Evening star., 1913-11-12

his new found friend. Billy looked al
the sheriff doubtfuliy.
GO on. take hirl. said the Official.
in kindlier tones than he usually used
toward prisoners in his charge. Guess
whatever else you may have done,
Billy. there's no danger of your hurt
ing kid like that.
Billy half rose in his seat and the
young mother accustomed to the easy
manners OF the west. and rather proud
of the facility Of her baby for making
friends. was about to pass the baby
to Billy when suddenly there came
from the engine the long. shrielIins
whistle which all railroad men know
and dread-the danger signal. The
next second the brakes grtpped the
ear wheels with SuddcnueSS and
force which sent the passengers tunb-
ling over each other aud the seats.
The car seemed to recoil OH itself IN
lis desperate effort to stop. Then the
front trucks rose from the ground
there was crashing of tiubers.
Kissing. rending sound. rising III the
scale to almost 2 wall the front
wheels tore their wa! through the
woodwork of the preceding car. The
floor Of the car seemed TO twist ana
writhe like Il living thing. Then the
whole car careened wildly. and with
crash of breaking glass and smashing
timbers fell over on its side, the OBJ
posite to that on which Billy and the
sheriff had been sitting.
For a moment Billy was stunned ana
helpless Then. a his senses came
back. he struggled 70 mis- feet. how he
scarceiy knew He had been cut u!
the glass in the car windows ana WAS
bruised from head to foot, but 70 ms
surprise found that he was not Sc
riously injured. ON the ground. ieW
feet away. lay Sheriff Wilson. uhcoh-
scious. the blood running from sash
in his forehead
On every side were men ana women
some dangerously injured. others dazra.
xet little hurt others still pinned down
by the wreckage. 1t had been a coillsion
and bad one. and even as BiiiS
Strengthened himself up and tired |" re-
call his scattered senses from every a.
rection came groans. shrieks. calls Tor
help and all the heart-breaSing accom-
paniments of a railroad accident.
Billys first thought was 10 turn IN
and devote every energy to helping those
less fortunate than himself. VINO hau
been caught in the Wreckase. Then lie
stopped Sheriff Wilson was unconscious
Before he regained his senses Billy coGid
be far away. When the sheriff missed
him il would be thought he was buried In
the wreck With so much time Billy was
certain OF making successful escape. 1t
would be a mean thing to do thought
Billy but, on the other hand. rose up
the grim picture OF the penitentlafy.
its narrow cells, its bitter routine of
la Dor, its hardships and loss of all that
difference would one man make in the
task of clearing such wreck
Once again. when he had regarded all
as definitely settled, fate had brought
home to Billy Thompson the choice OF
which path in life he should take.
1t was baby's chubby hand that
turned the balance. Even as Billy stood
undecided he heard a frightened wall
and saw dimpled little fist sticking out
from under one of the shattered fras-
.ch ha hn3 hoo n
sitting before the wreck. And witt a
sudden thrill Billy realized that the
plump. friendly baby. who a moment
before had been cooling and laughing In
his very face was pinned under the
wreckage All thought of the penitentiary
vanished. Billy plunged at his task of
rescue working furiously. yet careful not
to dislodge any of the timbers in such a
way that they would fall on the little
prisoner.
1t was a hard task and not a short one,
though other willing hands soon had
Joined TO Biily's. But in the end both the
plump baby and its young mother we're
extricated from the wrecked car. In the
car were dead and badly injured, but the
baby and its mother were unhurt, except
for a few bruises. When the car had
careened to one side the back of the seat
on which they had been sitting turned
over in such a manner as to imprison
both of them, but also to protect them
lFOUl the BIOheli glass anu lllllbeTS- f5ut
if it had not been for Billys prompt and
desperate work there was u chance that
they would not have been released until
the flames which now We're sweeping
through the mass OF wreckage, had rem
dered IL too late
When Billy realized that the plump
baby and it's mother We're safe he drew
a long breath Of relief Then he suddenly
realized that among the men who had
been assisting him was Sheriff Wilson.
rha Sha had baa nrlyp liyhf In.
iured, and soon he regained his
senses, regardless of the blood which was
pouring from the cut in his forehead,