The Colfax chronicle., 1904-12-31

oop," said Dick, as he slammed In the
throttle and opened the air brakes
Only a tail-light, likely" said he
but I'd better go back and make
sure" Slowly he backed up, and al
last passed a red signal lantern. "Or
the ;eft-hand side, and in such nigh
as this" he muttered. 90 veil, some
signal-men were born fools"
Twenty, 30, 40 minutes and not Q
soul had been seen or heard. Half q
dozen times Dick felt himself falling
asleep, and as often walked up with a
start All the others of the crew were
sound asleep, and as the minutes
dragged on Dick began to wonder II
the sig.al had not been mistake. A
switchnan might have carelessly set
down his lantern. His orders read
open track" and he was about to
start out again, when his trained
nerves detected a slight vibration.
Nearer and nearer 1t seemed to come
until the earth fairly shook. Sudden
-ly the headlight of the belated limit
ed loomed up through the mist of
snow; 20 yards In front 1t took
the switch ard with roar rushed by,
its Pickering tail-lights dying out of
sight in minute. simultaneously a
man emerged from the darkness, picked
up the signal lantern and silently dis
appeared.
They'll never know how close their
shave was" said Dick, as he opened
the throttle.
Two hours later, and Dick sat still
at his post, his hand on the throttle,
his face a mass of stole inexpensive
ness, his eyes peering out into the
darkness that ever kept falling away
before the advancing headlight For
an hour he had not moved so much as
finger. Harry had fired for men that
he had to wake every Is minutes on
a night run, but he knew Dick. 'All
have to do," said Harry, sis to keep
on a hundred and forty and my fiues
wet, and Dick will do the rest"
1t was an hour before daybreak.
The heavy clouds that had obscured
the moon for most of the night were
beginning to scatter. and at intervals
flood of hazy light fell over a desert
of sparkling snow. At places there
were drifts across the track, but the
snow was loose, and the high speed
of the train. with the momentum of her
120 tons of coal, carried her safely
through.
Suddenly, in an interval of noon
light, Dick fancied he caught the CLINT.
of something red up the track. The.
throttle went in with chuck; the.
brakes grirped and sputtered on 80,
pairs of wheels, and the train came
TO stop.
Directly in front was danger signal.
q signal that has many a time spelt
danger and death to the foes of Britain,
but which never before, perhaps, was
used to flag railway train Dick,
his eyes deceived him, threw
open his glass front; then sank back
on his cushion with slight cry. He.
was no weakling; locomotive cab is
not the place for coward but the
blood seemed to halt in his veins, and
he seized lever to steady himself. Go
back for Baker" he whispered. hoarse-
y.
There, between the metals, and a
ahead, planted up to the
waist in snow. stood the body of a
policeman-dead, stone dead,
he frozen face twisted in its death con-
tortions, and the whitened eyeballs
cleaning horribly in the glare of the
Before Harry was back with the con-
luctor and brakeman, Dicks nerve had
'eturned. and he was down beside the
lead body. The frame was perfectly
iolid; it might have been frozen for
lays. On their arrival on the spot
Baker and his brakeman stood aghast,
int scarcely a word was spoken. Ex-
'lar ations were impossible: the situa-
ion even defied speculation.
Reverently the four men raised the
ifeless body in their arms. AS they
lid so Dick felt solid mass on the |
hest. and, on examining it, found 1t |
o be frozen blood. MY God!" he |
as he staggered back, ''the
mans been murdered!''
The statement could not be disputed, |
md with blanched faces the train |
rev. so tragically converted into pail
'earers, stared at each other. But |
tere was but one course, to place the
'ody in the caboose and report the
natter at the next telegraph Office.
The moon was again obscured when
lick and Harry climbed into the cab,
ach with a strange unsteadiness after
he nerve-wrecking experience of the
preceding ten minutes. But their ad-
'entures had only begun, as they were
DON to learn. Two revolvers flashed
n their faces, and low voice said,
Now don't make fuss; we don't |
rant to kill you unless we have to.
10 as you're told and you'll get out of
his unharmed. but try to jolly us and
QUILL share the fate of that lions cub
ou just carried back there"
Such a proposition admitted OF no ar
and no matter how many arm
hair theories man may have, when /
be. alternative is represented by a
)aded revolver there is just one thing |
e is going to do, and that is-obey.
>ick mustered his self-control as best
e could, and asked quietly, What is