Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-07

pluck and spirits of the whole train
load had gone up at bound in tile
consciousness that that cool headed
gritty cN-regular was at the front to
take command. Hunt had brought his
fieldglass, and despite the jar and jolt
as the huge engine clanked along over
the elastic roadbed Langdon searched
the prairie ceaselessly while the con-
ductor kept track of the mileposts.
1--WE twist and turn every which way
five miles farther on" shouted the lat
ter into Langdon's ear. "That bluff
ahead there marks the end of this tan
gent. Then we follow the creek n piece
and then make q streak cross country
at the big bend"
"Any deep cuts there?' shouted
Langdon in reply, hanging to the iron
bar with hooked arm and still peer
ing through the binocular.
-Four or five. Why"
"Thats where We'll find 'em. They'll
run the train into cut for protection.
line the banks on both sides and stand
off the Sioux till help comes If they
can. Signal full speed to the engineer,
will you? He can slow down again at
the bend"
moment more and the huge ma
chine seemed rushing through space
and the two men ut the pilot bent dou-
Bile and hung on for dear life. Five
minutes brought them once more along
the banks of the stream and close to
the frowning bluffs. Watch themw
signaled Langdon, pointing to the
crests and leaning far out from the
side of the engine, now reducing speed
The sergeant, clamping his campaign
hat to his head, nodded, Il under
stand"
The bluffs were but the shoulder of
high ridge through which long centu-
ries before the stream had torn its
way. 1t hid like a curtain the spread
ing landscape beyond. 1t might be
hiding hundreds of lurking warriors,
but Langdon believed that though
few wary scouts would be thrown out
to give warning of coming troops the
main body of savages were clustered
close about the beleaguered train. He
had never before been brought into
contact with mounted Indians, but had
had long talks with comrades well
schooled in border warfare and felt
sure of his ground. From what he
could gather he believed that several
old Indian fighters from the westward
stations must be on that train and rea-
soned that they would make their de-
fensive stand where the cars could be
sheltered and they themselves, the de-
Tenders, be partially covered by the
sides of the cut. He was reasonably
certain that they could there hold out
for his coming.
And now as they sweep cautiously
round the long curve at the foot of the
bluff and see before them four miles
ahead up the distant slope of the divide
the jagged seam Of spaded earth and
the black shadows of the snow fence
and realize that all that stretch of
winding grade must be overcome be-
fore they can hope for sight of the be-
sieged Langdon's heart throbs like the
massive engine straining ut its burden
Hit her up again, Jimmyw shouts the
conductor, his hands forming speak
ing tube. The fireman is thrusting coal
by the shovelful into the SETTLING fur
mace. lnky smoke jets from the stack
and streams tailward over the train.
NO hiding our coming, capt" yells the
conductor, with Il backward and up
ward glance. Langdon shakes his
head. They've spotted us long before
this" Is the answer. Again the speed
Increases despite reverse curves that
hug the bank like the convolutions of a
snake. Jim is gathering Roadway for
the climb. Fitting far toward the
stream, the black demon in the lead,
skins the shining concave of the rails
under low line of heights to the left.
the wary eyes of crouching sharpshoot-
ers in the tender. Then the steel road
way curves inboard again and whirls
them around projecting nose of bluff,
and still Jim's hand never winces at
the throttle, and under almost full
pressure the huge drivers tear at the
track, the cleaning rods flash at rae
Ing speed, spinning like fire wheels,
while in the swaying car behind men
cling to seat arms or are hurled from
side to side in the fury of the chase.
Now comes a long mile of easy grade
as the line leaves the narrow river and
begins the climb of the distant crest,
and, like a black meteor, the Big
Horns powerful Baldwin shoots across
the straining trestle over shallow RI.
vine and spins away in headlong dash,
a dense volume of inky smoke and
binding dust whirling and billowing
In its wake. Now the snow fence to
the north shuts out the landscape on
the right flank. Now through low
waves of prairie the pilot tears away.