The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-09
A COAST FOR LIFE
Down a Mountain Side to Save a
Treasure Train.


slowly out The s''pusher" engine that
had assisted it up the steep grade to
the top of the divide painted hoarse
good bye as IL stood for a moment be-
fore making the return trip.
Casey, the fireman of the pusher.
up to the tiny station, where a bright
eyed box of is was eagerly watching
his approach.
Here, Martin" he said to the young
ster. there's three dollars. Alton says this
is the last lot he wants before Christ
mas. He's got enough now to keep
him going till after the holiday trade"
Casey handed over the money with
smile, and in answer to a call from
his engineer, swung back to the cab,
and the heavy mountain climbing en-
CINE began to slide slowly back down
the steep incline.
The Carson divide was the steepest
grade on the NJ. & p. From Carson to
the top Of the divide 1t was a five-mile
climb, with every foot of the roadway
on an angle On the other side the road
sloped more gently toward the West,
and the Overland already was well
| down toward the valley. Carson was
the division headquarters. and twice
a day Casey and the 'pusher" came up
to the Divide station. and then slid
back to the division headquarters at
| Carson.
Martin Livingston gazed after the
engine as it gradually diminished in the
distance, and just a trace of tears
yelled his eyes. He was not crying.
but he still lacked IS so of the SIS that
he needed to make a trip to Denver to
| spend Christmas with his aunt.
Perched on top of the mountain. he
| did not have the opportunities afforded
other boys to earn money, and his only
income had been derived from the sale
| of mineral specimens.
These he gathered around the sta
ton, and the obliging Casey sold them
| in Carson to Alton. who had them
made up into inkstands and match
| safes to sell to the tourists. Now there
was no chance of getting any more
money from Alton till after Christmas,
| and to the motherless boy this real
| Christmas had been looked forward to
ever since the preceding spring, when
the elder Livingston had promised that
he could go If he could earn the money
A pass he might obtain from the super
| intendent, but money was needed for
clothes and little things. There was
mortgage to pay on a little home back
east, and money could not be spared
out of the station agents meager SAL
airy for such luxuries as store bought
| en-" clothing.
Finally the engine slid around Death
Bend, the sharpest curve in the road
and with shake Martin pulled him
self together.
Guess it's no Denver this time
Pop" he called as cheerfully as he
could. Casey just gave me So, but
that only makes $3.50. and Alton says
he don't want any more specimens till
after Christmas. Guess I'll go out and
see II I can't shoot some meat" he
added, as he took his light shotgun
from it's pegs and started out of the
open door.
The afternoon sun shone coldly on
the bleak landscape, touching the
peaks up the range with a chill silvery
light. The sparse underbrush cracked
dryly under foot as he tramped away,
and he was soon lost to view.
Luck was not good that day, APP
parently. There was no game in sight
for a long time, and when finally he did
almost dark, and he was three miles
from home.
The lights from the combined station
and living shack shone out brilliantly
and invitingly as he approached, but
to his surprise three forms were sill
houetted against the unshuttered win
dows.
1t had been months since the shack
had been Inhabited by any save him
self and his father, and there had been
talk of desperadoes along the line. He
made his way cautiously to the window
and peeped in.
One glance was enough His father
was bound in his chair and was appar-
emily answering queries with the tele-
graph instrument while a big ruffian
| with a revolver stood over him. Two
other men moved around getting sup
per from the agents scanty larder. APP
parently all felt too well assured Of
safety to post guard.
For a little while Martin stood lis
tening to their conversation through
the half-open window, until their plans
were clear to him.
Carson was the center of a mining
district and an exceptionally large ship
ment Of gold was to be sent to Dem
yer that evening on special train
| consisting of an engine and two cars.
There would be only the one engine
| crew to overpower and then the train
could be run on the siding and sent
down grade to the old Montezuma
mine. This was two miles up narrow
gulch, and by the time the gold had
| been gotten out OF the wreck (Which
|
| guard 1t would be possible to kill the
station agent and coast down the grade
on handcar that the men had stolen
| from a section house.
They would have killed the agent at
once had it not been for the fact that
failure to answer the dispatcher
| messages would have aroused suspic-
| ion. They had one man who evidently
had been an old operator. but to tele-
graphers the dots and dashes of
Morse" are as readily distinguished
as a persons voice and a strange hand
on the key would mean an investiga-
ton that would spoil everything. Mr..
Livingston, with the revolver at his
head, was compelled to answer the
messages, knowing that the slightest
| attempt to send a warning would re-
| suit in his immediate death.
1t was a cleverly planned move, but
| 1t was evident that while the robbers
knew the ground we'll they did not