Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-13
XXV-Continued.

XXV-Continued.
The wire was successfully pulled in
through the front vestibule without Civ
ing the alarm. Ford twisted it in two
when he had enough of 1t to reach the
central compartment. -Adair did sentry
duty while the two technicians wrought
swiftly. The bell battery was found. the
ground connection made with a bit OF
copper wire stripped from one of the
staterooms. and Ford quickly adjusted
the delicate spring of the tiny field relay.
What he feared most was that the few
dry cells Of the bell battery would not
supply the current for the eight miles Of
line up Horse creek. For a time. which
!engthened to dragging minutes. the anx-
neld instrument. The sensitive magnet
seemed wholly dead. Then, Sudden.y, 1t
began to tick hesitantly in response to
F'ord's tapping of the key.
THANK God. the battery is strong
enough he exclaimed. Now if there
is somebody within hearing at Frisbie's
end Of the line . ="
t,d He was CLICKING persstently and pa
ing now and then with the Horse creek
call and his own private code letter, when
Adafr came up from his post at one of
the rear windows. The golden youth was
the bearer Of tidings, but Ford held up
his hand for silence; some one was break
ing In to reply from Frsbies-Frisbie.
himself. as the minimized tickings speed
lily announced.
Ford shipped out his call for help in
the fewest possible words:
Arm McGrath's gang and bring it by
train to Horse creek. quick. MacMor-
roghs are trying to dynamite us in the
Nadia. FORD"
Almost without a break in the insect
like 11CkfnRS the Ypn1v
stand them off; help coming
The thing done. the master workman
IN Ford snatched at the helm.
Did you catch and hold the pick-and-
shovel men from this camp?''
he clicked anxfously.
Got them all herded here and ready
to go back to work-for more pay"
answered Frisbie: and Ford licked one
with a sigh of relief. Then, and not un-
til then. Adair said: els that all for the
present? If 1t is, I'm sorry to have to
report that the beggars outside have hit
rolling around. black thing with a string
attached down upon US from the COM
missary. The slant of the hill is just
enough eno,s, t., to keep it it coming where the
From sheer force of habit Ford discon-
nected his field telegraph. cased and
pocketed it. Then there was an instant
adjournment to the rear windows on the
camp side. Happily, the rolling bomb
was as yet only on the way. Pebbles
and roughnesses interviewed here and
there to stop or to turn it aside, and
since 1t was out of reach of their longest
pole. the dynamiters would start 1t on
again by throwing stones at it.
Hereupon ensued a struggle which.
under other conditions. would have fig
ured as horse play. One after another
the three men in the car heaved cushions,
pillows. distractions of any sort in the
path Of the rolling menace. And behind
the commissary barrfcade the dynamiters
patiently twitclled the bomb by the firm
ly fastened fuse this way and that to
avoid the obstacles, sent IT forward
under the impact of we'll directed mis-
siles.
Ford was the first Of the three to rec
ognize the futility of the cushion barri-
cades.
They'll beat us-they'll drop it in the
ditch right here under in spite of
fate!' he cried. ''Grissac, go and break
the glass In the accident tool case and
bring me the AK, quickly" And when he
had 1t: Now get me a piece of that
telegraph wire and bend hook on the
end of it-jump for it: you'll have to
twist it OF with your fingers"'
With an energy that made no account
pet and fell to work fiercely. cutting
hole through the car floor. while Brissac
broke q piece from the wire and bent
a fnger-shaped hook on the end of it.
dow shade. gave his attention to the at
tack.
They are getting it here, slowly but
surely" he reported. 1T is going to roll
under US just about where you are.
Now it has gone past my line of sight
And moment later. in the same drawl
ing monotone: They have lighted the
fuse. but there is a good long string of IT
then. with a sudden failure in the mono
tone: mo. by Jove! you can't take your
time! The fire is jumping across the road
to beat the band!
The hole was opened through the floor.
and Ford was on his stomach with his
face and an arm in the aperture. fishing
desperately for the loop in the fuse. 1t
was his success. his sudden drawing of
the loop up into the car. that had
shocked Adair out Of his pose. Brissac
was ready with the ak. and the instant
the loop appeared 1t was severed. the
burning end cast off. and the other end.
with the bomb attached. was safely
drawn up into the car.
The perspiration was running from
FOrd's face in streams when he had the
engine of death securely in his hands.
Take it. Roy" he gasped. Drop Ut
into IN o., the water cooler That will be tile
the gun play
AS If his word had evoked it, storm
Of rife bullets swept through the car,
smashing windows. breaking the remain
work. Again and again the flashes leaped
out of the surrounding shadows and the
air was sibilant with whining missiles.
Brissac had the Internal machine; at
first he fell upon 1t and covered it with
his body: afterward he crawled with 1T
into the nearest stateroom and muffTed it
in roll of berth mattresses.
When the storm ceased, as suddenly
as It had begun. they crept together in
the vestibule farthest from the commits
sary lead-hurling volcano to count the
casualties.
There was none; not even a bullet score
or splinter wound to show for the hot
bombardment. though the side of the
Nadia facing the commissary was rid
died.
I'm believing all I've ever read about
its taking hundred pounds of lead to
kill one man in war battle" said the
New Yorker. grimly humorous to the last
How do you two c. +. S account for it?'
1--WE don't" said Ford. shortly. We're
merely thankful that ell humankind hab-
itually shoots high when it's excited or in
a hurry
Then he sprang afoot. secured his AK
and sent Brissac to the pantry to rum
mage for other weapons "a rush is the
next thing In Order" he suggested. and
they prepared as they could to meet it.
But the rush did not come. Instead of
II. one man. carving what aDDeared to