River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-06-16

passengers tumbling over each other
and the seats. The car seemed to recoil
on itself in its desperate effort to stop.
Then the front trucks rose from the
ground, there was a crashing of timbers,
a Kissing, rending sound, rising in the
scale TO almost wall, as the front
wheels tore their way through the wood
work on the preceding car, the floor Of
the car seemed to twist and writhe like
a living thing Then the whole car ca
reened wildly and with crash of break
ing glass and smashing timbers, fell over
on its side, the opposite to that on which
Bill and the sheriff had been sitting.
For moment Billy was stunned and
helpless. Then as his senses came back
he struggled to his feet, how he scarcely
knew He had been cut by the glass in
the car windows and was bruised from
head to foot, but to his surprise found
that he was not seriously injured. On
the ground, few feet away, lay >Sher-
if Wilson, unconscious, the blood run
ming from a cash in his forehead.
On every side were men and women,
some dangerously injured, others dazed,
yet little hurt, others still pinned down
by the wreckage. 1t had been COLI
sion and bad one, and even as Billy
Strengthened himself up and tried to re-
call his scattered senses, from every d.
rection came groans, shrieks, calls for
help, and all the heart breaking accom-
paniments of railroad accident
Billy's first thought was TO turn in
and devote every energy to helping,
those less fortunate than himself who
had been caught in the wreckage. Then
he stopped. Sheriff Wilson was uncon-
scious. Before he regained his senses
Billy could be far away When the
sheriff missed him it would be thought
he was buried in the wreck. With so
much time Billy was certain of making
a successful escape. 1t would be mean
thing to do, thought Billy, but on the
other hand rose up the grim picture of
the penitentiary, its narrow cells, it's
bitter routine of labor, its hardships and
loss of all that made life worth living.
Besides, what difference would one man
make in the task of clearing such a
wreck?
Once again, when he had regal ded all
as definitely settled, Fate had brought
home to Billy Thompson the choice of
which path in life he should take.
1t was a baby's chubby hand that
turned the balance. Even as Billy stood
undecided he heard frightened wall.
and saw a dimpled little fist sticking ou-
from under one of the shattered frag-
ments of the car in which he had been
sitting before the wreck. And with a
sudden thrill Billy realized that the
plump, friendly baby, who a moment be-
fore had been cooling and laughing in
his very face, was pinned under the
wreckage. All thought of the peniten-
tiary vanished. Billy plunged at his
task of rescue working furiously yet
careful not to dislodge any of the tim
bers in such a way that they would fall
on the little prisoner.
1t was hard task and not short one.
though other willing hands soon had
joined to Billy's. But in the end both
the plump baby and its young mother
were extricated from the wrecked car.
In the car were dead and badly injured,
but the baby and it's mother were I'M
hurt, except for few bruises. When
the car had careened to one side the back
Of the seat on which they had been sit
ting had turned over in such a manner
as to imprison them, but also to protect
them from the broken glass and tim
bers. But if it had not been for Billy's
prompt and desperate work there was a
chance that they would not have been
released until the flames which now were
sweeping through the mass of wreck
age had rendered it too late
When Billy realized that the plump
baby and its mother were safe he drew
a long breath of relief Then he sud-
denly realized that among the men who
had been assisting him was Sheriff
Wilson. The sheriff had been only
slightly injured, and as soon as he re-
gained his senses, regardless Of the
blood which was pouring from the cut
in his forehead had rushed to help in the
work of rescue. Now he turned to Billy.
80, while | was on my back you were
getting the kid and it's mother out of the
wreck, instead of trying to run away?"
he observed, in voice whose gruffness
tried in vain to conceal it's kindness.
He glanced sharply at Billy as he
spoke. But it was not the look of a sher-
if towards his prisoner, but such as one
brave man gives another. Billy met
it with as straightforward glance.
For moment he was no longer the con-
vict, but man who had made his choice
bravely and we'll in one of life's great
emergencies.
eff I've got any influence in Williston
county" added Sheriff Wilson in en-
phatic tones. land think l have, it
won't be so very long before a pardon
comes to the pen. Billy"
Billy looked at the plump baby and it's
mother. She was weeping, but her tears
were not those of grisf And Billy did
not regret his lost chance to escape. nor
the choice he had taken Even without
the sheriff's last words he felt that it had
been a good one.
LOCUST PLAGUE I'M EGYPT.