The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-06-04
WE'D THE TRAIN.
t3EEEE3 EE.4Es 3ls4sllE "a Es3sssalEFss3s q Eel Ell EElEEEIH q

should be whlstling cheerlly 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 II among a hun
dred. Then came the whistle. Hello.
Pollyr' and Polly ran back into her
office much relieved. and sat down to
warn Mercer. At that instant she heard
Il peculiar cracking sound that sent
her heart %quivering deep in her bosom.
Then there was the shrill scream of the
locomotive whistle. suddenly interrupt
ed as If the hand that had drawn the
lever had been struck from Its place.
Polly knew 1t was n cry of distress.
IL seemed to say Help in n long,
tremulous wall. Instantly Polly dart
ed outside and flew up the track. Al
ready the express should have thnn-
dered past the station, but she could
see Its headlight "A hundred yards or
more away.
With n 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 a dozen armed men
swarmlng around the engine, she heard
fierce oaths, and then the engine start
ed mp again. She saw In an instant
that IL had been nj free from the train.
In the cab window, where her father
usually stood, there was a big, unfa-
mlliar figure managing the lever and
throttle. Terrified Polly sprang to one
side into a clump Of bushes. As the
locomotive passed her on It's way up
the track she saw that the man In the
cab wore a black mask on his face, and
then she knew what had happened.
She understood why Pinekney had
tried to warn her and failed. Robbers
had held up the train and were pre-
pairing TO rob the express car.
For a moment Polly was torn with
doubt and terror. Had they shot her
fatherY She knew that be never would
submit TO have his train captured with
ont "A 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 locomotive stopped,
and the black masked mar sprang from
the cab window and darted across the
platform. Hardly thinking what she
was doing, Polly ran up on the other
slde-the fireman'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 ter
rible 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.
IL flashed over her all at onee 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 doi She dared not
enter the office, and she. n mere girl,
could be of no service where the rob
bers were making their attack on the
train. II only she had the little revol-
yer 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 lstinct, from the detached
train. The man at the telegraph in
strument sprang to his feet and ran to
a side window In the waiting room and
looked up the track.
Now was her chance. Hardly think
ink what she did Polly sprang to the
engineers cab, threw back the reverse
lever and opened the throttle steadily.
The big steel wheels began to turn,
very slowly at first. Farther and far
tber 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 CHANGING fearfully
over her shoulder.
Suddenly the depot door was thrown
open, and she saw the robber dartlng
M the track. He had a pistol In his
hand. He was pointing 1t 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 moi catch
IT, but he stopped and fired, the bullet
ripping through the cab over Polly's
head.
The engine was now tearing down
the track at full speed. Polly knew
that 1t must be fred or 1t would not 90
far, and so, leaving the throttle open,
she sprang to the coal pit, flung open
the firehole, and with the heavy shovel
IN her small white hands threw In load
after load Of coal. When she returne,
to her place she coul6 see the first sig
nal light of Mercer already blinking
into view. She pulled down on the
whistle cord and the engine shrleked
Its distress.
Five minutes later Polly strained al
the heavy reverse lever, turned hard
on the airbrake and brought the grea,
iron horse to a sudden standstill. How
she ever managed to stammer the story
she never knew, but In a few minutes
the engine. was headed back with Q
half dozen armed men aboard OF her
Behind them came another load OF mer
on a switch engine and two men were
racing up the street OF Mercer calling
the alarm.
They heard the firing before they
reached Kane Greek, but II ceased sooI
afterward. The robbers had gone
They had taken with them much plum
der from the passengers, but they hat
not been able to get into the express