La Junta tribune., 1907-08-10
"Bridse burning ahead There"

Run IT, ARE you Mcwlllinms:"
"McW!llams? wish WAS for just
/ one minute I'm one OF his clerks"
( Where is he?''
Il left him on La Sale street yes
| tertlay afternoon.
/ Whats your numef"
".Tusi plain Ferguson"
We'll Ferguson, It's none of my
| business. but us long rs were going
| to nut you Into Denver or into the
river In about minute I'm curious 10
know what the blaZes you're hnstling
along this way for
"Aie: I've got 81. 100000 In gold coin
| In this car for the Sierra Leone Ma
tional bank-thats all. Didn't you
know that Ave big banks there closed
their doors Yesterday Worst panic
| In the United States. That's what I'm
here for and five huskies with me eat
| ing and sleeping in this car" continu-
cd Ferguson. looking ahead. you're
not going to tackle that bridge. are
| your
I'VE are and right of. II there's
any OF your huskies want to drop ont.
now's their chance" said Pat Francis
as Sinclair slowed up for his run.
Ferguson called his men. The ive.
with their rifles. came cautiously for
ward.
Boys" said Ferguson briefly.
.therc's II bridge nfire ahead. These
guys are going to try to run 1t, It's
not In your contract. that kind OF n
chance. Do you want to get on?
stay with the specie. myself. You can
| do exactly as you please. Murray.
what do YOU say?" he asked. address,
| Ing the lender OF the force, who appear
ed to weigh about o60.
| "Wlnt do sayi" echoed Murray.
| with decision. as lie looked for soft
place to alight alongside the track. Il
| say I'll drop ont right here. ! don't
| mind train robbers. but l don't tackle
a burning bridee-not II l know 1t"
and he jumped or.
well. Peatcrs." asked Ferguson OF
the second man coolly. do you want to
stay:'
| "Mcy" echoed Peaters. looking ahead
| mt the mass of flame leaping upward.
"Me stayt Well. not in thousand
years. You can have my gun. Mr. Fer
| g,lson, and send my check to 439 MIL
waukcc avenue. II you please. Gen
tlemcn. good day. And on went
| peaterS
And on went every last man Of the
valorous detectives except one inme
| fellow. who said he would Just as lief
| he dead as alive anyway and declared
lie would stay with Ferguson and die
rich.
| Sinclair, thinking he might never get
| another chance. was whistllng sharply
for orders Francis, breathless with
the news. ran forward.
| Coin? How much? Twelve hun
tred thousand. whew.' cried Sinclair.
"swing up. Pat. We're OF"
The Five Nine gathered herself with
a spring Even the engineers heart
quni,ed as they got headwsy. He knew
his business. and he knew that II only
the rails hadn't buckled they were per
fectly safe, for the heavy truss would
stand lot OF burning before giving
way under a swiftly moving train.
Only. as they flew nearer. the blaze
rolling up In dense volume looked hor-
ribIy threatening. After all. 1t was
foolhariy. and he felt it. but he was
past the stopping now. and he pulled
the cboker to the limit 1t seemed as II
she never covered steel so fast. Under
the hend she now had the cracking
bridge was less than five hundred.
four hundred three hundred, two hun
dred feet. and there was no longer
time to think. With n stare, Sinclair
shut OF. He wanted no push or pull on
the track. The McWilliams Special
was Just tremendous arrow. shooting
through, II truss Of fire and half dozen
spcechless men on either side OF the
river waiting for the catastrophe.
Jerry MacElroy crOuched low under
the gauges. Sinclair jumped from his
box and stood with hand on the
throttle and hand on the air. the
glass crashing around his head like
hail. A blast OF fiery air and flying cin-
ders burned and choked him. The ell
glnc, alive with danger. flew like Il
great monkey along the wrlthing steel.
| So quick. so black. so hot the blast ana
so terrific the leap. she stuck her nose
| into c.ean air before the men In the
| cab could rise to It,
| There was u he vc in the middle like
the lurch OF a seasick steamer. and
with it the Five.Nine got her paws on
cool iron and solid ground. and the
| Mattaback and the blaze. all except
dozen tongues which licked the cab
and the roof Of the baggage car min
ute, were behind. George Sinclair.
shaking the hot glass out OF his hair.
looked ahead through his frIzzled eye
lids and gave her full head for the
western blufYs of the valley; then look
! cd at his watch.
1t was the one hundred and nine
| tieth milepost just at her nose, and
| the dial read S:55 to second. There
was an hour to the good aud seventy
| sir miles and water to cover. but
they were seventy-six of the prettiest
miles under ballast anywhere. and the