Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-29
And while they were stln laughing the

room ana the consequent OnreaulneSS OF the
men to respond to the alarm the man on
watch had been left unaided to lock the col
lars and hook the bit-snaps of the three
horses as they charged down on him from
their stalls and while he had been still
struggling with the last of them Long
Tom Donnelly had sprung into the drivers
seat. SO excited that he did not wait for the
word of command before he jerked on the
reins brought down the harness on the
horses backs and started them out The
Waterman had time only to jump aside
from their heads; he had not time to make
sure that the doors had been slid back to
the walls, and the hub of front wheel
struck edge strip that projecting
from the door frame and smashed through
the heavy timber with noise that fright
ened the horses and shock that almost
threw Capt Meaghan from his place on the
''turntable." He shouted at Donnelly and
confused him the more; and the truck
turning too sharply, swung its rear wheels
wide over the sidewalk and dropped them
with jolt from the curbstone to the gut
ter.
Brunton grunted as worse n ridin
strip-saddler' He frightened his belt In a
few moments he added: "Lickety split!
Crickey Mike!'-for the horses were leap
ing along in furious gallop. He leaned
out from the side step to see the off horse
plunging ahead He heard Meaghan cry:
Hold EN- in! Hold 'em ln!'
Donneily answered. through his teeth:
'Somethin's loosei"
They spun past corner light with all the
men craning their necks to Capt.
CHAN shouted: H! That bit amt
snapped The center horseT
The truck began to swing dangerously
from side to side. Lieut.. Gallagher turned
to the men. Look out now, boys" he
said.
What's the NATTER" Brunton asked PIN.
The sergeant answered: They're OF.
Baby in the lead. Her bit amt snapped.
The three horses, running wild, were
pounding out the confused clatter of
stampede over asphalt and paving stones,
instead of that regular pulse OF hoofbeats
which times the speed of a weil-reined gal
lop Donnelly, bracng and straining, chung
to the liEes, but the pull was all against
him, and the great animals jerked and tore
at his arms as they rose and fell. He was
being dragged, not they driven; and they
were dragging him straight for the water
front, down sloping street so narrow that
1t Impossible going at such speed to
turn a corner from 1t.
The captain reached forward and hooked
the leather strap that held Donnelly to the
| seat. Get both feet on the brakes he
said. Hang on to them.
Long Tom did not need the order. He
was bent forward. bareheaded, his face set
| to the rush OF air. He was as cool, now, as
| railroad engineer watching the tracks
| ahead; but the brakes were useless to stop
| q 10,O00-pound truck running on ball bear
ings behind three deep-chested. mighty
| fanked fire horses gone mad altogether.
| They shot past the pillars of an elevated
| road. and the truck took the car tracks with
u
| light whipped past them; the shadows of
| another dark street leaped to swallow them
| like the mouth of tunnel; and there were
| only two more streets between them and
| the piers.
| Capt Meaghan pushed back his helmet
| from his forehead and looked around at his
| lieutenant as If hoping for the suggestion OF
some aid. and he saw Brunton swing nimbly
| up from the step to the other side Of the
/ turntable and peer out at the horses.
"What're yuh doin?" Meaghan called
| His voice was lost in that clang and roar
and rattle of Jolting wheels and ringing
| pavement and clamoring bell Brunton did
| rot notice him, but dropped his head into
his shoulders like cat and went forward
| around the turntable until he was crouched
| at Donnellys knee.
He jumped forward and disappeared.
The captain turned to catch up lantern,
| but lurch of the truck almost threw him
| from his hold and he could only cling help
| lessly to the iron upright and walt for a
| corner light. AS flashed by 1t showed
| Brunton astride of the off horse, working
| forward to it's shoulders. Before the dark
ness closed again he had reached its name
| and stretched himself out along Its neck to
| catch the bride of the middle horse.
Capt. Meaghan understood that he was
| trying to pull It's head around and throw ii,
| as cavalryman throws his mount But he
understood also that this was the LOCO
! pound filly of a mixed-blood Percheron mare
and strong in the neck as bull; and
| Brunton had not even the purchase of bit
| TO ana HiIn w tNe IeeDie SdSliSHlS Oh
| half the block had flowed past. without any
| slackening of speed, Meaghan gave up
hope. He can't do it. he groaned Run
| em into somethin', Tom"
Before Donnelly could answer there was
| flash of fire at the horses heads and
| shot rang out above the noises of hoof and
| wheel second report cut the echo of the
| first The middle horse leaped and fell,
| kicking. 1t was dragged between the poles,
| On the asphalt, until 1t brought down the
| nigh horse. The truck swept them forward
! in struggling heap, with broken poles and
| snapped harness, until the third horse fell,
! too; and then the front wheels damned into
| them and stopped the truck with a lurch
| that shot Meaghan forward as he leaped.
He lit his feet and ran to the poles.
| Bring light!' he cried forcing down the
| head of the struggling nigh horse with his
knee. ''Brunton2" he said. hoarsely.
| 'Brunton?'
There was no answer. Lieut.. Gallagher
| and the men ran to the lanterns Loose
| these flank horses" Meaghan cried. He
must be n underneath" The men began
| to unbuckle the tangled straps. Cut themI
| Cut themi" he ordered.
He reached down to raise the head of the
| bleeding animal that Brunton had shot.
| Lieut.. Gallagher touched him on the Shout
| der. "Brunton's over there on the curb
| he said; and Meaghan turned to see the
| missing fireman sitting beside the gutter,
! painfully nursing a bruised shoulder
| 1t plain from Brunton's expression
| that he was pretending to be more hurt
| imam ne TtdllS was, ana DSlOW MS exaSRer-
| ated grimace of pain there was a sheepish
| look of guilt. Capt. Meaghan stared in sur
! prise and bewiderment And then he re-
membered that forgotten incident in the
! truck house and he understood Bruntons
| expression and his face changed
He drew a long breath. In the silence
one of the men snickered Historically. Mea-
| CHAN shouted at BTunton: You're liarl
| You fired that in the bunk room!'-and
| threw up his hands and swung passionate
| kick into a la ntern that stood at his feet
1T rose flaming, fell with Il crash of broken
glass and went out. In the darkness the
men heard his profanity choke in his throat
/ He coughed. He said in moment: Fix
those horses am let's get out o here"
Three hours later the men had returned
70 their quarters, very dark and solemn
| crew. Capt. Meaghan had not spoken
| word to them. He had gone upstairs to his
| Office without even stopping to look at the
| two famed horses or to examine the truck;
| and when Gallagher followed him, twenty
| minutes afterward, he found him sitting
| dumb before his open journal, a dry pen In
his hand and the lid Of the ink well still UNI
| lifted.
Gallagher waited. What about Pim?"
| ''T,etfer leave that till the morning I