The Somerset reporter., 1903-09-17

tne entrance OF lHe canyon. But she.
too, saw what had startled the fire.
man.
A wall of white water curled above
the tracks. 1t swept the canyon from
wall to wall, bearing down upon the
rear of the long train so swiftly that
1t seemed as though the cars must be
almost instantly swallowed by the
food
"a cloudburstw she heard Jim ex-
claim, and then, before the words had
more than passed his lips, the train
leaped ahead. Twenty miles an hour
through the canyon was considered u
safe speed; the western special darted
away at a pace double that, for the
chance of wreck on a curve ahead was
less to be feared than the certain death
that followed behind.
Involuntarily Evylyn clutched at the
arm of the engineer. "Will it catch us g?
Can't you go fasterT' she gasped.
He turned his face around to her
slowly. When she could see it he was
actually smiling. Wen make a record
for the Bitter Creek run this day."
Exaspefated, she shook him angrily
by the arm. THAT will catch us-it
willv she cried. Cant you cut off the
train? Couldn't we get away II the
cars didn't hold us backY'
He turned quizZical glance upon
her. Cut off the carsY he asked.
There are hundreds of people back
there There are only three Of us here.
Would it pay to sacrifice the othersY
She was silenced and abashed, but
she did not know that the thought had
shot through his own mind first of all.
One smashing blow of the sledge on
the coupling and the locomotive and
tender would be free of the heavy train
of coaches, and that white wall of wa
ter was coming faster and faster.
Evylyn could not keep her own eyes
from it. She leaped down from the
seat, with q shrek.
Instantly the long arm of the driver
reached around the lever. He caught
her and lifted her bodily back upon the
seat. stay where you are" he COM
manded hoarsely, and she, forgetting
the tidal wave behind, stared straight
ahead, her lips IA firm line of white, too
angry for speech. Nobody in all her
life had ever touched or spoken to her
so.
She saw the fireman again lean over
the lever and shout in Lestrange's ear.
THE basin," Jim nodded.
Suddenly the walls of the canyon
spread apart. The train was flying SO
swiftly that it seemed the cliffs We're
moving instead of themselves. The
train ran out upon a long trestle for in
this wider part of the gorge, known as
"the BASIN" there weIe rock shelves on
either side. The creek bed was wide
and the water roared among the debris
fallen from the heights above.
Jim reversed the engine, and to Evy-
lyn's despair the train slowed down.
But she was too angry to speak. And
scarcely had the train stopped when
the tidal wave broke about them.
When it reached the locomotive the
water had sptead over so great an area
that the only damage it did was to rise
into the standing room of the cab and
put out the fire under Ninety-nine's
boiler. Then 1t roared on down the
canyon, and unless 1t carried away
some portion of the iron trestlework
ahead the danger was over
Jim, without glance at her, leaped
down to examine his engine. When he
was satisfied that the machine was all
right he came back. The fireman had
cleaned out the fire box and was pitch
Ing in dry wood Jim stood SO that she
was sheltered from the gaze of the
stoker
"Well. are you sorry l didn't cut off
the train, Miss EvieE" he asked.
Il hate you" she declared, looking
determinedly away from him.
"Wcll, I'm real sorry for that But
you know, had the compnny's proper
ty to look out for-as well as the presi-
dents daughter" He was actually
smiling.
81 hate you" she declared again.
That's pretty tough" he observed
again. And it's been so long since
we've seen each other tool DO you
know, l couldn't ever bring myself to
the point OF hating you. Fact is, feel
exactly the opposite and always have
since we played at sweethearts. Dc
you remember EvieY"
She turned upon him then, but the
fire died out of her eyes. She remem-
bered how he had looked when he sat
her down again in that corner with a
command.
Her hands went suddenly up to cover
her face. Its too bad" said jim
"but the coal dust will settle on the
woodwork. Pm afraid you're getting
your face all smut from those gloves"
And he pulled the hands away and
held both in one of his.
The fires going again, Mr.. Le-
strange" said the stoker.
OncIRl Book BurninRa.
The last authorized book burning in