La Junta tribune., 1907-11-16

| nuts once and again. and they new in
. stream like bullets over ~ blum
The taller cowboy. bending close on
his knees. raised II yell. The plates
had 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, and
with II pry that bent the claw liar and
yell that reached Harvey. trembling
at the switch, they tore away the
stubborn contact and pointed the rails
over the precipics.
| The shrek of 4 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
minute yet-A bare sixty secOn,is-and
Harvey had no Idea OF dumping $780,
100 worth of equipment into the river
unless he had to.
Suddenly up went the safety signals
/ from the enst end. The 1Ol WAS cough
Ing noisily up the passing track-the
| line was clear. Banks and the cow
| boys waiting breathless. saw Harvey
with II determined lurch close the main
line contact.
| In the next breath the cOalers. with
the sweep of the gale Ia their fright
| full velocity, smashed over the switch
and OH. A rafting whirl Of ballast
| and n dizzy clatter of noise, and be-
fore the frightened crew of ~ could
see what was against them the run
away train was pnsscd-gonc!
II wasn't going to stop here tonight"
muttercd the engineer AZ he stood
with the conductor over lIavey's
shoulder ut the operators desk min
ute later and wiped the cliill from his
forehead with piece OF waste. Wed
have met them in the canyon"
/ Harvey WAS reporting to Bucks. Cal
lahan heard it coming: Rails cut. bur
| 80 safe Runaways Went by here fully
seventy miles an hour
| 1T was easy after that, Griffin IL the
| foot of the grade. From there on the
runaway train Ind hill to climb.
| Bucks had held 80, the local passcn-
ger, sidetrackcd mt Davis thirty miles
]
runawayS passed Davis. though not at
half their highest speed, An instant
| later 2JO's engine wns cut loose ana
| started after them like scared collie.
Three miles east of Davis they were
overhaued Icy tie light engine. The
fireman. Donaluc, crnwlcd out of the
cab window. along the foot rail and
| down on the pilot caught the ladder of
the first ear and, 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
ont of the way. Bucks wired Ed Banks
To bring his cowboys down to McCloud
on 90. sixty was the eastbouud pas
sengcr dre Mt McCloud at $40 II. m. II
turned out that the cowboys had been
arrested for lassolng Norwegian
hornesteader who had cut their wire.
1t wns not heinous OfYcnsc, aud after
1t was Strengthened out by the inter
vention Of Bucks. who was the whole
thing then-they were given jobs lassO-
ing sugar barrels IN the train service.
One of them. the tall fellow. is u pas
senser conductor on the high line yet.
1t was 3 o'clock that morning tho
25th OF December In small letters on
the West End-befOre they got things
tlecently Strengthened out. there was
so much to dO-Orders to make aud re-
ports to take. Bucks. still on the key
In his flowing robes and tumblns hair.
sent and took them all. Then he turn
ed the seat over to Callahan and. get
ting mp for the first time In two hours.
dropped Into another chair.
The very first thing Callahan recelv-
ell was II personal from Pat Francis at
Ogalalla. conductor of 80. II WAS for
Bucks:
Your mother IL aboard 90 She was
| carried by McCloud In the Denver sleeper.
Sending her back to you on Co. Merry
| Christmas.
II came off the wire first. Callahan.
taking 1t. didn't think Bucks heard.
though It's probable that he did hear
Anyway. Callahan threw the clip over
toward him. with laugh.
Look there. old man. There's your
mother coming after all your kicking
carried by on -"
As the boy turned lie saw the big
dispatchcr's head sink between his
arms on the table. Callahan sprang to
his side, but Bucks had tainted.
The Fan.