Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-06-17

scale 10 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
reered 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 cam. 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-
| iff 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 a colli-
| sion and bad one. and even as Billy
Strengthened himself up and tried to re-
call his scattered senses, from every di-
re:tion 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 it would be thought
he was buried in the wreck. With so
much time Billy was certain of making
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, its
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 regarded all
as definitely settled, Fate had brought
home to Billy Thompson the choice of
which path in life he should take.
1t was baby's chubby hand that
turned the balance. Even as Billy stood
| undecided he heard frightened wall.
and saw dimpled little fist sticking on:
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 a 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 its mother were un-
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 we're
sweeping through the mass of wreck
, age had rendered it tool late.
When Billy realized that the plump
baby and its mother were safe he drew
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.
so, while was on my back you were
getting the kid and its mother out of the
wreck, instead of trying to run away ?"
he observed, in voice whose gruffness
tried in vain to conceal its kindliness.
He glanced sharply at Billy as he
spoke. But it was not the look of sher-
iff towards his prisoner, but such as one
brave man gives another Billy met
it with as straightforward a glance.
For moment he was no longer the con-
vict, but man who had made his choice
bravely and well in one of lifes great
emergencies.
IF I've got any influence in Williston
county, added Sheriff Wilson in en-
phatic tones, "and l think have, it
won't be so very long before a pardon
comes to the pen. Billy"
Billy looked at the plump baby and its
mother. She was weeping, but her tears
were not those of griet, 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 good one.