Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-08-23

long. weary night watches. twice ne
oversight because his alarm had failed
him. so TO insure his "call' he had run
a wire from thc station clock 10 a bell
In his room at the hotel. BY an lngen-
ious connection when the hands mark
cd 11;4J the ringing OF the bell brought
him violently out Of the land Of
dreams. When Tom was promoted to
the shorter watch and went to live al
Mrs. J~ordan's, Bill Townsend. who sue.
ceeded him, fell heir TO his room and
"the devils own" rs Tom called the
bell. The clock was an imitation OF the
old fashioned. big faced, caselcss time
pieces. with weights and chains and a
long, heavy pendulum.
Twenty minutes late,'' he muttered.
The hour hand was less than two
Inches from the connection, but how
slowly It creptl If he could only move
that handl His knees were free. He
drew them up toward his chin, shot out
his legs and came to q sitting position.
Then. 10y a series OF short jumps and
bumps, he reached the wall. braced his
back against IL and, with great diGi-
Guilty, worked himself TO his feet. The
pendulum swung close to his ear, but
how could be reach the hand? Was
he to fail now2
His eyes quickly searched the room.
A few feet TO the right was the win.
dow. heavily barred, the torn shade
partly down. His glance rested on the
stick that weighted the latter, just
.-tuN - ..nrTI1 N.er hnnn navn him
new strength. Inch by inch he edged
himself along the wall to the shade,
caught the stick between his teeth and
sank quickly to the floor. He had sue
ceoded. The stick was torn loose from
Its himsy fastenings. Back again, up
and along the wall he worked until he
stood nearly under the clock. He turn
ed sidewise, raised his head until the
stick pointed at the hand, made n ter
rifle effort to reach it, failed, lost his
balance and fell heavily to the 1oor.
The bodily pain was nothing TO him,
but he groaned in anguish at the loss
of time. He looked Up. The clock
had stopped
The hands marked II. He could
reach the pendulum. It must be start.
ed. There was still a chance of more
delay. Again the struggle to regain
his feet, harder now because of his
growing weakness. Nearer and nearer
he crept to the mOtionless rod. A nod
Of his head would start 1t.
MY Godr he suddenly cried. "Why
didn't | think of it before? Is there
still tlmcy' And selling the heavy
brass disk at the end Of the pendulum
in his teeth he raised his head and de
tached It.
The rod, freed Of it's heavy weight
swung rapidly back and forward, i'm
pelllng the hands onward at a greatly
Increased rate Of speed. His eyes were
following the minute hand. He coulC
see it move, and the hour hand? Yes
1t was creeping along Toms strength
was going fast. He sank to his knee
and rolled over on the floor, but hi
> eyes were fixed on that hand. How
> long would It take to reach 11:45
! Closer and closer It crept. Now |
touched. the iron connection and moyet
slowly past ID The alarm had beef
sounded, but there were 10 minute
, MUIt uelbIt Dlu MOuiu hIiiNts II
strained his cars to catch the slightes
sound. The noise Of the storm was al
, that he could hear.
! Click, click, click came from the in
! strument-a message from Maysville
Twenty-slx had just passed. Maysyill,
was y minutes up the road-it mus
now be Ills. Tom tried to calculate
: the time since the hands started Of
their wild race. but his mind was
chaos Of mad thoughts. What II Bill
did not arrive In season? He role,
over on his face and waited for tn
worst.
, Tho door burst open.
"Hello, where are your 1t was Bill
a, voice.
stop 2G-hold up at Dykes siding
get mem But Btn was gone.
The red light flashed up the tract
aud 26, with n noisy grinding of wheel
and many jolts, came to n stop.
. posse was hastily formed, but whe
: the siding was reached nothing wa
I found but the open switch that meaI
: death and destruction.
The passengers and crew tried
i make Tom believe that he was n her
but he only pointed to the clock an
said:
: at was the DEVILS own Wave
" ley Magazine.