Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-12
Copyright, 1907, by Francis Lynde.)

suggested Adair. still cool and unruff1ed
Il might be able to hit that tin thing a
this short distance. but 1 suppose tha
would only precipitate matters. VIVA
do you Say?"
Ford could not say. and Brissac seemed
to have become suddenly petrified witt
horror. He was staring at the lettering
on the box car opposite-the one undel
whose trucks the dynamiters were hiding
Look he gasped. Its the car Of ex
plosives and they don't know it, Their
he darted back into the Nadia's kitchen
returning quickly with huge carving
knife rummaged from the pantry shelves
stand back and give me ROOM ne
begged: and they saw him lean out Il
send the carving knife whis,ling through
the air: saw it sever the head from the
stiff bodied snake-the head and the trail
ing horn as we'll.
Good man." applauded Adair. dragging
the assistant engineer back to safety be-
fore any of the sharpshooters haC
marked him down. Where did you learr
that trick?'
1T is my one little accomplishment
confessed the Louisianian. An ole
boy in the bayou country"
The peril was over for the moment. The
severed pole was withdrawn. and fol
what seemed like. an endless interval the
kept watch as they might. creeping from
window to window. Out under the blue
glare Of the commissary arc light the
body OF the negro porter lay as II mac
fallen. Once Ford thought he hearG
groans from the black shadow where the
not be sure. On the other side Of the
private car. and half way between it and
the observation-disclosures load Of high
explosives the petard oyster tin lay un
In the sand beside 1t.
What will they try next?' queriee
Adair. when the suspense was AGAR
growing intolerable.
''It is simple enough if they happen te
think OF it," was Ford's retoinder. "A
few sticks Of dynamite in a plugged gas
pipe: cut your fuse long enough. light II
and throw the thing under the car. That
would settle it,
Adair yawned sleepily.
ventive part of it. There's no rescue fol
us unless somebody's good husky army
of somebodies-just happens along"
THE army Is less than eight miles
Ford. "with Dick to lead them. the
track layers would sack this place in
about five minutes. If could only get
to the wire!'
Brissac heard the 'if.''
Let me try to run their picket line
Ford" he said. eagerly. IF l can get
around to our quarters and into the tele-
graph tent
'You couldn't do 1t. Roy. There is the
proof Of it," pointing to the body of the
slain negro. But I have been thinking
of another scheme. The track-camp wire
is bracketed across the yard on the light
poles. / have my pocket relay. I wonder
If we could manage to cut IN on that
wire?'
wait a minute" Brissac interrupted
He was gone but moment. and when he
returned he brought hope with him.
'The wire is down and lying across the
front vestibule'' he announced excitedly
They must have cut 1t up yonder by the
telegraph tent and the slack has sagged
down this way"
(which gives US a dead wire without
any batteries" said Ford. gloomily. and
then: Hold on-aren't there electric
call bells in this car, Adair?"
Yes. several OF them; one in each
stateroom.'
"Good! that means batteries of some
Sort said Ford. 'Rummage for them,
Brissac. while get that wire in here"
Go be continued tomorrow