The Somerset reporter., 1902-07-03

ter. you just watch for the troops
and send them on quick, and we'll look
out for Tom and the rest. Won't we.
fatherT'
Coggins entered the little house and
returned with his hat and coat.
Wonder If any Of them are watch
Ing the track" Coggins said presently
as the car swung along the track and
up Big Eagles first incline. Sue sat In
her old place beside him.
"There are splendid places to hide
all along here" she said. One mile
was passed. The car swirled merrily
around Black Rock bend. 1t was
straight running from there around
the mountain side. Coggins was whls-
Ting his favorite, "DiXie Land" and
to Sue the ride seemed only the same
as those she had taken so often. 1t
was hard to realize that the lives of so
many people depended on the speed of
the little yellow car crawling like some
strange new animal steadily along the
south shoulder of Big Eagle, but all at
once there came sharp report, and
something struck the woodwork above
her head.
They're up the track" Coggins said.
"Lean down low, dearie. away from
the window. | saw heads bobbing
over those bushes"
Another shot buried itself some
where In the window casing. and
mans voice shouted:
"Slow up, there, Coggins! We want
that carr
Jack drew his breath hard and
glanced back to see that Sue was safe.
nun II uiie more to the mines, and
perhaps every foot Of the way an am
bush! He smiled grimly and loosened
the lever in his hand, although not
hundred feet away man stood in the
center of the track with a leveled pis-
tol. Cogglns recognized him.
Look out, Steve I'm going to run
her through" he called, but as the car
swept forward with fresh impetus
there was another shot, and Sue saw
her father fall. Before she fully real
lied what had happened she had
sprung up and taken his place. and
when the strikers started to make
rush for the car all they saw was
pink sunbonnet waving from the win
dow. A dozen shots had followed up
the one sent by the foreman, but now
the sight of that flag of truce stayed
many a finger waiting on a trigger,
and the angry faces on either side of
the track softened as Sue leaned out
and waved to them as she had so often
done.
you've shot fatherw she cried, and
then the car had passed. Not another
shot was fired, for the word went from
lip to lip, ITS Coggins' Sue"
Five minutes later the car drew up
at the mines, and Tom Holmes ran to
meet it. Now that all was over and
the danger past Sue was kneeling be-
side her father. crying as If her heart
would break.
"He isn't dead, Suew Tom exclaimed
after he had found the wound in his
shoulder and Sue had sobbed out her
story. And never mind the strikers.
Well be ready for them"
When the strikers came up the mar
row gulch, they found the entrance to
the mines guarded by sturdy little
force of armed men, so as the sunlight
faded over the mountains they settled
down to a siege.
1t seemed an age until there came
the sound of the surprise in the gulch
as the soldiers came up behind the
strikers and drove them back, on and
on through the thick woods. Then at
last oil was silent, and when the motor
car made its homeward trip at dawn
with Sue and her father and old
Holmes and Tom safe on board the
blue clad boys who guarded the track
cheered when they saw the face of
Coggins' Sue at the window. And up
at the mines, when the first shaft of
gold shot through the pines, it glim-
mered on something that fiuttered far
up on a big hagpole outside the en-
trance, a faded pink sunbonnet hang
ing there in honor beside the stars and
stripes.