The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-10-05

ncer, and wns strainlng his eyes 10
look at the big gauge. Dams moment
had come.
with all the force OF his powerful
young shoulders, backed by his wild
determination. he swung the scoop,
edge foremost, fearful weapon,
straight at the robbers body. Fairly
over the stomach he hit the man. and
the body Of the bandit doubled up like
jackknife ana went out of the cab
into the blackncss of the night, with
only the dull sound OF the fearful,
crushing blow and the thud as he
struck the ground.
Pull her open, Ben! Let her go!"
gasped Dan, dropping the scoop and
staggering into the cab.
Instantly the big engineer pulled his
throttle as he had never pulled a valve
before. No. 20 Jumped as II stung,
and took up tho slack OF her train
with crazy crash and Jar. She
slowed, then jumped again, and the
heavy train started.
Ben jerked open The sand box. She
should not slip now. Sparks few from
the track, and the big machine groancd
almost humanity ut the strain. IL
seemed enough TO break connecting
rods or TO blow out cylinder head,
but everything held, and no express
train on the II. and Il. .. ever started
with less loss of time.
For n moment, ms the train moved,
the robbers were Mt n loss, so sudden
and complete was the surprise. Then
shouts and howls arose, cries to the
guard In the engine 10 stop the train,
and then. after delay Dan had
scarcely hoped foi, sudden hush. as
realization came 10 them that they had
lost control of the train.
"Duck. kid. duckw roarcd Ben, from
his lofty perch; but he himself stuck
TO his post, despite the expected dan
ger of dying bullets.
Dan slipped back 10 the tank again,
hut II was not from fear of bullets nor
| from thought of them. He feared more
that with all her quick start. No. 20
might not get sufficient headway on
her train TO prevent the robbers from
again mounting the engine. From the
heavy pull at the start he knew that
| they had not yet broken the train IN
| two. and the heavy coaches dragged
with fearful weight. But the locomo-
| tive gained at every turn OF wheel,
at every crashing exhaust.
Dan peered cautiously round the
corner of the tank. A man, running
with all his might, was almost abreast
of the cab, overhauling the stlll COM
| paratively slow moving engine. Dan
stopped and caught up piece OF coal
the size OF cobblcstone braced him
self and waited.
A moment later the striving runner
reached TO catch the handgrip of the
cab. Dan saw his face, white, set,
cruel in the light of the still open fire.
box door. Then with every ounce OF
his power he flung his missile straight
at the fierce visagc.
| The runners face disappeared. No.
80 gaspcd and roared. The train gained
speed until the engineer could pull
his throttle wide.
Dan fed his fire and slammed the
furnace door shut. Then he sank down
upon the steel floor, cold, trembling.
with Il sudden feeling OF falntness and
nausea. The train flew on through the
night, and only when the lights
showed In the city station, twelve
miles from the scene OF the hold-up,
did Ben curb her speed.
Dan had no notion of any great merit
In what he had done. He was only
glad. Indeed, his anxiety over the
ferociy of the blow he had struck
the bandit occupied his mind rather
than any idea that he had performed
n remarkable deed. He hoped with all
his soul that he had not killed the
man.
But when No. 30 stopped in the great
train shed and the story was told, he
suddenly found himself hero. 1t
appeared that the bandits ON the
coaches. warned by the cries of their
companions, quickly dropped from the
train when the engine started, and
that Dams action alone had thus
turned the tide against them.
a posse of officers pursued the rob.
bers, ana I'm the course of thlrty-slx
hours four Of them We're caught.
Among them was man with three
broken ribs ana a cracked collar-bone,,
who, the doctors said, would recover.
So Dams anxiety was relieved.
1t was not till the day following the
affair that the engineer ana Dan talked
1t over privately. They met on the
engine as usual the next morning for
their outgoing trip. To Dan 1t was
somewhat embarrassing for he feared
some word from Ben in personal praise
of his exploit. The boy was modest
enough TO dread most the praise which
he would most value.
"How In the world did you think II
out, DAM" asked Ben, looking at the
boy with mingled pride and affection
He was a man little given to any dem,
onstratlon of feeling, but Dams devo
iion TO him had been too marked tc
| n Al.