The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-06
a Terrible Punch

OF course, the boy only thought to stop
the tramp for a moment, for he knew that
he was bad man and he fully expected
to be almost murdered for his temerity.
but to his amazement the blow sent Tin
Can Murphy soaring through the air for
nearly a mile. over the tree-tops he sail
ed. turning somersaults like tumbler
pigeon, yelling Four Fouli'' all the time,
and he would certainly have broken his
neck had he not landed in a deep swamp,
where he spent an hour pulling himself
out of the mud while he wondered wheth-
er it was cyclone or a volcano that had
hit him
OF course Theodore was as much
amazed as Murphy was, and the fact that
he had so effectually disposed of the
tramp didn't make him feel assured that
he would not return at once and take re-
Vepge for the blow. He had heard him
CRYING Foul" and thought he would de-
mand satisfaction. so he hurried Theo-
g. dosia away as fast as he could go, and to
hts surprise he walked the five miles 10
his home in FIVE minutes. Even that
didn't make him suspect that it was the
belt that was doing it, but he thought he
must be dreaming. No sooner had he
reached home than his father gave him
Ten cents and told him TO take the trolley
TO Rarntown, ten miles away, 10 get the
doctor. as his mother had been taken III
suddenly while chopping wood. His Ia
Their thought il was because the axe was
too heavy, and ne SAID ne Woulo puy a
lighter one in the fall.
Theodore hurried TO the car track and
sprang upon a passing trolley-car with
out waiting for IL TO stop As he graspeo
the brass hand-bar he swung on the plat
form but the bar came OF in his hand.
rrhe conductor stared and examined the
bar 1t had broken like a pipe-stem In the
grip of the new Hercules. They thought
of course, that II was defective piece OF
metal. But when Theodore, VINO STOOD on
the ulatform, grabbed the rail at the tor
~ the dashboard to keep from falling of
and that came tearing away like paper
tha conductor became angry.
sswhat kind of car have they given
n3e7'' he cried. and wrenched at the iron
rafl hut II was as firm as ever. He STOP
ned the car and the motorman came back
10 look at things
ITS the poor iron they USE" said he
after ne had inspected the broken rail-
>-Puu- that BELL" said the conductor tc
Theodore. and the boy obeyed, but not
only the leather strap but even the bel
came off in his hands.
.ssrhis cars rottenr cried the conductor
1T guess 1 sIn too strong to handle such
things" said Theodore
..-T,he idear' retorted the big man. "A
kid like you doing that! It's because they
NIT moor material into things nowadays
! suppose you think you could do il
again."
Theodore pulled gently al the brass
brake-handfe Just to test IL. and i
strzixhtened out like warm wax The eye:
of the conductor stuck out like door
krobs, but before he got his breath the
car went OF the track and shot into tbs
ditch on the side of the road. 1t Was for
tuuate that Il was going slowly. or elss
all OF the passengers might have been in
1ured. All sprang out and stood staring
at the car as IL rested in the dry ditch.
Theodore asked: We'll what are yoI
going to do now? VIII we have to walh
to town."
There will be another along. in ar
hour said the conductor.
81 am going for the doctor" said Thee.
dore, land can't wait. Let's see IL we
can't put her back on the track
Nothing but a derrick could do It. .
said the motOrmen.
Theodore took hold OF the rear platform
20 LIT the car. The platform bent. but