The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-12

Sinclair nor Dick Burns ever cared. /
Only, the crew Of a freight, side track
ed for the approaching fier. saw an
engine flying light; knew the hunter
and the quarry, for they had seen the
runaways shoot by-saw then. q min
ute after, star and a streak and a
trail of rotten smoke fly down the
wind, and she had come and passed
and gone.
1t was just east Of that siding, sc
Burns and Sinclair always maintain.
ed, but 1t measured 10000 feet east
that they caught them.
A shout from Dad brought the drip
ping fireman up standing. and, looking
ahead. he saw IN the blaze OF their
own headlight the string Of coalers
standing still ahead OF them--So it
seemed to him-their own speed was
so great. and the runaways were al
most equaling it. They were making
forty miles an hour when they dashed
past the paralyzed freight crew.
Without waiting for orders-what or
ders did such a man need without a
word Burns crawled out of his window
with a 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 crazy
thing to attempt. He was much like
lier to get under the pilot than to sue
! coed, yet he tried 1t.
Then it 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 q slender bar of
steel could push hundred tons Of fly
ing metal up and hold it 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. 1 rounding O'Fallon's
bluffs.
He cried to Burns, and, Incredible
though it seems, the fireman heard.
Above all the internal din, the tearing
of the flanges and the roaring of the
wind Burns heard the cry. 1t nerved
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
Always 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 Roadway of pursuer and pur.
sued, driving now frightfully into the
beaming head of No. /.
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
, off the brake rods; with every trick OF
q old Sinclair's cunning and his boy du
I plicating every one of them in the
cab Of No. 1-still they came together
1t was too fearful a momentum tt
! and tons are reckoned by thousands.
They came together, but instead OF
a an appalling wreck, destruction anC
, death it was only bump. No. hat
: the speed when they met, and 1t wai
a car of coal dumped a bit sudden anC
q a nose on Georges engine like full
= backs after a center rush. The pilo
doubled back into the ponies, and thu
headlight was secured with nut, pei
and slack, but the stack was hardl!
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 fac
wore It's usual grin, even when GeoI
gle assailed him with a torrent o
abuse.
What do you mean, you red heade
lubberY' he shouted, with much tn
lungs of his father. What are 20
doing switching coal here on the mai
line?"
In fact George called the astonishe
fireman everything he could think o
until his father, who was blunderin
forward on his side Of the engine, hear
ing the voice, turned and ran aroun
behind the tender to take hand hin
self
"MeanY he roared above the bloy
of his safety ''MeanY he beloved 1
the teeth of the wind "MeanP Wh!
you impudent, empty headed, migrate