flashing through her mind Polly ran
on through the gloom. When she was
almost within range of the big head
light she saw half-dozen armed men
swarming around the engine, she
heard fierce oaths, and then the en-
gine started up again. She saw in an
instant that it had been cut free from
the train. In the cab window, where
her father usually stood, there was o
big, unfamiliar figure, managing the
lever and throttle. Terrified, Polly
sprang to one side into clump of
bushes. AS the locomotive passed her
on its way up the track she saw that
the man in the cab wore black mask
on his face, and then she knew
what had happened. She understood
why Pinckney had tried to warn her
and then failed. Robbers had held up
the train and were preparing to rob
the express car.
For a moment Polly was torn with
doubt and terror. Had they shot her
father? She knew that he never
would submit to have his train cap
tured without struggle. Should she
go to him? Then she remembered her
station and the telegraph, and without
a moments delay she was flying down
the track toward the depot She would
send for help to Mercer. But squarely
in front of the little depot the locomo-
tive stopped and the black-masked
man sprung from the cab window and
darted across the platform. Hardly
thinking what she was doing, Polly
ran up ON the other side, the freman's
side of the engine, and, raising herself
up, peered into the cab. She had
half expected to see her fathers dead
body lying ON the floor, for she had
heard much about the terrible doings
of train-robbers.
Through the cab window she could
see the robber sitting at her own little
desk in the depot sending a message.
1t flashed over her all at once that he was
wiring Mercer that the express was
delayed, thus preventing any alarm.
The robber had pushed up his mask
and she saw him plainly.
What should she do? She dared
not enter the Office, and she, a mere
girl, could be of no service where the
robbers were making their attack on
the train. If only she had the little
revolver that lay in the drawer of her
desk-she set her teeth as she thought
what she would do with it.
At that moment three shots rang
out, clear and distinct, from the de-
tached train. The man at the tele-
graph instrument sprung to his feet
and ran to a side window in the wait
ing-room and looked up the track.
Now was her chance. Hardly think
ing what she did, Polly sprung to the
engineers side of the cab, threw back
the reverse lever and opened the
throttle steadily. The big steel wheels
began to turn, very slowly at first.
Farther and farther the throttle opened
and faster and faster turned the
wheels, and yet they did not go half
fast enough to suit Polly, who was
now glancing fearfully over her
shoulder.
Suddenly the depot door was thrown
open and she saw the robber dartiug
up the track. He had his pistol in
his ha2d. He was pointing it at her
and shouting for her to stop. But the
engine was now going at good speed,
and, run as he would, the robber
could not catch it, But he stopped
and fired, the bullet ripping through
the cab cover above Polly's head.
The engine was now tearing down
the track at full speed. Polly knew
that it must be fred or it would not go
far, and SO, leaving the throttle open
she sprang to the coal pit, flung Opeu
the fire hole, and with the heavy shovel
in her small white hands threw in load
after load of coal When she returned
TO her place she could see the first
signal light of Mercer already blinking
into view She pulled down on the
whistle cord and the engine shrieked
its distress.
Five minutes later Polly strained at
the heavy reverse lever. turned hard