The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-05


seat Then he dropped from the gang
way and collared me just as l was
coming down from the superinten-
dents office.
What Theodore had to say to me
was said in the cab of the 619, after
he had chucked me upon the fireman
box and was snatching the Fast Mail
out over the switches. Mary Howl
sons story was shouted into my ear,
and this was the deduction from it:
You p'rade round here as the COM
p'ny lawyer; you're going to Black
Canyon to find something wrong with
this here sheriff's papers. See?"
1 saw" saw 1 was in for anything
from picking a pocket to committing
high treason. But not being Mary
Howison's lover. had hopes.
There was a blind siding three miles
east of Black Canyon. Unless 1 mis-
took my man, Dispatcher Perkins
would order No. on to this siding,
where we would pass her at the rate
of sixty miles an hour, and 1 should
be we'll out of a bad business.
But my thinking mechanism ran no
swifter than Theodore's. In very
few moments it became evident that
he had sized the situation up to the
same conclusion; and what steam and
steel could do to forestall Perkins
was going to be done in the racing
interval.
Across the cab, lighted now by the
bottle-green glow of the gauge-lamp
and now by the fierce glare from the
open fire-door, was picture to stir
the genius of a Holbein. Harrison
stood on the narrow running step,
bracing himself against the lurch of
the great engine by his grip on the
throttle; statuesque, immovable, like
a life-size figure done in ruddy bronze.
Beyond him, her shoulder touching
his, sat the girl; her hands tight
clasped over her knees, and the strain
ed eagerness in her face matching
Teddy's knitted brows.
Mile after mile shot backward be-
meath us. The powerful machine SEEM
ed to be doing it's utmost; yet Lar
rison was still twitching nervously at
the throttle.
l knew his purpose. There was but
one night telegraph station between
the Butte and Black Canyon. Once
safely past Maverick without the de-
tanning order, and we might make
sure of finding No. on the siding at
Black Canyon.
Harrison strained every nerve-but
the fates were against him. When we
surged around the long curve which
was the eastern approach to Maverick
Junction, we all saw the red light sig
nal stop for orders"
The air was still whistling through
the brakes when Hogan came running
forward with the order. No. would
leave Black Canyon on time, and
would side track for us at Blind Sid
ing No. 2.
harrison read the order by the light
of the gauge-lamp.
I'm damned If she does!" was all he
said; and the 619 leaped into motion
like an angry thoroughbred under an
unmerited cut of the whip.
Harrison! What are you going to
do2" l shouted.
I'm goin' to shove back into Black
Canyon, r spill ter in two" he yelled.
Study your piece. You're goin' to have
it to speak it,"
/ recall little of that nightmare flight
beyond Maverick save the rattle and
roar and the plunging rush. Only once
did full-blood consciousness assert IT.
self; ii was when we hammered over
the switches of the yet unoccupied
blind siding and rushed onward in the
darkness to our doom.
When I opened my eyes again the
SOS whistle was screaming in demo-
MAC shrieks, and Harrison was witch
ing at the air-brake. Straight in front
of us, the cone of its headlight merg-
ing fairly with ours, was No. s. / held
my breath for the crash which should
presently efface us. It did not come.
Instead, the advancing headlight stop
ped, wavered and began to recede.
Harrison had won the race.
A minute later we were at stand
beside the waiting passenger train,
and he had bounced upon me with
savage oath.
Down with you and speak your
piecei" he roared. eve done myself
up for all time. and if you don't get
Bart Howison loose now"
1 did not wait to learn the alterna-
tive. My man and his man were in
the day coach, and found them and
went at my part In the affair like
bull at a gate. There was no other
way.
Your authority for this arrest, Mr..
Pettijoe," I demanded.
What I. fully expected to see was
an authorization from the Governor
of Wyoming honoring a formal requi-
sition from the Governor of Tennes.
see. But what the country-bred
sheriff handed me was the reQuisition
itself 1t had never been presented TO
the Wyoming authorities, and so was
utterly ineffective as a warrant for
Howisons arrest.
/ gave the paper back to the sheriff
and spoke to the cattle king.
1HlE IldH has
to arrest you than I have"
whats that We say?" demanded
the short-whiskered one, bounding to
his feet.
"You heard what l said. That il
merely a request from your Governor
to ours--it isn't warrant. Moreover,
Mr.. Howison is not the man you
want He did not kill John Barnwell,
as we are now prepared to prove
Pettijoe was standing irresolute
when Harrison and Mary came in. l
knew what had happened before Ted
dy set it out in terse speech.
"Super's order No. 10: Engineer Hos
kins transfers from Eight to the Mail;
his fireman takes Eight to Maverick;
and Ted Harrison gets the @. B. for
runnin' against his orders" he said
briefly. Lets go and ind us a couple
of seats and sit down. Miss Marys
sort o. tired"
Howison looked at me and his harsh
face softened for an instant. Later,
when we were sitting behind the two
younglings, and the rattle and roar of
the wheels gave us isolation he said
soberly, "Pm sorry-a whole lot"
Because Ted has lost his 1ob?"
NAV. That good friend o. Bart
Howison's don't have to work for a