The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-11-02


q managed to get ii one good blow
under his guard with my left hand,
which caught him square on the jaw
and with my right hand seized him
by the collar. Il. ssS SIS: VI
.'Curse you, let goi = he cried.
'..Not ], 2 i shoute back. e
Then take that! Y he replied.
There was glitter Of steel as he
raised his right hand aloft and struck
at my breast. But was too quick for
him. Half-turning the blow aside,
caught it on the left forearm. I felt
the knife slip under my sleeve, and
the sharp point as it entered my flesh.
That only gave me redoubled fury. Re-.
leasing my grip on his COLLAR gave
his right elbow an upward blow, that
sent the knife spinning away ont Of his
hand right down the embankment. and
the next instant / had lodged to the
left, made q feint of rushing. past him,
and had tripped him up with heavy
back-throw with my right arm and leg
IA dodge which had picked up during
8 holiday st Cornwall. He fell, with
an oath, striking the back Of his head
against the rail, and lay there. stunned,
like log. The battle was mine!s
But there was more to be- done, and
no time to be lost. I had to remove
the distractions from the metals and
secure my prisoner. 7 wanted light.
on the scene. Hastily 1 dashed down
the embankment,. took off my bicycle
lamp, and hurried back again. Then I
saw the extent Of his devilment.
He had managed to get three old
sleepers, which were probably lying
by the side of the track awaiting re-
moval Two of these he had dashed
firmly across the. metals, with . space
Of about q couple of feet between.
The third he had been. in the act Of
securing between them, pointing at
an angle toward the train, so that
it would catch under the bed-plate
of the engine, and wreck: the works.
The third sleeper removed. Then
took the piece Of rope he had been
about to use, and tied the wretch's
arms behind him, flashing his feet to-
gether Also Having disposed of him,
I was turning my attention to the
other two sleepers, when an ominous
roar in the distance, in the. direction
of London, startled me. A train was
coming! With q yell of despair, I set
to work at those ropes. It was no
use. I could not undo them in time.
I felt in my pockets no! I had left
my knife at home. All! there was the
train-wrecker's weapon! Where was
it? Alas! it would have. taken me too
much time to find it In the long grass
of the embankment. With horror I
glanced ahead. There, in the dis
lance, were two cleaning lights Of
the approaching train. How could I
stop it? =
As I asked myself this question I
felt something warm trucking from
my left arm. I turned my lantern on
it. Blood-dripping red blood from
the knife-wound, which + had forgot
ten. - ,.f-'''@ : g. .
All! An inspiration. And with .
prayer that. 1t might not be too late,
I proceeded to put it into execution.
Drawing out my handkerchief, I
quickly applied it to my arm. In
three or four seconds it was saturated
with blood. " - = /: -
I glanced ahead again. Oh! those
lights! They were only about half a
mile from me now. -. -. =
Hastily I folded the dripping hand
kerchief twice or thrice, and stretched
it across the face of my bicycle lamp.
Eureka! I held in my hand a red
light! .
Stumbling, running. ! !le.ping,
rushed toward the train, waving my
extemporized danger-slgnal frantical.
" as did so. The headlights cleaned
brighter and brighter, the roar be.
came nearer and nearer. Would they
never stop? All! A whistle. A shrek
in the night as Of startled wild ami.
NAL. And then a rasping and q ,grat.
ing of brake-blocks, a stream Of ying
sparks from the rails as the wheels
dragged along them, q glare Of light
in my very face, and q hoarse voice
from the foot-plate. =. =,
"What's up there? Dye kzow you're
stopping the silkminster express ?"
'.Thank. God I .have!'' / answered.
And then for a few minutes all wa,
black-the excitement and the losi
Of blood were too much for me. Wher
I came to there was a crowd of pas
sengers around me, and they gave m.
some stimulant. = ~
"Have they got him?" asked
Got him? Aye, we've got him.
said the guard, land we won't let hin
60 in a hurry. y. ..,- 3.
They got my machine from the road
and I travelled in flrst-class car
rage back to Silkminster.k The kind
~ guard, who had = knowledge Of am
I bulance work, had bound up m,
wound; which was, 3 very slight one
One Of my travelling companions, Gu
riously enough, was director of tn
line, and to. hint told the story how
4 I had captured the train wrecker. III
congratulated me heartily, and toll,
me that the company would certainl,
pay me the reward. 81 .s Is 4.
Excuse me-, : said but me7 I .asl
\ for It at once that ls.fwithin thi
/ fortnight? The truth lis that til
money 80 ~ godsend to me. It vii
save me from ruin. !" 81 IS
And itsdid. a week afterward I va
able to walk into the partners, onic
! with my books properly balanced. NJ
Marsh shook me by the hand: essS
I'VE will not a SKI he said !, for an