The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-11-08

there was no use in keeping up
hopeless race; but the thought of the
large amount of money at stake kept
me struggling ON. saw the skeleton
like structure of the bridge looming
up behind the signallights, faint in
the moonlight. A moment later /
heard the tug whistling for the draw
to open.
"'Beaten!' murmured, as stag
gered on, keeping my eyes fixed on
the two lights on the bridge, and ex-
pectingNat every moment to see them
dip in response to the demand of the
tug. To my surprise, the lights re
manned stationary. There came an
other series of impatient bellows from
the whistle of the tug, and still the
signal remained unanswered. Then,
as the low, distant roar Of a train
reached my ears, the reason dawned
on me- A passenger-train was ap-
preaching; it had the right of way.
knew the tug and it's tow must wait
for it to pass.
81 quickened my pace somehow, al
though was painting for breath. In
| a moment the train burst into view,
and swung round the curve toward
| the bridge, lights cleaning from the
windows of it's four coaches.
81 was only hundred yards from
| the end of the bridge now. and rum
ming desperately. Hardly had the rear
coach cleared the structure than the
| tug clamored for passage. But the
! bridge-tender was slow in needing.
| had gained the railroad-track at the
: end of the bridge before l saw the
signal-lights dip.
81 did not have breath enough left
to shout. ran out on the first span
| of the bridge in a frantic effort to
| reach the central, or draw, span be-
| fore it should swing out of reach. And
l was just in time. leaped upon the
end of the pivotal span as it trembled
| into motion
"The little house in which the
bridge-tender sat operating the engine
was in the center of the span, dozen
! yards away. 1t did not take me long
to reach it. AS l burst in upon him,
with my face white with exhaustion
and my clothes all dabbled with blood,
old Jack Waterman started back as
if he had seen ghost.
] with difficulty gasped out my
story, and as soon as the slow-witted
old man grasped the meaning of my
words, he pulled lever and quickly
reversed the swing of the half-turned
| span.
Then, with scream of protest
from the whistle of the tug ringing in
my ears, 1 sank down in old Jacks
chair nearly unconscious. When
came fully to my senses again, I found
that the gang of rascals, not knowing
with whom they had to contend,
suppose, had become frightened, had
abandoned the schooner, and, escap-
ing with the tug under the closed
draw, had gone down the river out of
| sight and hearing. The schooner had
/ drifted down with the current and
struck the bridge, slightly damaging
her spars.
"There was a telephone in the
bridge-tender's booth. A message to
1 Lie HlSuL OpSIdIOlf al tAAC 5tf1bhOAA 49,
the village brought down, an hour
later, launch containing doctor
for me and five constables. However,
the tug had been gone so long when
they arrived that the officers made
no search for it.
eve never learned who the con-
spirators were The Waterman at the
shipyards had been overpowered from
behind, and left bound and gagged.
He recognized none OF his assailants.
1.-THE schooner was towed back to
the yards the next day and repaired.
A week later member of the firm
of ship-owners appeared and, with pro
fuse apologies for the delay, paid the
full amount due upon the schooner.
Thus the incident closed, but my
uncle has since made it point to
have no more business dealings with
that firm of ship-owners. Youths
Companion.
AaNNAl n AlIcEc NpIME