Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-03-05

TIC CUIUC
nuts once and again. and they 1ew In
stream like bullets over the bluff.
The taller cowboy. bending close on
lis knees, raised yell. The plates
lad given. Springing to the other
rail, Banks stripped the bolts even
after the mad train had shot into the
gorge above them. They drove the
pick under the loosened steel, End
with pry that bent the claw bar and
yell that reached Harvey, trembling
at the switch, they tore away the
stubborn contact and pointed the rails
O, er the preciplce.
The shrek Of locomotive whistle
cut the wind. Looking east, Harvey
had been watching sos headlight.
She was pulling in on the siding.
He still held the switch open to send
the runaways into the trap Bucks
had set II the passenger train failed
to get into the clear. but there was u
minute yet-a bare sixty seconds-and
Harvey had no idea of dumping $lO,'
900 worth OF equipment into the river
unless he had to.
Suddenly up went the safety signals
from the east end. The 101 was cough.
ing noislly up the passing track-the
line was clear. Banks and the cow
boys, waiting breathless. saw Harvey
with determined lurch close the main
line contact.
In the next breath the cOalers, with
the sweep of the gale In their fright
full velocity, smashed over the switch
and on. A rattling whirl Of ballast
and a dizzy clatter Of noise, and be.
fore the frightened crew Of SO could
see what was against them the run
away train was passed-gone!
II wasn't going to stop here tonight
muttered the engineer as he stood
with the conductor over Harvsy's
shoulder at the operators desk min
ute later and wiped the chill from MS
forehead with a piece Of waste. "Wed
have met them In the canyon"
Harvey was reporting to Bucks. Cal
lahan heard It coming: rails cut, but
SO safe. Runaways went by here fully
seventy miles an hour"
It was easy after that. Griffin is the
foot of the grade. From there on the
runaway train had a hill to climb.
Bucks had held $50. the local passen-
ger, sldetracked at Davis, thirty miles
farther east. Sped by the wind, the
runawnys passed Davis, though not at
half their highest speed. An instant
later 25O's engine was cut loose and
started after them like scared collie.
Three miles east Of Davis they were
overhauled by the light engine. The
fireman. Donahue. crawled out Of the
cab window. along the foot rail and
down on the pilot, caught the ladder Of
| the first car end. running up, crept
along to the leader and began setting
brakes. Ten minutes later they were
brought back In triumph. to Davis.
When the multitude Of orders was
out Of the why, Bucks wired Ed Banks
to bring his cowboys down to McCloud
on 60. Sixty was the eastbound pas
senger due at McCloud at $50 u. m. II
| turned out tliut the cowboys had been
arrested for lassoing n Norwegian
homestcader who had cut their wire
It was not Il heinous 0ffense, and after
It wis SRA 'ghtened out by the Inter.
venti,n Of Bucks, who was the whole
thug t,Ien- they were given job; lisso
ing sus:r barrels IL the train service
Ore Of them. the tall fellow. Is n pas
senger conductor OH the high line yet.
II was 8 O'clnck that moin.n"-t'.e
25th OF Dccar.ba: IN s.i.!: lr.:.r; ~
the West End-before they mt tlla.'
decently Strengthened out. taerr VS.