The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-11-15
"Curse you, let go!" he cried.
"Not l." Ishouted back.
Then take that!" he replied

HIM. hHll-tufnlIlR lne DlOW dSiue, !
caught it on the left forearm. l felt
the knife slip under my sleeve, and
the sharp point as il entered my flesh
That only gave me redoubled fury. Re-
leasing my grip on his collar, | gave
e Gs right elbow an upward blow, that
sent the knife spinning away out of his
hand right down the embankment, and
the next instant / had lodged to the
left, made n feint of rushing past him,
and had tripped him up with heavy
back-throw with my right arm and leg
"a dodge which | had picked up during
holiday at Cornwall. lie fell, with
an oath, striking the back of his head
against the rail- and lay there, stunned,
like log. The battle was mine!
But there was more to be done, and
no time to be lost. I had to remove
the obstructions from the metals and
secure my prisoner. / wanted light
on the scene. Hastily dashed down
the embankment, took off my bicycle
lamp. and hurried back again. Then
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 lashed
firmly across the metals, with n space
of about 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-plato
of the engine and wreck the works.
The third sleeper I removed. Then l
took the piece of rope he had been
about to use, and tied the wretch's
arms behind him, lashing his feet to-
gether also. Having disposed of him,
l 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 a yell of despair, set
to work at those ropes. 1t was nc
use. | could not undo them in time.
/ felt in my pockets-no, / 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 |
glanced ahead. There, in the dis
tance, were two cleaning lights of
the approaching train. How could I
stop it?
AS | asked myself this question I
felt something warm trickling from
my left arm. | turned my lantern on
it. Blood-dripping red blood from
the knife-wound, which | had forgot
ten.
All! An inspiration. And with a
prayer that it might not be too late,
! 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
mile from me now.
Hastily folded the dripping hand
kerchief twice or thrice, and stretched
it across the face of my bicycle lamp
Eureka! l held in my hand red
light!
stumbling, running. leaping, I
rushed toward the train, waving nv
danger-signal 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 n graf
ing of brake-b blocks, stream of flying
sparks from the rails as the wheels |
dragged along them, glare of light
in my very face, and hoarse voice
rom the footrplate.
whats up there? Dye know you're |
stopping the Silkminster express?"
"Thank God have!" | answered.
And then for few minutes all was
excitement and the loss |
If blood were too much for me. When |
came to there was crowd of pas |
'engers around me, and they gave me |
iome stimulant.
Have they got him?" / asked.
SCOT him? Aye. we've got him."
aid the guard, "and we won't let him
70 in a hurry. \
They got my machine from the road.
md | Travelled in frst-cass car
'iage back to Silkminster. The kind |
y guard, who had knowledge of am
'ulance work, had bound up my
wound, which was very slight one
)ne of my travelling companions. GU
iously enough, was director of the
inc, and to him l told the story how
had captured the train wrecker. He
congratulated me heartily, and told
ne that the company would certainly
'ay me the reward
Excuse me-" l said, "but may | ask
or it at once-that is, within this
ortnight? The truth is that the
money is a godsend to me- 1t will
ave me from ruin
And it did. A week afterward | was
BILE to walk into the partners Office
With my books properly balanced. Mr..
larsh shook me by the hand.
"We will not ask he said, "for anv
xplanation of the mistake or how il