The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1905-09-21
~ on the railroad track he glanced sad.

IL on the railroad track he glanced sat
" at the towering hill and stopped.
The girl clucked impatiently and
jerked ut the reins. Duke planted his
legs immovably and laid back IN ear.
Miss Boone laid the whip across the
horses broad back apologetically. with
no result. Then. the gray eyes flashing
and the lips crossed together until they
were a mere scarlet line. she struck
tight heartily. Duke never budged.
Mowbray. unobseryed by the girl.
stood on the hilltop and enjoyed the af-
fair immensely. "She's got grit. all
right" he observed to his sled. AT
first she thought the old boy WA tired.
Then II occurred to her that he was
a-soldiering. How she swings that gadl
Shucks. Who'd thought her little. fist
could grip the CAD that wayf And that
Duke villain is just enjoying himselfr
More from sheer vexauon than ia
tigue Miss Boone ceased to ply the
whip and looked helplessly about. 1t
did not occur to her to look upward.
Mowbray felt that she was on the
verge of tears and was about to reas.
sure her with q CHEEKY cry when o
sharp whistle froze 1t In his throat. The
Boston express!
The girls danger was imminent. AT
this point the track. sunk in a deep
cut. described a, sharp curve to the left.
A train for these reasons was not yisi-
Bile until within a short fifty yards
from the crossing. The cutter, Its love
" freight unconscious of the death
swooping down. stood squarely be-
tween the rails. Miss Boone was a
stranger In the neighborhood and paid
no heed to the whistle. II. indeed. she
heard 1t, 50 great was her anger at
Duke.
Meanwhile Tom was thinking fren-
zledly. A cry OF warning would not
do. The train was scarcely farther
away than was Mowbray himself. The
girl might not understand II she did,
the incumbering robes and blankets In
which she was swathed could not BIO
torn of In time for a leap to safety.
In his agony and horror Mowbray
gripped the sled until his muscles
creakcd. That gave him an idea-the
sled. the sled!
The train had not gone its length so
rapidly did these thoughts fash through
the young mans mind Raising the
coaster, he took two or three quick
steps and iung himself face downward
upon It. Responding TO the Impetus.
the sleigh rushed madly down the bill.
The flexible runners creaked and
sprnn9. The wind whistled weird
tunes In Mowbray's ears. AT the back
of his brain something prayed that he
might be In time, but all his faculties
were intent ON keeping the sleigh up
right. Once for q secondary. an ete.'
nity--,t rose on n single runner. Again
IA tliey followed n sharp angle 1t SOW.
ed the width Of tic road. Eut Proyi-
dcnce rode with MowDray that morn
Ing, and catastrophcs could only threat
ell.
Twenty feet from the cutter he Jerk.
ed the head OF the coaster suddenly IN
TO a snow bank. Ills own momentum
carried Tom strai hit ahead. Rolling
Ike n frightened caterpillar. he crashed
into tue cutter. Something snapped
and Il horr.d pain stabbed him, but hs
scrambled blindly to his feet. Some
how he snatched the girl from the cut
ter, and they fell to the roadside In
safety rs the train Numbered by. hurl
ing fragments OF the wrecked vehicle
high In the air. Duke. u%nirjured. but
thoroughly cured OF his b~alkiness. gal
lopsed clumsily up Old Pine.
"Of course said Tom In telling thu
story afterward. II broke an arm
but" with a pro1d and tender glanc'
Mt the blushing Mrs. Mowbray. "if
had n many arms rs an octopus II
break 'em all for a wife like here"
CIocm Cb,..~. bv