Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-02-04

At that moment three shots rang
out, clear and distinct, from the de-
tached train. The man at the tele-
graph instrument sprung to his feet
and ran to side window in the wait.
ing room and looked up the track.
Now was her chance. Hardly think
ing what she did, Polly sprang to the
engineers side of the cab, threw back
the reverse lever and opened the
throttle steadily. The big steel wheels
began to turn, very slowly at first.
Farther and farther the throttle open.
ed and faster and faster turned the
wheels, and yet they did not go half
fast enough to suit Polly. who was
now glancing fearfully over her
shoulder
Suddenly the depot door was thrown
open and she saw the robber darting
up the track. He had his pistol in
his hand. He was pointing it at
her and shouting for her to stop. But
the engine was now going at good
speed, and, run as he would, the rob-
Der could not catch it. But he stopped
and fired, the bullet ripping through
the cab over above Polly's head.
The engine was now tearing down
the track at full speed. Polly knew
that it must be fired or it would not
go far, and SO, leaving the throttle
open, she sprang to the coal pit, flung
open the fire hole, and with the heavy
shovel in her small white hands threw
in load after load Of coal. When she
returned to her place she could see
the first signal light of Mercer already
blinking into view. She pulled down
on the whistle cord and the engine
shrieked its distress.
Five minutes later Polly strained at
the heavy reverse lever, turned hard
on the air brake and brought the
great iron horse to sudden standstill.
How she ever managed to stammer the
story she never knew, but in a few
minutes the engine was headed back
with half dozen armed men aboard
of her. Behind them came another
load Of men on n switch engine and
two men were racing up the street Of
Mercer calling the alarm.
They heard firing before they reach
ed Kane Creek, but it ceased soon
afterward. The robbers had gone.
They had taken with them much plum
der from the passengers, but they had
not been able to get into the express
safe, although they We're at work
drilling it open when relief came.
From the time that the engine
stopped Polly was missing. When the
rescued and excited passengers and
express messengers began to crowd
around and inquire the Mercer men
remembered her. A party Of them
went out to find the girl who had
brought help to the beleaguered train.
In a little clump Of bushes they
heard a man moaning, and an in
stant later they saw Polly kneeling in
the sand, with her fathers head in
her lap, crying bitterly. And they
gathered up the brave engineer and his
daughter and carried them down to
the train, cheering all the way.
Engineer Marshall was not badly
hurt, and he was able to be in Mercer
when the general manager of the road
new and better position in Mercer.
And of course all the passengers and
express messengers heard about Polly's
brave deed and said a great many
pleasant things about her, but Polly,
being sensible girl, only blushed and
said that she had to do it, and that
any other girl would have done the
same under like circumstances-whic
no one believed, of course.
Later. when the robbers were cap
tured, Polly was able to identify one
of them positively-the one who had
run the engine-and through him the
entire party was convicted and sem
fenced to the penetentiary.-Waverley
Magazine.