Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-11-01
Course you. let go!" he cried.
Not l." ! shouted back.
Then take lhat'" he renlipd


the sharp point as it entered my flesh.
That only gave Inc redoubled fury. Re-
Nasing my grip on his collar. l gave
his 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 a feint of rushing past him,
and had tripped him up with heavy
backt hrow with my right arm and leg
IA dodge which had picked up during
a holiday at Cornwall. He fell. with
an OATH striking the back of his head
against he rail. and lay here, 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 distinctions from the metals and
secure my prisoner. I wanted light
on the scene. Hastily l dashed down
the embanllment. 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-
firmly across the metals with 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-plate
OF the engine and wreck the works,
/ The third sleeper [ removed. Then
4 e, L. 1,,l
/ about to use. and tied the wretch's
arms behind him. flashing his feet to-
| gether also. Having disposed of him.
| 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 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 toe
much time to find it in the long grass
of the embankment. With horror ]
I glanced ahead. There, in the dis
Z
the approaching train. How could
stop it?
AS I asked myself this question !
felt something warm trickling from
my left arm. | turned my lantern on
it. Blood-dripping red blood from
the knife-wound, which l 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,
quickly applied it to my arm. In
three or four seconds it was sat urated
with blood.
I glanced ahead again. Oh. those
lights. They We're only about half a
mile from me now.
Hastily l folded the dripping hand
kerchief twice or thrice. and stretched
it across the face of my bicycle lamp.
Eurella l held in my hand red
light!
Stumbling, running, leaping,
rushed toward the train. waving my
eNtemporized dangers signal frantical
~ as l did so. The headlights CLEANED
brighter and brighter. the roar be
came nearer and nearer. Would they
never stop? -Ah. \ whistle. A shriel,
in the night as of a startled Wild ami
NAL. And then a rasping and a graf
ing of brake blocks. a stream of flying
sparks from the rails as the wheel:
dragged along them. a glare of light
in my very face. ard 4 hoarse voice
from the foot-plate.
whats up thereo Dye k:2ow you're
stopping the Silkminster express"o'
"Thank God | have.' | answered
And then for few minutes all wa!
black-the excitement and the los
of blood were too much for me. Whel
| came to there was a crowd of pas
sengers around me, and they gave III.
some stmulant.
"Have they got him??" l asked.
Got him: Aye. We've got him.
said the guard, "and we won't let him
go in bury.
They got my machine from the road
and l travelled in a frst-c,ass car
rage back 10 Si.kmnster The Kind
~ guard. who had a knowledge Of am
bulance work. had bound up m
wound. which was Il Very slight one
One Of my travelling companions. Gu
riously enough was Il director Of TIL
line, and to him told the story hos
| had captured the train wrecker II
congratulated me heartily. and toll
me that the company would certainl
pay NE the reward.
Excuse me- I said, "but may as
for it at orce-that IS, within thi
fortnight? The truth is that tn
money is a godsend to ne 1t Wi
save me from ruin
, And it did. A week afterward I wa
able to walk into the partners' otfic
with my books properly balanced. Nj
Marsh shook me by the hand.
"We will not ask he said. for an
explanation of the mistake or how
I has been rectified. We only trust tina
our method Of dealing with YOU wi
l prevent such mistake from ever OF
Z curing again. for i'm that case nc