Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-05-16
How Jean I eterault.
Cot His Start
By LOUISE THORNTON .

Dominion. EIe decided to leave the lit
tie patch Of ground his father worked
with a view to entering a more exalt
ed career. Eut what could the DO.
do? He had but little education an(
! was only fifteen years Old. True, b
was big and strong for his age, bu
WHAT'S physical strength in the world
battle? Intellect even III I; pgny boly
Is often its suDer:0t
The Tetaraut farm was near tlle
| railroad. and Jean would nave liked
some position with The company, bu1
| lie coulG not SO nlUch us secure thai
of brakeman Cd \ gravel train. Be
sides. the conductors and others en-
| pl0E&d by TIE road ;Ni0 him that ever
If he found employment as a railroad
| ul;in he "~u!d grow gray in the sery.
ice WIFI ;yi!t :! nlea %t.' s;}!ary.
The E;,il!"nd rain through a cut near
| tie Tet~:;t;tlt faI!n. ana On tie knoll
through wAi>u il l;ji>;,,<'!I was a walnut
! tree U0<' t>ct0!3"" NnS Jean. taking a
! Dag. went % tie tree climbed it and
! bean to gather n!!t&. lie had nearly
| filed n-; !'&-, when i" ,!1eArd voices
| approaching, ana several men came
| and. stood under tie tree. talking with
| one another lps!H Eo't qniet and lis
| tened! From what tile Hnn said he
:.::t}lelet2 that t,2tr were Intending to
step q tGaiI }s3r in a short time ana
rob the express car
,-rti. n,
as5iEned tl!c positions. Ore was to 30
in the direction from which the train
Was expected ans! ii:1:t it, so that it
Nou.G! come e. q IliIt in the cut An
other YVES 10 tackle tie engineer and
Kill him If necessary; ;il3othcr was to
look Gus for the conductor. while the
leader Was to roi, the express car
jean, il tAe men had gone tar enough
away from the tree to permit him,
would have desc ended ans! run through
8 wood that s:li!tod the track ahead
Of t!e Mau VIE Wa:s to It's the train
and given a warming There was a
bend in tie road that would have rem
deTed this quite easy. But the men
did not go away. and when the train
VASE heard in the distance ali put On
masks and got their weapons in readi
AEe2s fer a ti@h1.
when tie train raI'e to stop the
express; ca; was directly beneath the
tree in which Jean WAS lodged He
saw Il ulan call on the engineer and
fireman to tO:Me out Ct the cab. and
the order was oJeTvti. They were
rl;srcilt,. toward the rear Of the train,
where they could not get back into
) the engine. The leader Of the gang
was entleayoring to get into the rear
door OF the express car. which had
been locked. Jean noticed that there
was not a person between this robber
and the locomotive. 1t occurred to him
that he might Scramble down to the
locomotive, get aboard and pull the
train on But this would probably
avail nothing. Ii he could first I'M
couple the express car SO as to leave
the passenger cars he might carry the
robber away fro:: !i> SUI pnrte"s.
The Sc!leN:e Was l">"inAt!Hg. .Ien;)
uA w ISi' - !i'':' -! va! Us. II
resolution W:;S iv::.::!ly W!tnA aim al
resolution Vh:r'1 might i:,r;D Ms
death. TE".: %"$ i" t!"n to lose
The c.1i"t rf'!''";. WIS v;l::;lg to one
OF his men III tue rear 10 -, INTO the
wood and get a piece Of timber With
which to batter down the door OF the
express car Some of the passengers
had thrust their heads out of the car
windows. They would see him run
down to the train, but the robbers
were occupied.
Dropping from the tree he rolled
down the decIivity. rawled under the
express car and wriySIe<l on his stom-
ach to the rear end The old fashioned
coupling wa< then still in use. and
Jean watching his opportunity when
the robber above hin was engaged.
reached up and removed the pin. Then.
scuttling rapidly under the car to it's
front end he climbed up to the plat
form and over the rear end OF the
tender
Jean. having lived beside the railroad
all his life. had picked up some knowI-
edge about how to run a locomotive.
He at least knew how to start and
how to stop one. He opened the throt-
tie rather suddenly, and the locomotive
and express car started with jerk.
The robber on the rear end of the
car. finding himself moving away from
the rest Of the train and his compan-
ions. was puzzled to know what to do.
While he was hesitating he looked
down on the ground to note the speed
and thought he could jump off and get
to the engine. He tried it and succeed
ed, but had just caught the rail to
swing himself up when il blow from
an iron poker caused him to release his
hold. and be dropped to the ground.
Owing to his condition and the speed
the engine had acquired he did not
think it best to try again. Jean had
the express car with the treasure in it.
and that was all he could do. Those
he had left must take care of them
selves. The robbers. seeing what they
had come for disappearing in the dis
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