The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-17
The Lass O'Jerich0.
BY GEN. CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Co

Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
There's many slip 'twixt the cup
| and the lip said the division superin-
| tend,nt ret1ectively.
Yes" said Mr.. Harvey. the veteran
| conductor Of. the road. 1t was only a
| slip that spoiled the biggest combine |
ever ran foul Of" And The story is worth
| the telling:
One night the fast express stopped at
| Lancewood long enough to let off pair
| of passengers and take on brace of
! tranrps. the former slowing themselves in
| a hotel bus. the latter on the front plat
| form of the postal car.
They were already thirty minutes be-
hind time and to make matters worse,
| a red light swung on the draw. The two
tramps slid off the front steps and down
the embankment and both engineer ana
conductor. foregathering at the cab. blew
off a little on their own account 1t was
| then ten minutes past H. and they were
past due at Jericho. ten miles beyond.
who were those two snoozers, any
how?" growled the engineer.
"Ranchmen-with a note from the Of
fee" snapped Mr.. Harvey. Let her go
for all she's worth quick as were over.
Hank. Hulo. What's here?"
Three dark forms crouching up the
embankment, popped between him and the
dim lights of the bridge. At the same
| instant, with leveled revolvers. two attn
lstic fellows. leaped into the cab from
the left hand side. Something soft and
conductors mouth and strong arms
flung him face foremost on the rock bal
lasting. Then there came a sharp hiss
from the cylinder cocks. a rumble and
clank of wheels, and when, though
gagged and bound. Harvey managed TO
wriggle over and look about him, the
train was split in two, the baggage and
passenger cars standing fast, while the
rearmost of the express cars was just
vanishing across the Santee The White
Owl was the prey of train robbers-Har-
veys money and a beautiful presenta-
ton watch were gone-and so were the
gang.
When released from his bonds by ex-
cited train hands. Mr.. Harvey saw an
other sight, that filled him with wrath.
The draw was swinging once again. Be
tween him and the runaway cars and
engine yawned the black depths of the
sluggish river. Anything more complete
and scientific as a "hold-up' had never
been heard of on the road, and the road
was HarveY'S world.
On the run brakeman was started back
to LanceWpod TO wire the news. Finally,
ten minutes later. there came half
scared hail from the northWaru bdnk
and the voice of Craney an express mes
senger was heard asking If anybody was
left alive on the bridge, and, before the
bridge was swung to- his story was told
Big Hank was shot and hammered
senseless; Jim HARDY. the nreman. had
shown fight and knocked one robber end
wise before being feNed and stunned by
the whack of q revolver. The safes Were
looted and the robbers had ridden away
into the night, westward bound.
The order to stop the train at Lance
wood was a clever imitation of the SUI
perintendent's style and signature. The
two bearded ranchmen had gone to the
hotel but tossing the bus driver half a
dollar. had shpped away without enter
ing or being seen by the nightcierk. and
when the brakeman got back from the
scene of the hold-up. he found a frantic
operator cut OFF from communication with
| his kind. They reused the town, replaced
the wires. and got things working again
| nv 2 O'Clock. but by this time il was
| known that the gang had doubled on their
| tracks and made for the Missouri with a
| tiatboat
The escape might have been successful
but for a lass. There's many a sliI