The Colfax chronicle., 1904-07-16

Then the front trucks rose from tn,
ground. there was crashing of timbers
Kissing, rending sound, rising In tn,
scale to almost vail, as the from
wheels tore their way through the wood
work on the preceding car, the floor O
the car seemed to twist and writhe lik,
a living thing. Then the whole ear ca,
reened wildly and with crash of break,
ing glass and smashing timbers, fell ovel
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 bach
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 10 his surprise found
that ne was not seriously injured On
the ground, few feet away. lay Sher-
IN Wilson, unconscious, the blood rum
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 colli-
sion and bad one, and even as Billy
Strengthened himself up and tried to re-
call his scattered senses, from every die
rection came groans, shrieks, calls for
help. and all the heart-breaking accom-
paniments Of a 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 1t would be thought
he was buried in the wreck. With so
much time Billy was certain of making
successful escape 1t would be a mean
thing to do, thought Billy, but on the
other hand rose up the grim picture of
the penitentiary, its narrow cells. Its
bitter routine of labor, its hardshfps 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 regarded 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 dimpled little fist sticking on.
rom under one OF the shattered frae.
ments of the car in which he had been
sitting before the wreck. And with .
sudden thrill Billy realized that the
plump, friendly baby. who a moment be-
Iore had been cooling and laughing in
lis very face, was pinned under the
Sreckage. All thought of the peniten.
iary vanished. Billy plunged at his
ask of rescue. working furiously. vet |
'areful not to dislodge any of the tim
'ers In such a way that they would fall |
IN the little prisoner.
II was hard task and not short ona
hough other willing hands soon had
oined to Billy's. But in the end both |
ne plump baby and its young mother
Fefe extricated from the wrecked car.
n the car we're dead and badly injured.
ut the baby and its mother were nm.
urt except for few bruises. When
he car had careened to one side the bact,
the seat on which they had been SIT.
ing had turned over in such a manner
s TO imprison them, but also to protect
hem from the broken glass and tim
ers. But if it had not been for BiIlv,s
rompt and desperate work there was
nance that they would not have been
creased until the flames which now were
weeping through the mass of wreck
ge had rendered 1t toolate.
When Billy realized that the nlumn
aby and its mother were safe he drew
long breath of relief. Then he sud-
sniy realized that among the men who
aa Deen assisting him was Sheriff
'iison. The sheriff had been only
lightly injured, and as soon as he re-
alned his senses, regardless of the
ood which was pouring from the cut
his forehead had rushed to help in tbs |
ork OF rescue. Now he turned 10 Billv
so, while was on my back you were
'tting the kid and its mother out ofthe
reck, instead of trying to run away ?.
observed, in voice whose eruffness
led in vain to conceal its kfndliness
He glanced sharply at Billy as he l.
oke. But it was not the look of sber-
towards his prisoner, but such as one
ave man gives another Billy met
with as straightforward a glance.
'r moment he was no longer the con-
ct, but man who had made his choice I
avely and well in one of life's great !
III I've got any influence in Willistcn
unity" added Sheriff Wilson in en-
attic tones. land think | have II I
mt be SO very long before pardon
mes to the pen. Billy"
Billy looked at the plump baby and its a
'ther. She was weeping. but her tears I
re not those of grief And Billy did !
regret his lost chance to escape. nor v
choice he had taken. Even without G
sherlff's last words he felt that it had G
IN good one. D
n