The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-01-12

/ TIeeiSel!. 80 III tnat Fellow slOulu
happen TO be galloping to head us of
he can do IL easily"
Heavens" | gasped. "You don't
1 think
''No. don't think know. Five min
ntes ago that fellow IN oyerallS and a
/ battered derby hal was helping the
h'iver Of the grocer's wagon 10 unload
/ tie vegetables, -
| 1t was moment for action. prompt
and decisive. and my hand was on tie
bell cord 10 give the signal which
| should call Savage back 10 rs when
The car gave a great lfnge and leap,
| and The flight down the Steep grade he.
! came u mad race.
"fou needn't mind" said Blenku'
sop coollr. Savage has seen him"
With the superintendent on The Ell
/ CINE and in command, there was moth
! ing for Us to do. Bur when we rushed
] down the last incline into the Mounts
/ foot yards we We're both hanging of
4 ~ The hand rails 10 see what portcnd-
4 Cd
tls, but only by The nalrowest margin.
We saw him race down TO The station
aud Hing himself from the saddle A
/ moment later we were laundering over
the switches, and rs The Iurching treas
IRE car spun around the curve below
The station w. Of the rear guard had a
vanishing glimpse OF a crowd OF mon
| swarming upon the engine OF Il waiting
freight train
Blcnklnsop stepped inside and came
out with repeating rifle
you may ring up Savage now il yoa
want to. The fight viii be n our end
OF the string from this OF"
What do you meunt2 | asked.
That" said lie. pointing backward.
We had trailcd ont on biz OF
straight track, the only one OF any con
sequence between Gold Ilill ana Whis-
Ky mountain Following his gesture
the freight engine, free of its train and
black with clustering men, tore around
the curve in chase
\ mile farther on Savage ami the
paymastcr joined us, the supcrntend.
cnt cool and grim and Bossuet pale 10
the ears with very natural alarm.
Dear me- he said. striving like the
brave little man he was TO speak calm
Is, Il am very much afraid we are in
for II.
1T looks that way" said Savage "lt
means a race straIghtWay t. the June
lion. There isn't Il station this side Of
III main line where we could stop and
raise q corroral's guard TO fight them"
You know both engines" said l.
Can the 2lG do IT."
lie shook his head with Simmons
nj the throttle and chance 10 take wal
Ter at Fyree she might As ii Is the so
carries" Two gallons of water 10 our
one ana our tank will so dry some
where on The Whisky mountain hill"
But the wires" / broke in The
alarm will 90 down the line and surely
somebody will have wit enough 10
throw a stitch and ditch them.'
The superintendent shook his head
agHiu I'VE may us well look II fairly
IN The face Those fellows are bigger
fools than | take them to be If they
haven't dropped n man of TO cut the
wires long before this No have Civ
en- simmons his orders If his water
holds out he is 10 run TO summit siding
on Whisky mountain. Then If nothing
has happened 10 change the situation
we shall put the women on the engine.
let simmons drop down The farther
grade with them out Of harms way !
and Wen stay lay tlAe car. At least |
shall"
There were three more ALTERNATIVES |
to that vote. and little Mr.. Bossuet |
stumbled into the ear 10 bring out more |
rifles. In those hard money days the !
pay car went well provided with arms. |
Notwithstanding her great weight
and The smallncSs of her driving |
wheels the freight engine was holding |
Ms well IL leash Curve after curve |
was passed 1T hair raising speed, out |
on the reyorses we could see the great |
man covered machine.
They've got a good runner" said F,
BlcnkinSop. lingering his piece Ike a
soldier enamored Of battle "If ! could
get Il fair sight at him
With The word he stood clear OF the
hand rail- and his rifle went 10 his face
Al the crac,i Of il "A man on the tender
of the pursuing locomotive flung bis
arms abroad and pitched headlong.
NO good said the marksman "a
coOlly rs il he had shot at ANA missed
a ciay pigeon. We've got TO think up
some other way of stopping Them"
N we had anything 10 drop on the
track said Bo~,uet and thereupon we
became potential wrcckcrs. stripping
the pay car of everything movable that
could be fuug out upon The rails
NothinE came OF This forlorn hope
and when 10 ,hc last resort we irm-
lied the small cash safe ont and hcly
'd it over only 10 see 10 bognd from the
Ties and 20 rolling on down the cm.
bankment we were al the end ~ that
nNpedicnt.
The superintendent laughed giImly /
ll the sight of our final pctarl bound
in@ of into The creek laughed 8nd
reached for one Of the rifles.
I'VE shall reach Whisky in i've min