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

1 passed The line over the mountain
! IN quick mental review. IN It's climb
| il skirts The spurs ana heads The
| gulclles in alternate loops. Rounding
| The last of the shoulders it describes q
huge II" in passing around The final
ami most abyssmal of the gulcheS III
! The bend OF the ~" the narrowing
chasm is SPAWNED By Il light bridge Of
The overhead type, and the approach
10 this bridge from either direction IL
! down grade. The southern end Of the
great loop is the summit of the noun
tain, and just beyond The cutting in
the summit shoulder through which the
line passes is Summit siding.
We were skirting the shoulder Of the
northern approach when Broncho Pete
sprang 10 his box and leaned far out
for look TO The rear. Our three pay
ear rifles barked sharply, and they
were answered promptly BY a drop
ping yoley from the $40 Pete ducked
inward and gave his engine another
notch of the throttle.
"'Ta.n't no use" he said soberly.
I'VE amt goin' TO have no time to
transfer them wimmen" Then he call
ed sharply TO his fireman and gaze the
I boy an order which ala not hear. ana
moment later we were on the inner
curve Of the u racing down TO the
bridge At a speed which promised any
thing but 4 safe passage over The Spl'
derry structure,
Nevertheless before | could gasp a
second tine we had stormed up The
opposite grade and were laundering
through the cutting at the precise mo.
ment that the freight engine came in
sight on the northerly shoulder.
Once more Pete yelled to his fire.
man
Get a move, now" he commanded
And The boy shot out Of the gangNuy
and raced ahead TO the switch. AS
learned afterward, the superintend-
cnt's order had been 10 make a fying
switch at the siding this to bring the
car and engine side hy side for the
quicker transfer of the women SAY
age was on the forward platform TO
pull The coupling pin. but 1T the hast
moment his nerve failed him and he
countermandod the order
60 on" he shouted we can't
make II. They're too near"
But now the man became the master
Il know what I'm a-dom" he yelled
back. with fierce oath to cap it. "You
~. .f,,fa "A
ierked the ear for the kick Il was the
superintendent who obeyed.
The pay ear was scarcely over the
switch when Pete sent the engine spin
ming back into the cutting and brought
it Ia Il stand
"Mlstah Graves" he said tile feve.
nuer allowed you all ii pay nue. another
month. Take that and this" showing
the blue envelope with It's unbrollen
rouleau of gold pieces into my hand
"and send EN- to Squire Jackson. Tell
him that squares him and me. and say
I'll neS' trouble him no more Now
git oG'-quick."
But YOU what are YOU going to
dog cried.
II ligger to hit them Ku- Kluxers
right about the middle q that bridge
Git off, will ye." And with that he
hurled me ont of the gangway
was half stunned by the fan, but |
was alive enough to see the last net in
the tragedy Tho freight engine had
passed the bridge in safety when Pete
launched The 2JG like n stone from Il
catapult out of the cutting. There was |
yell Of terror from the robber crew /
\ collision on the steep mountain side
meant death 10 every man involved.
ana The only possible chance for escape
lay in flight The big frciehp puller
buclilcd and hcaved as the man at the
levers stopped and reversed her. but
she was no more than fairly on the
bridge in the backward motion when
the dying passenger engine overlook
her There was wild shrek. a crash,
and the thing was done
II was late in the afternoon. and the
wreck train crew had been toiling for
hours In the knglc Of twisted bridge
giriors and crushed and battered MA
chincry at the bottom OF the canyon
when we came upon all that was left
Of Broncho Pete Blenknsop and |
were both among The tnilcrs. and it I.
was the secret service man who helped
lift the poor torn body 10 The strctcier.
You know his story" said wnen
we were following the stretchcr olt Of
the gulch. what IS ~
You spoke better than you knew"
said Blenknsop briefly lie was a
and he killed man. not
an officer. but The SPY who betrayed
him. An old fellow. Jackson 10y name
went OLA ms bond. and Dee ram away
For years Dee has been paying the bai
bond a little at Tine. and that is how
got on his track
Did be know sou were after himT
"lc-. | arrested him just ae bc was
getting on the engine ut Gold Hill lie
begged for tine 10 make this ran. said
lee owed it 70 you. and he gave ne his
word OF honor to z, back to tennessee
with me when be- had done your turn"
And you trusted him:r
The detective nodded You see. IL
a-u1 q f.arguug pfFf,-er omen fu ff. sFot, /