Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-07-14
| to spare, so I will get the signal Ian

n ueep anu savage VOICE ullereu inc
words behind him.
simultaneously he received a terri
BILE blow from a club which swept him
from his seat to the floor in a heap.
Brace Denver, with a satanic glare
In his evil eyes, looked exultantly
down upon his unconscious victim.
You won't stop any trains this
night, Jack Hay" he snarled, with a
black scowl. "And after what is about
to happen you'll be lucky If you're not
shut away from Hester for many q
year. My plot has been too well laid
to miscarry now"
He shouldered the motionless body
and carried 1t to the woody edge of an
eminence not far from the track.
When Jack recovered his senses he
found himself gagged and securely
bound hand and foot, and his captor
was in the act Of tying him firm and
fast in an upright position to a great
tree.
Got your eyes open again, eh?' re-
marked Denver, roughly. as he leaned
closer in the starry darkness to peer
into the tortured face Of his prisoner.
The villain had wound a cloth about
the lower portion of his face. Only
his diabolical eyes were dimly per-
ceptlble.
you've about run your length, Jack
Hay" he continued, flercely. There
will be bloody work tonight, and the
operator at Gillville will get the blame.
The rails are spread between here and
Martins. l know that, for a chum of
mine reported 1t at Martins at the
hour we agreed upon, and you were
t~elegraphed to save the limited express;
in fact, we spread open the rail our
selves. The train will go on to de-
structlon. When it has passed I'll
loosen your bonds, and you can release
yourself; but-ha! ha!-whO will be-
lieve the story you will have to tell?
They'll say you were neglecting your
post. You can't prove anything. Hank!
There it comes!" .
A locomotive whistle sounded faint
and far. Presently could be seen the
cleaning headlight along the nearly
straight bed of the road.
"Ah, there it comes! A few mo-
ments more and the whole community
will stand ready to lynch the neglect
full operator at Gillville for causing the
destruction and death"
Jack Hay stared at the swiftly COM
| tn0 haadIJDht IIto haor% oL;IIol
within him, and his tortured brain
reeled giddily.
Well he realized what the popular
verdict would be. He could not prove
the strange tale he would have to tell;
he could not even swear to his murder
Gus captOr's Identity, though he felt
that no man other than Bruce Denver
could wish him Ill. He would be
promptly condemned as the cause of
the awful catastrophe.
And OH, on that doomed train was
coming, while he groaned and writhed
In mental agony.
AS he struggled to burst his bonds
he realized that they were loosening.
He might soon wrench himself free,
but notch, heaven! not in time to
save those scores of precious lives!
The rumble grew louder and louder:
the ray Of the headlight was now
nearly abreast on the track!
''They are going to their death, and
the world will say l killed them!" poor
Jack moaned in his soul.
Then with q deafening, rafting roar
the train rushed to the station, rushed
past, Its whistle piercing the night air
ia a prolonged note like a mingled
wall and shrek.
But, bark! Another sound breaks In
on the whistles dying scream. Some
thing has happened which brings the
heart of Jack Hay in his throat In a
lump Of Joy.
Bang! bang! bang!
Three loud explosions quivered
through the night, nearly lifting the
great driving wheels from the rails.
Warning torpedoes had been placed
on the rails.
The wheels Of the car trucks sud-
denly looked like circles Of sparks as
the air brakes went down quick and
hard.
"Perdltion!' burst from astonished
Brace Denver. ~ am robbed Of my
revenge. But I'll know who meddled
here before that train can stop and
back up"
He dashed forward to the station,
gripping the deadly club. Into the
office he ran. The place seemed to be
deserted. But as he turned to run out
again a sharp voice checked him.
Halt where you are, Brace Denver!
What have you done with my hus-
band?"
Hester Hay confronted him with
leveled revolver, resolutely barring his
exit