Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-03-20

Friday, as he lay there and thought.
Neither the precept nor practice of his
later years of living had tended in the
direction of heroism, yet he lay there
and contemplated the doing of a heroic
deed. Not that he considered the deed
in that light; probably his entire
thought was best expressed in his own
muttered words: 1.-THE little chap was
good to me; he fed me when 1 was
hungry" But heroism needs not to be
labeled such in order to make it so.
AS he lay on the brakebeam and
thought, q dozen little things made it
evident to the man that matters on the
outside of the car We're rapidly pro-
crossing to a denouement. Two men
| passed to the rear of the car, and he
heard footsteps on the front platform.
If anything was to be done, it must be
done quickly.
William Graves hesitated just a mo-
ment longer. Then, very quietly, he
emerged from his retreat. In the dark
ness on the outside of the car he hesi-
tated again, but only for moment.
"I'll take a chance" he muttered to
| ilt W S,oOu W lllG.
A second later the two men on the
front platform of the car We're sur
prised as a shadowy form swung itself
from the ground to their side.
SIS that you, Tom?" whispered one.
"Where did you leave the brakeman"
| The answer was a staggering blow
that knocked him to the ground, where
he lay, stunned by the force Of the fall.
| In another moment the two men that
remained upon the platform were en-
gagged in a desperate struggle. Back
and forth they swayed for minute;
then there was the crack of a revolver,
and William Graves fell. He had just
time to fancy that the shot was echoed
by another, and then the dim cars
seemed chasing each other in fantas.
tic race, and he knew no more.
The General Manager had taken a
hand in the struggle; that was the
meaning OF the echo he fancied he
heard before the world and he parted
company for time. The General Man
ager's shot did execution, too, and,
with two of the outlaws disabled and
the passengers aware that resistance
had become possible, it took but brief
time to put the rest Of the gang to rout.
when William Graves came back to
the land of the living from the unseen
country where he had journeyed for a
little while, his eyes opened upon such
scene of luxury as caused him to
close them again with the notion that
he must be dreaming. Then, as he
slowly opened them again he became
aware that very small voice was ad-
dressing him:
"How are you now, Friday"
"Pretty WELL Robinson"
"Does your shoulder hurt much
row."
For the first time the man who had
passed from the brakebeam Of a pri-
vate car to a place on its softest bed
noticed that something did appear to
be wrong with his right side.
"It does seem to hurt little" he
said.
"That's where the robber winged
you, but my pa fixed him. Going to go
after goats with me when you get well,
Friday"
81 guess I will, Robinson"
That was all the two talked then, for
n tall man appeared and said To Will
lam Graves:
"You would better go to sleep now.
There will be time for talk hereafter"
So William Graves, with no room in
his mind for anything except wonder
that he, the man of the brakebeam,
should be placed amid such surround
ings, went to sleep.
1t was quite n week later, and Robin
son and Friday had had many talk
in the meantime, when the tall man
sat down by the bed in his house where
the wounded man still passed much of
his time, and said to him:
"Tell me something about yourself, If
you please; not at present about that
night, for l saw you when you at
tackled the two men, but about your
self" - -i''f
By this time William Graves knew
that the tall man was the General
Manager, and, Notwithstanding the
kind treatment he had received he
stood somewhat in awe Of him. So
| lie lneTely luIuCu uueuSuy On LIS pcu
and said:
"There isn't much to tell"
"What is your business"
"Brakebeam tourist"
The tall man smiled. $50 Judged
he said. "Did you ever have any other
business?"
"Used to railroad it."
"What happened"
event on a strike; never got back"
"What made you attack those two
: desperate men the other night"
, "Heard them say they We're going to
steal Robinson. He had been good tc
, me-"
, The thought Of Robinson'was very
, dear thought to the tall man, and so
as he turned away, 1t need not be con
= sidered strange that there was a pecu
liar and very unusual dimness in his
eyes. But all that he said was: