The Press., 1899-07-27

ing the lantern up ana down over MS
head Five pistol shots rung out sharp
~ above the noise of the train, the Ian
tern tumbled into the gully. and the
tramp fell forward across the track, the
engine coming to standstill within
two feet of his body.
Instantly clamor Of voices arose.
the engine pulled breathlessly, lights
flashed through the darkness, the ties
were examined, the lantern, the coat
and an empty pistol were rescued from
the gully, and the tramp was lifted by
dozen pairs of hands.
'sHe is dead' they cried ''Shot
dead Murdered by train wreckersl''
A young doctor elbowed his way
through the crowd. He was of tall,
commanding presence, and they fell
back before his authoritative voice.
snake way, therel'
He knelt down beside the tramp and
after a rapid examination said: "The
man isn't even seriously hurt. There is
only flesh wound in the hip. He has
tainted from fright.
Even as he spoke the tramp opened
his eyes, A young girl sat down and
took his shaggy head into her lap,
where he moved uneasily from time to
time as he told his story.
'He's real herol' cried the girl
"a brave, noble fellow, God bless
him. cried another woman.
A man held his brandy flask to the
tramp's lips and another shook his hand
heartily. The tramp seemed to hardly
understand it all. He blinked at them
stupidity, but chung to the brandy flask.
They carried him aboard the train,
and the engine backed slowly toward
the town, a mile away, and as the
tramp reclined upon velvet cushions,
surrounded by sympathetic faces, for
the first time in his life treated as an
equal, a man among men, strange,
new desires stirred vaguely in his
heart.
81 amt been nothin but no count
so fur" he thought, "but I'm mighty
glad could save 'em all, mighty glad. !"
"We will make up suitable reward
for that brave fellow, said an old gen
tleman, but the young doctor spoke up
| suddenly.
''See here! That man is fakel His
story is the thinnest I ever heard. say
he took up those rails and waved the
train in the hope of reward, shooting
himself to give weight to the story. Do
you think of five shots aimed straight
at a man only one would hit him and
infict slight flesh wound? And if he
feared the wreckers why didn't he
wave the train on the other side of the
Ior
that"
This was an indisputable fact, and
| the passengers began to comprehend the
| whole matter.
'He says he heard the two men at
o'clock, the young doctor went on
"Why. he could have gone to Fords-
vile and got posse to capture them in
that timel And he says he took the
lantern from farmhouse stable. Why.
he could have gone in and informed the
| farmerl Pshawl The thing couldn' be
palmer. He was after the reward. You
will be, lucky if you are not sent up for
this, old fellow"
The passengers laughed or were an
cry, according to their various temper
aments, while the tramp tried to I'M
derstand the meaning of the change in
their manner, but could not exactly
comprehend. Hadn't he saved the train
They took him to the hospital at
Fordsville, and later on the men whom
they had left behind came in to report
that they could not find the slightest
trace of the wreckers or any evidence
to prove the truth of the tramp's pre-
posterous story.
In the morning the young doctor
called at the hospital, and the nurse
who received him said: '"The man is
dead He died during the night of heart
disease. from the fright, suppose.
She showed him the bed, and they
both stood looking down on the still
form lying there.
"Well, he's gone to his reward, said
the doctor jocularly. Chicago News.