Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-05-06

van<aee Of you fellows ali right; be-
cause he's got the law on his side."
Fisk was about TO make some warm
reply, but l shook my head warningly
at him and the sheriff went on.
1T won't do to make him mad"
said. I'VE are in bad Ak, and 1t will
only make matters still worse to get the
officials down on us.
But" groaned Fisk, ito think what
a precious pair of fools we are"
Yes, it's pretty tough. old man." l
remarked, sadly. "All our money and
all our prospects gone at one sweep,
and all owing to the rascality of that
Gleason and our greenness.
Clayton" exclaimed a moment
later, springing up electrified with an
idea, bring me your rubber boots, and
step quick. too
He brought them wonderingly, and /
quickly slit open the legs and then
drew several circles upon the rubber
and began cutting them out with my
knife.
II guess this will work all right for
little while. II it does" cried, we
may give them the slip yet. Break up
that old tar barrel and stick 1t into the
fire box. II l can get the cylinder to
hold its steam, I'll bet five to four that
we can out-travel that apology of a
morse the sheriff had"
Not breath of air was stirring, and
the dense black smoke from the burn
ing tar barrel rose from our funnel per-
pendicularly in the clear morning sun
shine, giving our pursuers an inkling
of our intentions before they could
have otherwise imagined it possible for
us to escape. The smoke could be plain
ly seen at Fort Scott, which was about
three miles away. ] soon had the pack
ing 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 rise before we could start,
and it seemed as IL the indicator never
moved SO slowly before. II we could
only get back over the line into Mis-
souri,, the laws there would protect us
and we would save the Comic. Only
twelve miles lay between us and the
border line-could we reach it before
they overlook us?
The gauge showed 100 pounds pres
sure. / ran the governor belt off so that
we could travel to the full capacity of
our power without being automatically
checked; then l pulled open the throt-
tie. and the next moment we were roll
Ing out across the open prairie toward
in a race with the stake
81 200.
The Comic did nobly. With roar
like small thunder she belched up huge
clouds of back smoke and steam, and
fairly quivered with the full pressure
upon her, as she rolled along Now and
then we ran afoul line of barked
wire fence, but we tore through it like
4 network of Irvine.
! looked back just after we had got
we'll started and saw on knoll about
\ mile back the pursuing party-three
If them-the sheriff and two men with
him in his buggy, and their horses at
/ run, and then 1 opened the throttle
little wider. 1t was now all question
If speed-if they overlook us before we
reached the State line they might take
is and the machine, too; If, however,
we crossed first, we would be beyond
heir jurisdiction, and they could not
serve the Attachment. One. two, four
niles 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 holding our own against them.
Eight miles we had travelled now, and
was beginning to feel pretty highly
,lated over the success of our scheme,
when l heard Fisk utter cry of dis
nay.
The Goals all gone!" he exclaimed.
1t was true, for, in the excitement,
lad not noticed it's rapid depletion,
Until now, and not more than four or
i've shovelfuls remained. This new ca
amity almost stunned us both for a
we might be able to
make 1t hold out-but / doubted 1t
greatly. Ten miles-the coal was all
zone now, and emptied one of the oil
ans into the fire box to keep up the
team, and then we began to break up
lie woodwork about the tender.
Eleven miles--only one mile more
low and we would save the Comic, but
he last stick of fuel was gone even to
he last splinter, and ] could see that
he speed was already beginning to
lacken down.
The sheriff seemed to notice that we
we're beginning to slacken up little,
or he now laughed and rose to his feet |
nd stood upright in the buggy and be-
an to urge his almost exhausted horse
m with shouts and free use of the
Whip. The light vehicle. swayed and
lunged about from side to side as the |
Iorse broke into headlong gallop, |
While the two men hung desperately on
s the horse plunged frantically for
ward, still urged by the whip and the |
urious shouts of the sheriff. They were |
apidly overtaking us now, and the |
ionic was lost unless we gould manage |
n some way to keep up the steam few
longer / looked back and |