Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-02-04
HOW POLLY SAVED
THE EXPRESS.

no further communication with the
station next to the eastward. What
could the trouble be? What was she
to look out for? Polly sprung to her
feet, remembering that the night ex-
press, of which her father was engi-
neer, was the next train due. Could
anything be the matter? She ran out
on the dark platform to see that her
lights were all in place and that the
switches were properly set, SO that the
express would slip past the station
without an accident. Then she went
back and called up Mercer.
"Can you get PinckneyT' she asked.
Pinckney was the station which had
sent her the warning dispatch SO mys-
teriously interrupted. She knew the
operator at Pinckney well-every night
he told her of the approach of her
fathers train, and whether or not it
left his station on time.
"Pinckney quiet; can't get answer"
was the report Of the wires. whats
the trouble?'
Polly answered as well M she
could.
Her fathers train was now due 1t
should be whistling cheerily at the
lower bend. Polly stepped out ON the
platform and peered up the track, Yes,
there was the familiar headlight-she
would have known it among a hun
dred. Then came the whistle, Hello,
Polly" and Polly ran back into her
office much relieved and sat down to
warn Mercer. At that instant she
heard peculiar cracking sound that
sent her heart quivering deep in her
bosom. Then there was the shrill
scream of the locomotive whistle sud-
denly interrupted, as If the hand that
had drawn the lever had been struck
from its place. Polly knew it was
cry of distress. 1t seemed to say,
Help" in long, tremulous wall In
stantly Polly darted outside and flew
up the track. Already the express
should have thundered past the sta
ton. but she could see its headlight a
hundred yards or more away. The
train had stopped.
With hundred terrifying questions
flashing through her mind, Polly ran
on through the gloom. When she was
| almost within range OF the big head
light she saw half dozen armed men
| swarming around the engine, she heard
fierce oaths, and then the engine start
cd up again. She saw in an instant
| that it had been cut free from the
train. In the cab window, where
her father usually stood, there was
big, unfamiliar figure managing the
lever and throttle. Terrified, Polly
| sprung to one side into a clump of
bushes. AS the locomotive passed
her on its way up the track she saw
| that the man in the cab wore a black
mask on his face, and then she knew
| what had happened. She understood
| why Pinckney had tried to warn her
and failed. Robbers had held up the
train and were preparing to rob the
express car.
For moment Polly was torn with
| doubt and terror. Had they shot her
\ father? She knew that he never would
submit to have his train captured
without struggle. Should she go
to him? Then she remembered her
station and the telegraph, and with
out moments delay she was flying
down the track toward the depot. She
would send for help to Mercer. But
sGuarely in front of the little depot
the locomotive stopped and the black
masked man sprung from the cab
window and darted across the plat
form. Hardly thinking what she was
doing, Polly ran up on the other side,
the fireman's side of the engine, and.
raising herself up, peered into the
cab. She had half expected to sec
her fathers dead body lying on the
floor, for she had heard much about
the terrible doings of train robbers.
Through the cab window she could
see the robber sitting at her own
little desk in the depot sending a
message. 1t flashed over her all at
once that he was wiring Mercer that
the express was delayed, thus pre-.
venting any alarm. The robber had
pushed up his mask and she saw him
plainly.
What should she do? She dared
not enter the office, and she. mere
girl, could be of no service where the
robbers were making their attack on
the train. IF only she had the little
revolver that lay in the drawer of
her desk-she set her teeth as she
thought what she would do with 1t.