Evening star., 1902-02-22

the boy shot out of the gangway and raced
ahead to the switch. As l learned after
ward, the superintendent's order had been
to make flying switch at the siding: this
to bring the car and engine side by side for
the quicker transfer of the women. Savage
was on the forward platform to pull the
coupling pin, but at the last moment his
nerve failed him and he countermanded the
order.
"Go on'' he shoYtSd: I'VE can't make it
they're too near",A
But now the man became the master.
Il know what STm a-doin'!' he yelled
back, with fieree.aSth to cap it. You pull
that pin!' and when the engine jerked the
car for the kick 1t was the superintendent
who obeyed.
The pay car was scarcely over the switch
when Pete sent ths-sengine spinning back
into the cutting and brought 1t to stand.
"Mistah Graves he said, 1.-The revenuer
take that and this showing the blue en-
velope with its unbroken rouleau OF gold
pieces into my hand-"and send 'em to
Squire jackson. Tell him that squares him
and me, and say I'll new trouble him no
more. Now git off-Quick!
But you-what are you going TO 90!
cried.
Il fgger to hit them Ku-Kluxers right
will We" And with that he hurled me out
Of the gangway.
1 was half stunned by the fall, but was
alive enough to See the last act In the
Tragedy.
bridge in safety when Pete launched the
256 like a stone from catapault out OF tne
cutting. There was a yell or terror rom
the robber crew. A collision on the steep
involved, and the only possible chance ior
escape lay in flight The big freight puiier
buckled and heaved as the man at the
levers stopped and reversed her, put sne
was no more than fairly on the bridge IN
the backward motion when the flying pas
senger engine overlook her. Ihere was
wild shrek, a crash that shook the very
mountain, and the thing was done.
1t was late in the afternoon, ana lHe
wreck train crew had been tOilfng for hours
in the tangle of twisted bridge girders ana
crushed and battered machinery at the po,,
tom of the canyon when we came UPON an
that was left of Bronco Pete. Pete, Blenk-
insop and 1 were both among the toners,
and it was the secret service man VINO
helped lift the poor torn body to the walt
ing stretcher.
.'You know his story" said /, when we
were following the stretcher out or the
gulch; what Is it?' .
You spoke better than you Knew, sald
Blenkinsop briefly. He was moonshiner.
the spy who betrayed him. An old felloW,
ia ckson by name, went on ms Donn, anu
he ran away. For years he has been pay,
ing the bail bond little at time anu
that is how l got on his track -
did he know you were after nm!
Eyes; I arrested him just as ne was get
ting on the engine at Gold Hill. He begged
for time to make this run-sa1d ne oWed IL
IN Won. and he gave me his word Of honor
to go back to Tennessee with me when ne
had done your turn"
"And you trusted him?"
The detective nodded You see, l was
a revenue officer once in the Tennessee
mountains, and. know the breed 1t will
kill a man at the drop Of the hat, but 1t
won't lie.'
'.Yet / don't understand why he dldn
take his chance He might have pulled the
throttle open and sent the engine PACK
alone"
Blenkinsop smiled gravely.
Don't your he said: its plain enough'
# was the blue envelope in either case,
and he chose to take it here instead of on
a gallows in Tennessee