Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-11

gage car at the bottom of the river as on
| my hands any longer
There was some sharp footing. then the
| McWilliams special backed; backed away
across the meadow. halted, and screamed
| hard enough tC wake the dead. George
| was trying to warn the section men. AT
| that instant the door of the baggage car
| opened and a sharp-featured young man
| peered out.
Whats the row-what's all this screech-
Ing about. conductor?' he asked, as Fran
| els passed.
Bridge burning ahead there"
Bridge burning!' he cried, looking ner-
vously forward. We'll. that's a deal.
What you going to do about it?''
| ''McWilliams? l wish L was for just one
minute. I'm one of his clerks"
Where is he?"
Il left him on La Sale street yesterday
afternoon
What's your name?"
Just plain Ferguson
We'll, Ferguson, it's none of my bust
ness, but as long as were going to put you
into Denver or into the river in about a
minute, I'm curious to know what the
blaZes you're hustling along this way for
Me? I've got twelve hundred thousand
dollars in gold coin in this for the Sierra
Leone National Bank-thats ALL Didn'
you know that five big banks there closed
their doors yesterday? Worst panic in the
United States. That's what I'm here for,
and five huskies with me eating and sleep
ing in this car" continued Ferguson, look
ing ahead You're not going to tackle
that bridge, are you?"
I'VE are. and right off. If there's any of
your huskies want to drop out, now's their
chance, said Pat Francis, as Sinclair slow
ed up for his run
Ferguson called his men The five with
their rifles came cautiously forward
BOYS, said Ferguson, briefly. There's
a bridge af1re ahead. These guys are going
to try to run it. It's not in your contract
IN
off? l stay with the specie, myself. You
can DO exactly as you please Murray.
what do you say?" he asked, addressing The
leader Of the force who appeared to weigh
about 26O WIS -
What do I say" echoed Murray. with
decision, as he looked for a soft place to
alsht alongside the track. Il say ri drop
OUT OUT Tignt mere. l don't mind train robbers.
Know 1t, and he jumped off.
wen, Peaters,' asked Ferguson of the
second man. coolly. do you want to stay?"
-, NE: echoed Peaters. looking ahead at
lhe mass or flames leaping upward-"me
stay: Well, not in a thousand years. You
can nave my gun, Mr. Ferguson, and send
my check to 439 Milwaukee avenue, if You
piease; Gentlemen, good-day." And off
went Peaters
AND off went every last man of the valor-
Gus detectives except one lame fellow who
said he would just as lief be dead as alive
anyway, and declared he would stay with
Ferguson and die rich.
Sinclair, thinking he might never get an
other chance, was whisting sharply for or
ders. Francis, breathless with the news
ran forward.
Coin? How much? Twelve hundred
thousand. Whew!'' cried Sinclair. Swing
up, Pat. We're off,
FEi,.,e-NiGe gattn.::.szs nefseje WITH q
spring. Even the engineers heart quailed
as they got Roadway. He knew his bust
ness, and he knew that if only the rails
nadnt buckled they were perfectly safe.
ior the heavy truss would stand a lot of
burning before giving way under a swiftly
moving train. Only as they flew nearer
the blaze rolling up in dense volume looked
horribly threatening. After all, it was fool
nardy, and he felt it; but he was past the
stopping now, and he pulled the choker to
the limit. 1t seemed as il she never COW
cred steel SO fast. Under the head she now
had the cracking bridge was less than five
hundred--four hundred-three hundred-two
hundred feet. and there was no longer time
to think With a stare. Sinclair shut off,
He wanted no push or pull on the track
The McWflliams special was just tremen-
dous arrow. shooting through a truss of
fire. and half dozen speechiess men on
either side OF the river waiting for the ca
tastrophe.
Jerry MacElroy- crouched low under the
gauges. Sinclair jumped from his box and
stood with hand on the throttle and
hand on the air. the glass crashing around
his head like hail. A blast of fiery air and
flying cirsders burned and choked him. The
engine, alive with danger. flew like great
Monkey along the writing steel So quick,