The Western news., 1902-09-03

/ another war in his day. He could never
show what sort of fighting stock he was
i mad> Of.
By this time he was quite desperate
Clearly there was but one thing fol
him to do-run away. He could stea
rides to 'Friseo-be stowaway from
Frisco to Manila, and then he'd find
some way of joining Jimmy's regiment
he had just reached that point in his
| day dreams when he should carry q
| wounded comrade from the field. under
heavy fire from the enemy, then
| 1t was only child's voice, but 1t was
| vibrant with terror. and 1t came from
behind on the track. He whirled round
and saw small form wriggling and
| jerking to free Itself from something
| perhaps the rail. And just beyond he
saw the fast freight backing down to
| the union depot.
There was not a second to lose when
Allen started on his race with the
| train. His training in the athletic field
stood him In good stead, but the train
| gained on him steadily as he sprinted
| down the track.
Suddenly the despairing. agonizins
| cry OF the mother fell on his ear. He
| had discarded hat and package, and
now he was making such time as he
| had never scored on the track. The
| blood was surging in his ears. Before
him rose the awful picture of the little
figure crushed under the pitiless wheels
One great leap, clutch at the little
foot caught in the frog and with the
| frightful, roaring monster Of steel and
| iron rumbling over their heads, he and
| the sobbing child rolled down the EN-.
| bankment
When Allen and the child sat facing
one another at the foot of the bank the
train had sped on It's course. A couple
| of excited women appeared on the
scene, crying over the dust covered
baby. A group Of excited men berated
the carelessness of a corporation that
| backed its trains at such a rate of speed
through the heart Of the city and with
no employees on the rear car. And in
the general excitement no one noticed
that the lad in dusty gray uniform
had disappeared.
| Allen ran back to where he had
dropped his package, and picking it up
in the most matter Of fact fashion hur
ried home. The boarders. many OF
whom had lived with Mrs. Durfee ever
since her husbands death, We're drop
ping in for supper, and Allen never
thought to interrupt her with the story
Of his adventure.
He ate hearty supper, ran out for 8
game Of ball, and finally went to bed
still without recounting his race with
the locomotive. 1t had quite slipped hii
! mind.
And perhaps no one would ever have
heard of it If the day had not been sc
dull in the Office Of the Daily Times
But when one Of the reporters heart
that child had been saved on the cu
off he decided that 1t was worth look
ing up. He found that the story was
good enough to keep exclusively for hi!
paper, and he guarded it religiously.
AS result, while the other paper,
Of the little inland city continued to SAL
pretty things Of James Durfee, the sol
of a brave Union soldier and the sup
port of the widowed mother, the Time
came out with thrilling account O
two brave sons, the one who face<
death in the Philippines and the on
who risked his life on the railroad tract
for baby boy.
At breakfast time the next morninI
Allen, very red in the face and gener
ally uncomfortable, had to shake hand
all round. He protested vigorously tha
1t was nothing to make such q fus
about. Any fellow would have done tn
same thing II he'd seen the little cha
lying helpless on the track.
He lodged through the alleys on hi
way to schol only to be met on tn
campus by enthusiastic cadets. VIII
carried him on their shoulders to tn
, building. In the great assembly roou
the principal laid his hand kindly O.
Sergt. Durfee's shoulder and said:
Greater love hath no man than thi
that he offer his life for his friend.
| am glad that all our heroes are not q
the front"
| But while the boys cheered Allen wa
thinking Of his mother. He remembers,
the day that Jimmy had marched away
and his mother had fastened a tin
silk flag on his uniform. There ha.
been such proud, happy look in he
eyes when she kissed Jimmy good-by
And Allen had caught that same Loo
in her eyes this morning as she watch
ed him start to school.
Yes, she had been just as proud o
her home guard boy as the one VIII
had marched away. He would not hav
to run away, after all, to show that h
came Of good fighting stock.-Utic;
Globe.
| MRanRSf Man N KQnsaa