The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-10-24

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"fts 10 use" shaking his head. 1.-THE
wires down. Say. you want to keep
your eyes open for the freight. 1t may
be on the siding at Parker's Run, and
| 1t may De on ti,t main track"
Dan made Il last appeal TO his father.
! Wort you listen to what sayT'
| sinklne his voice TO Il hoarse whisper.
| They'll hang you-dO you hear? II
ever g : lay hanGs on you they will
show 10 mercy. Il did not occur to
| Lin that his father would he returning
dnler circumstances SO exceptional
that Public sentiment might we'll un.
aergo Il radical chance IN lis favor.
Roger OAKLEY ner-,y smiled as he
answered. wiln gentle composurc: 81
don't think we necl to worry about
that. We aFe in his hands nannie."
And he raised Ills ilcc to t'ie heavens
Dan eroarci
Come, then" h. said aloud.
.I'll throw the switch Tor your And
the operator ran down the track. He
was quite positive lie should never see
| Oakley again, and he felt something
akin to enthusiasm at the willing sac.
rffice of his life which he conceived
him to be making.
Father and son stepped to the en-
CINE. The old convict mounted heavily
to his post. and Dan sprang after him.
his hand cropping for the throttle lever.
There was the hiss of steam. and Joe
cried from the darkness:
"All right, come ahead" And the en-
| CINE, with its tender and two cars, be-
gan its hazardous journey.
AS they slipped past him the opera
tor yelled his goodby and Dan pushed
open the cab window and waved his
hand
Roger Oakley on the narrow iron
shelf between the engine and the tend
err was already throwing coal into the
I furnace. His face wore a satisfied eX-
preston. Apparently he was utterly
unmoved by the excitement of the mo-
mcnt, for he bent to his work as If it
We're the most usual of tasks and the
occasion the most commonplace. He
! had taken of his coat ana vest and had
| tossed them UP on the tender out of his
way. Dan. looking over the boilers
I
the top of h head. lie leaned back
with his hand on the throttle.
Father lie called.
! The old convict Strengthened up in
stantly
Eyes, Dannie."
"You are going with me? You are
determined?"
Il thought we settled that. Dannie.
/ before we started" he said pleasantly,
but there was Il shrewd, kindly droop
to the corners OF his mouth, for he ap-
| preciated his victory.
Il want to know, because if am to
slow up for you I'll have to do it soon
or I'll be leaving you in worse shape
than found YOU"
To this his father made no direct re-
ply. Instead he asked. DO you think
we'll reach Antioch in time to do them
any good:" Dan faced about
They slid into Il straight stretch of
road beyond the Junction, and the
track shone yellow far ahead. where
the engine looked down upon it with
its single eye Each minute their speed
increased. y steady jarring and
pounding had begun that grew into a
dull and ponderous roar as the engine
rushed forward. Dan kept sharp
watch for the freight.
AS Durks had said. it might be on
the siding ut parker's Run, and it
might not. In the latter event his and
his fathers troubles would soon be at
an end.
He rose from his seat and went to
the door of the cab.
well take it easy for the first ten
miles or so, then We'll be in the fire,
and that will be our time to hit her up"
Roger Oakley nodded his acquies-
cence. In what he conceived to be
worldly matters he was quite willing
to abide by Dams Judgment. for which
he had profound respect.
'How fast are we going?" he asked.
| Dan steadied himself and listened, with
finger on his pulse, until he caught
the rhythmic swing of the engine as 1t
Jared from one rail to another. Then
he said:
TWENTY-FIVE miles an hour"
ut amt very fast is it, Daimler
He was evidently disappointed.
"We'll do twice that presently"
! The old convict looked relieved. They
were running now with strip of for
est on one size of the track and cult
waited fields on the other, but with each
rod they covered they were edging In
nearer the flames. At Parker's Run
the road crossed little stream which
doubled back in the direction of Buck
horn Junction. There WAS nothing aft
er that to stay the progress of the fire,
and the rest of their way lay through
the blazing pine woods.
Just before they reached the ten mile
| fill they came to the strip of burned
timber that had sent Baker back to
| Buckhorn earlier in the day. Here and
there tree was still blazing, but for
the most part the fire had spent its
strength.
AS they swung past Parker's Run a
little farther on Dan saw the freight,