The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-03
The Wild Race
For L8 ROi Mine

Hold cried his tormenter, "do you
know that you are about to lay violent
hands upon an officer o the law
No" said the engineer ''but I'll lay
n violent foot up agin the crown-sheet
o Your trousers if you don't jump
The man jumped.
Now the chief dispatcher came from
the station, stole along the SHADOW side
Of the car and spoke to the man who
had ordered the train.
A deputy sheriff climbed up on the
rear end of the special, tried the door,
shaded his eyes and endeavored to look
into the car.
Have you the running orderSY" asked
the man who was paying for the enter
tainment.
Yes"
Let her go, then"
All this was in a low whisper, and
now the dispatcher climbed up on the
freman's side and pressed bit of
crumpled tissue paper into the drivers
| hand.
Pull out over the switches slowly
/ and when you are clear of the yards
read your orders an fly
The driver opened the throttle gently
| the big wheels began to revolve, and the
next moment the sheriff and one of his
| deputies boarded the engine. They de-
manded to know where that train was
| bound for.
The train" said the driver, Juggling
at the throttle. lis back there ut the sta
ton. I'm goin' to the roundhouse.'
When the sheriff, glancing back. saw
that the coach had been cut off he swung
himself down.
They've gin it up said the depu-
ty.
II rec1on-w what's that?'' said the
sheriff. 1t was the wild. long whistle
of the lone black engine just leaving
the yards. The two officers faced each
other and stood listening 10 the fiutter
of the straight stack of the black racer
as she responded to the touch of the
erStwhile drowsy driver, who was at
that moment laughing at the high sher-
iff, and who would return to tell of it,
and gloat in the streets of Spokane.
, The sheriff knew that three of the
men for whom he held warrants We're
at Hitler, seven miles on the way 10
Canada. This engine. then, had been
sent TO pick them up and bear them
away over the border. An electric line
paralleled the steam way to Hitler, and
now the sheriff boarded a trolley and
set sail TO capture the engine. leaving
one deputy to guard the special car.
By the time the engineer got the wa
ter worked out of his cylinders the
trolley was creeping MP beside his tank.
He saw the flash from the Wire above
as the car. nodding and dipping like
light boat in the wake OF a ferry,
shot beneath the cross wires, and knew
instantly that she was after him.
An electric car would not be blowing
through the gloom at that rate without
ray of light merely for the fun of the
thing. A smile of contempt curled the
lip Of the driver as he cut the reverse
lever back TO the first notch, put on the
injector and opened the throttle yet a
little wider
The two machines were running al
most neck and neck now. The trolley
cried, Missed and spit fire in her mad
effort to pass the locomotive. A few
stray sparks went ont of the engine
stack and fell upon the roof of the rae
ing car. At intervals Of half a minute
the fireman opened the furnace door.
and by the flare Of light from the white
hot fire box the engine driver could see
the men on the teetering trolley-the
motorrnan. the conductor, the sheriff
and his deputy.
Slowly now the black flyer began to
slip away from the electric machine.
| The driver. smiling across the glare
of the furnace door at his silent, sooty
| companion. touched the throttle again
and the great engine drew away from
| the trolley, as a jack rabbit who has
been fooling with a yellow dog passes
swiftly out Of reach of his silly yelp.
| Now the men on the trolley heard the
wild, triumphant scream of the iron
horse, whistling for Hitler. The three
directors of LIE Roi had been warned
| by wire and were waiting, ready to board
| the engine.
| The big wheels had scarcely stopped
| revolving when the mem began 10 get
on. They had barely begun to turn
] again when the trolley dashed into
| Hitler. The sheriff leaped to the ground
| and came running for the engine. The
| wheels slipped and each passing sec
ond brought the mighty hand of the
| law, now outstretched, still nearer 70
the tail Of the tank. She was moving
now, but the sheriff was doing bet
ter. Ten feet separated the pursued
and the pursuer. She slipped again and
the sheriff caught the corner of the
| engine TANK. by THIS time T1le uFNtE
had got the sand running and now as
the wheels held the rail the big engine
bounded forward, almost shaking the
sheriff loose. With each turn of the
wheels the speed was increasing. The
sheriff held on, and in three or four
seconds he was taking only about two
steps between telegraph poles, and then
--he let go.
III.