The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-06-05

anough to grip the wheofs And therO be was, alone on a runaway gathering speed every minute in its progress toward a six coach special loaded to the doors with people. It was rot the most enjoyable of situations.
 It is impossible to describe his emo tons. because be himself said wnen l asked him that he had none. The bal loon slmile quite exhausted his supply of imagination.
 ''I saw" said be simply, that there was going to be the deuce to pay if something wasn't done confounded quick, and | saw, too, thRt whatever was done I'd have to do myself; that was all there was to it. The special was nearly due at Morton, and I hg- ured that I'd be there pretty promptly too. estimated that at the speed l was making and was likely to make I'd collide with the special on the big dump about mlle and quarter be- yond the station, a regularly nasty place. owl"g Co the long slide over the rocks. And 1 said to myself: Con ductor. it's your life against the life of 500. Can you spare itT No said my self to me T can't. and even lf could what of ltT Only this said l to my. self. there's Just one thing to do and that's Co throw your crazy cabOose and your idiot nat cars Into the ditch. Yes, said myeelf to me. but lf | do that m have to go with 'em. and | don't want to-I might be injured We'll said l to myself klnd of dlsgustedly, if that's the brOadest view you can take of lt, all right: but l shOdld think you'd be ashamed Of yourself There's mighty little comfort ahead for you in this life if you let these fool ears smash Into that special. Besides, are you going to stay on and smash with 'em, or are you going to drop oft and break your blooming neckT
 "That was a clinchor. | saw then that I was In for trouble anyway. The question was decided, and l went straight to work doing the thing that promised to leave me the clearest con science In case didn't have to be gath cred up tn a basket and shipped home to Molly and the kids In pine box la beled 'Perlshable. Rush" climbed on to the first car of ties and rolled one down to see how lt would go. lt went like leaf ln a gale. Then 1 be- gan systematically Co drep 'em in be tween the car and the caboose l did this for e long time. . nothing came of lt The cur was bouncing up aud down like a cork on the rolling sea, and was pretty near discouraged. l was tired. too-heayens, was tired to the marrow Of my bones! Ties are heavy, maybe you know. Section men never try to handle 'em single handed. They go at 'em by twOs and threes and grunt and sweat But l kept at it, hoping that I'd be able to get one foul of the trucks before I'd unloaded the car, and did. It happened right in the yard at Morton. There was a tre- mendous bump and crash. l think l flew up to a height Of several miles. Perhaps l didn't. but I'll swear that the air up there was too rare to breathe. Anyway | didn't breathe l struck a sand pile when came down. I never knew before how hard sand Is. l thought lt was soft"
 Asa matter of fact Tom was not in- jured in the least He was somewhat dazed when they dug him out of the sand. but not a bone was broken. He lay there. blinking In comfortable, satisfied sort of way at the wrecked caboose and lat cars. He waved his hand Imply at the special when it went by. the passengers and trainmen casting curious glances at the wreck. After that he looked up Into the face of the station agent, who was lowering over him Ike mother hen. and spoke.
 "where's the front end or my trainT' he asked.
 At Wilson. waiting for the special to pass. They're coming back as soon as they get tue right Of wsy.'
 "Hm-m-m, All right, WA.re's my p.p,: [ sor, of missed it. and and [
 H