The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-15

he expected that little book to save his
life some day.
However upon this particular occasion
he elected to fOrtify himself with a 40, re-
gardless of what the trainmen might
think about it. 1t was a dark, driZzling
night, and, although the train was light,
MalOney found ii almost impossible to
make running time. The helper he had up
the hill was makeshift, in the shape
OF leaky old work engine, and they
! gained the summit 80 minutes late. Now
however, he had them on his side of the
/ slope and was slamming them up against
! the curves where the road wound around
among the sand hills in Way that con-
WINGED the passengers that he was not
afraid of being tagged.
number of the passengers had re-
NAMED in the smoking rooms of the sleep
ing cars determined to keep awake until
they had passed the point where the tram
had been tagged the night before. The
conductor had assured them they would
be able to see nothing but silence at Soil
tude, but they were curious, as most men
are. and refused to go TO bed.
Finally, there was long, mournful
blast of the whistle and when the sound
had died away in the desert, the conduc-
tor picked no his white light, said Soil
tube, and stepped out on the rear plat
form. Three or four men followed him.
but all they could see was the dripping
railing, the chain across the rear end of
the car, the wet bell rope fastened to the
around them.
But what Maloney saw would nave
turned their hair gray. 1t was a regura-
ton red light but it was not being han
died by car hand, and MaIone,y deter
mined TO disregard it. AT any otner time
he would have stopped, but a precedent
had been established. An engineer had run
past signal at his very siding the night
before and had been voted a great head;
so Maloney only whistled looked sharp
and let them go.
IS why they had broken the switch bride
and opened the switch al the far end of
the siding. Maloney half expected this
and the moment his headlight shone upOn
the leaning target he shut off, reversed
and applied the air brakes full upon the
whirring wheels.
A moment later the big black engine
shot off in the desert, turned half over
on her left side, caught the fireman and
crushed him to death Maloaey thrown
through the cab window, houndered in
the adobe mud for a few seconds and
was on his feet again. So we'll had he
performed his duty that all the cars ex--.
cept the mail, express and smoker re-
mained upon the rail. The express car
was what the robbers wanted. but 1T fIas
driven high upon the mail car. which was
resting on the tail of the tank Maloney. 4
boiling with rage felt for his hook of
rules. Ut was there all right but there
was no light to read by and like enough /
there was no rule 10 cover urgent emer-
gencies, such as now confronted him
The only rule he could call to MIND was
ire one ct the bottom of the time yard:
= In case of doubt, take the safe side
and Maloney felt for his gun. In the gen
7ral CONFUSION IL had dropped down into
rs overalls. but he fished II out ard an
preached the wreck. The oil box. a.
which the supplies were carried had been
AIRED loose and driven up against the
-rnace door When It had been there a
eW seconds the oil gnited and instantly
he whole interior of the wrecked engine
an was afiame- When the flash came n
moved Maloney face to face with the two
,2ooers- Being quick and cool. the en-
-.neer raised MS revolver and blazed
way at one of the men, and the robber
nlef was left without follower RrIt
ven as MalcDey pressed the trigger the
esperduo neid his own gun close to the
nglneers breast and let CO. The CON
t ugeor ana passengers who were now hur-
ying up from the rear, saw the murder
US weapon pointed straight al Malonev,s
cart and made no doubt but that he
5ould be dead in an instant But when
ne gun went off the big engineer -onlv4 ,
taggered, clapped his left hand over his !
I'd, slrt ana blazed away at the robber
NE Spectacle of man shot through the ,
eafa still showing fight seemed to fill the
audit with terror, and being a coward 9
many of these fellows are he turned T
nd dashed away into the darkness. while 7
laloney. still holding his hand to his left G
here the robber ran. +
In the glare of the light Maloney opened : 5
IS shirt to look for the bullet hole. and f
lere was only a big red spot over his s
sarf Closing his shirt, he examined mis- G
mper, pulled his book of rules out. and b
,ver- h
That did the business" said the en- Il
nser as the conductor aDproa ched. It
Id you that book would be the SAVING n
my life some day" And then they
c1'ted to put out the fire. is