The Greeley tribune., 1907-01-24

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Burns heard tho cry. 1t ncrped him to
q supreme effort.
standing still ahead Of them-so it
seemed to him-thelr own speed was
so great. and the runaways were al
most equaling 1t. They were making
forty miles an hour when they dashed
past the paralyzed freight crew.
Without waiting for orders-what or
ders did such man need ?-without a
word Burns crawled out of his window
with pin and ran forward on the
footboard. clinging the best he could as
the engine dipped and lurched, climbed
down on the cowcatcher and lifted the
pilot bar to couple. 1t was a crazy
thing to attempt. He was much like
lIer to get under the pilot than to sue
coed, yet he tried 1t.
Then 1t was that the fine hand Of
Dad Sinclair came into play. To tenn
per the speed enough, and just enough,
to push her nose just enough and far
enough for Burns to make the draw
bar of the runaway-that was the
nicely of the big scanned hands on the
throttle and on the air, the very magic
Of touch which on a slender bar Of
steel could push hundred tons Of fly
ing metal up and hold 1t steady in a
play Of six inches ON the teeth Of the
gale that tore down behind him.
Again and again Burns tried to
couple and failed. Sinclair. straining
anxiously ahead. caught sight Of the
headlight Of No. rounding O'Fallon's
bluffs.
He cried to Burns, and. incredible
though 1t seems, the fireman heard.
Above all the internal din, the tearing
of the Aaness and ~ roari1g n tbs
wind Burns heard the cry. u nervsd
him to a supreme effort. He slipped the
eye once more into the draw and man.
aged to drop his pin. Up went his
hand in signal.
Choking the steam, Sinclair threw
the brake shoes flaming against the
big drivers. The sand poured ON the
rails. and with Burns up on the coalers
setting brakes the three great run
aways were brought to with a Jerk
that would have astounded the most
reckless scapegraces in the world.
While the plucky fireman crept along
the top of the freight cars to keep
from being blown bodily through the
air, Sinclair, with every resource that
brain and nerve and power could ex-
ert, was struggling to overcome the
terrible headway Of pursuer and pur-
sued, driving now frightfully into the
beaming head Of No. 1.
| With the johnson bar over and the
drivers dancing a gallop backward;
with the sand striking fire and the rails
burning under it; with the old sky
scraper shivering again in a terrific
struggle and Burns twisting the heads
OF the brake rods; with every trick of
old Sinclair's cunning and his boy du-
plicating every one of them in the
cab OF No. 1-still they came together.
1t was too fearful a momentum to
overcome, when minutes mean miles
and tons are reckoned by thousands.
| They came together, but instead Of
an appalling wreck, destruction and
death it was only a bump. No. had
the speed when they met, and 1t was
a car Of coal dumped bit sudden and
a nose on Georges engine like full
backs after a center rush The pilot
doubled back into the ponies, and the
headlight was secured with nut, pea
and slack, but the stack was hardly
bruised.
The minute they struck George Sin
clair, making fast and leaping from
his cab, ran forward in the dark, pant
ing with rage and excitement Burns,
torch In hand, was himself Just jump
ing down to get forward. His face
wore its usual grin. even when Geor-
gle assailed him with a torrent Of
abuse.
What do you mean, you red beaded
lubberr' he shouted, with much the
lungs Of his father. What are you
doing switching coal here on the main
line"
In fact George called the astonishsd
fireman everything he could think OF
until his father, who was blundering
forward on his side Of the engine, hear
Ing the voice, turned and ran around
behind the tender to take a hand him
self.
"MeanT' he roared above the blow
OF his safety. Mean" he beloved In
the teeth Of the wind. Mean? why.
you impudent. empty headed, migrate
ful rapscallion. what do you mean COM
ing around here to abuse man that's
saved you and your train from SAs
scrapr' - NJ
And big Dick Burns, standing BY
with his torch. burst into an Irish
laugh, fairly doubled up before the
nonRlu.ed boy and listened with great