The San Francisco call., 1908-12-20

hours Meanwhile. If these devils have
scouts out"
Year" said Adsir.
They'll bring the warning, and there
won't DO much time wasted In expert
msnts They oan do US up. IL they get
right down TO business"
what are they doing nowT" Adair
asked OF Brissac, who was on watch on
the cornmissary side.
'Tu be hanged II I know. It looks
like q young cannon, and It's pointed
this way. BY George! It's coming
coming by It's ell alone, too"
BY this time they were ell watching
the new menace. BrissRc's description
fitted 1t accurately; a cylindrical object
mounted upon pair OF small wheels
taken from the conmissary storeroom
truck 1t came toward the Nadia by
curious surges-a rush forward and
pause-traillng what appeared to be
long iron rod behind it.
Ford hit upon the explanation. The
cylindrical thing was another gasptpe
bomb; the iron tail was a smaller pipe
containing and armoring the fuse, and
serving also as the means OF propul-
sion They were coupling on addi-
tionai lengths OF the fuse carrying pipe
as they were needed; hence the jerking
advances and pauses.
Adair's low laugh was as carefree
as ever.
"A practical illustration OF tho tail
wagging the dog" he remarked. But
the dog will wag US good and plenty
when they get him where they want
him You can't FISH that thing up
through the hole with your wire-or
crop the tail"
no; it's run for It. this time" said
Ford. rising and stripping his coat.
But Brissac was pointing TO three
or four men lodging from shadow TO
iOh< nd
circling wide to tighten the line of
circumvailation.
we shan't run very far" he com
nented.
il seemed a hair graying age to the
watcher at the Nadia's windows before
the men behind the commissary bar
ricade got their internal machine
placed 10 their liking. They stared at
IL, all three Of them, fascinated, deaf
and blind to all else. A minimized
shudder as OF drumming wheels or es-
Gaping steam was in the air when they
saw the fare Of the match that be-
tokened the firing of the fuse, but no
one of the three heard It.
It was when the sputtering line of
fire had buried Itself in its tube that
they became suddenly alive to the un-
believable fact that a locomotive was
laundering down the yard on the
Nadia's track A rifle cracked; then
another and a third; but the engine
came on as If its driver bore a charmed
life.
Surely Michael Gallagher must have
prayed to the saints that night He
did not know that the very seconds
had become priceless; he knew only
that Frisbie had sent him on ahead to
snake the presidents car out of the
Horse creek yard as quickly as posi-
BILE. Yet II he could have seen the bomb
and the the sputtering fuse. he could
not have slowed more deftly to let
the automatic couplers clutch each
other, nor. at the touch and clamp.
could he have reversed and gathered
headway with greater skill.
The three occupants OF the Nadia
staggered to their feet as the private
car lunged ahead in the grasp OF the
big engine, increasing speed with
every wheel turn. Mechanically, and as
one man, they rushed TO the rear
platform. The mock cannon stood
where it had been thrust: but IN the
camp street handful Of men were
wrestling madly with the pipe fuse
carrier, breaking ii, wrenching It in
pieces. and stamping futilely upon the
snake like thing kissing and splitting
under their feet.
Look" sobbed Adair. They know
they've discovered that boxcari Oh,
don't they drop II and run?"
This from the man who had laughed
and aimed and fired and laughed again
in the heat of battle. But Ford's re-
joinder was the bitter malediction OF
the defeated industry captain. 'D-n
their worthless livesp he stormed. I'm
the next half minute the Pacific South
western stands to lose a quarter mil
lion doliarsi"
II was but vanishing glimpse that
they had OF the handful OF medmen
stamping and dancing under the mast
: head light in front of the commissary;
| glimpse withdrawing swiftly into g
> dim perspective as the Nadia was
whisked around the curve and up the
Horse creek grade.
1t was after Gallagher had picked
up the lights OF the waiting train OF
= armed track layers, and was whistling
2 to announce his success. that the end
came. For the three watchers on the
rear platform OF the presidents cal
! the little constellation OF arc-stars fl
2 the valley below was suddenly blottec
out in a skyward belching of gray
t flame huge Yolcano-burst of momen
r tarily Illuminated dust Instinctivel!
{ they braced themselves for the con,
cussi0n that followed believing
thunderclap and a rending OF earth ant
Y air that shook the surrounding hin.
. whistle.
Y a blast Of air. down drawn from tn,
( heights to fill the dreadful vacuum
Y was still rocking the stopped car whel
I Frisbie climbed nimbly to the rallied
9 rear platform and swung his Lantern
TO light the faces OF the three mel
= braced in the doorway
Z "A close call gentlemen" was hi
3 only comment; and then he appealed
= briefly to Ford for orders.
0 Back US down slowly" said Fore
Y shortly. land follow with your train
n We may need the men,
e Frisbie went forward through tn
d wrecked private car, returning pres
2. emily to flag Gallag CHER along with TIL
i lantern swung over the railing Dow
e In the valley Of the Pannikin the heav.
s sickening fumes OF the burned ex
= plosives hung IN the air. and when tn
g car swung in on the straight line tn
s red glare of a wrecked and burning
oil tank lighted the scene.
Il The camp site was blankly unrecog
. nizabie \ acre the ten tracked var
d had been there was a vast depression
e half filled with distorted steel an
T. debris .ndescrib,bIe twisted iron an
n cnliDrared Wood with the water frOr