The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-15

ed away across the meadow. halted
and screamed hard enough to wake
the dead. George was trying to warn
the section men. At that instant the
door of the baggage car opened, and a
sharp featured young man peered out.
What's the row? What's all this
screeching about, conductors" he ask
ed as Francis passed.
Bridge burning ahead there"
Bridge burning" he cried. looking
neryously forward We'll, that's a
deal! What you going to do about itY'
Run it. Are you McWilliams?
"McWilliams? l wish 1 was for lust
one minute. I'm one of his clerks"
Where is heY'
81 left him on La Sale street yes
terday afternoon"
What's your name?"
Just plain Ferguson"
well, Ferguson, it's none OF nv
business, but as long as we're going
to put you into Denver or into the
river in about a minute I'm curious to
hAON NAAb bAeeASo JOQ AuSlllu2
along this way for"
Me? I've got 81, 100000 in gold coin
In this car for the Sierra Leone Ma
tional bank-that's all. Didn't you
know that five 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-
ed Ferguson, looking ahead. You're
not going to tackle that bridge, are
your
1--WE are and right off. If there's
any of your huskies want to drop out,
now's their chance" said Pat Francis
as Sinclair slowed up for his run.
Ferguson called his men. The five,
with their rifles, came cautiously for
ward
Boys" said Ferguson briefly,
there's a bridge afire ahead. These
guys are going to try to run It, It's
not in your contract, that kind of a
chance. Do you want to get off? l
stay with the specie, myself. You can
do exactly as you please. Murray,
what do you say?" he asked, address
ing the leader of the force, who appear
ed to weigh about 260.
what do 1 say?" echoed Murray,
with decision, as he looked for a soft
place to alight alongside the track. Il
say I'll drop out right here. l don't
mind train robbers, but don't tackle
a burning bridge-not if I know it,"
and he jumped off.
'Well, Peaters," asked Ferguson of
the second man coolly, ''do you want to
stay?"
'Me?' echoed Peaters, looking ahead
at the mass of flame leaping upward
ME stay? Well, not in a thousand
years. You can have my gun, Mr.. Fer
guson, and send my check to 439 Mil
waukee avenue, if you please. Gen
tlemen, good day" And off went
Peaters
And off went every last man Of the
valorOus detectives except one lame
fellow, who said he would just as lief
be dead as alive anyway and declared
he would stay with Ferguson and die
rich
Sinclair, thinking he might never get
another chance, was whistling sharply
for orders. Francis, breathless with
the news, ran forward.
Coin? How much? Twelve hun
dred thousand. Wheww cried Sinclair
Swing up. Pat We're off,"
The Five-Nine gathered herself with
a spring. Even the engineers heart
quailed as they got Roadway He knew
his business, and he knew that if only
the rails hadn't buckled they were per-
fectly safe, for the heavy truss would
stand a lot of burning before giving
way under a swiftly moving train.
Only, as they few nearer, the blaze
rolling up in dense volume looked hor-
ribly threatening After all, it was
foolhardy, and he felt it, but he was
past the stopping now, and he pulled
the choker to the limit 1t seemed as if
she never covered steel so fast. Under
the head 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 a stare, Sinclair
shut of. He wanted no push or pull on
the track. The McWilliams Special
was just tremendous arrow, shooting
through truss Of fire and half a dozen
speechless men on either side Of the
liver waiting for the catastrophe.
Jerry MacElroy crouched low under
he gauges. Sinclair jumped from his
box and stood with a hand on the
throttle and a hand on the air. the
glass crashing around his head like
lail. A blast of fiery air and flying Gin
1ers burned and choked him. The en-
CINE, alive with danger, few like a
great monkey along the writhing steel.
SO quick, so black, so hot the blast and
70 terrific the leap. she stuck her nose
nto clean air before the men in the |
,ab could rise to it.
There was heave In the middle like
he lurch Of a seasick steamer. and 1
With it the Fiye-Nine got her paws on
DOL iron and solid ground. and the