The Washington herald., 1914-10-11


Afraid IT'S all up with US now" he Eroan.d:
that sounded precisely Ike the whistle Of the EEht
engine"
A little grace was granted them. however,
through the circumstance (as they afterward dis.
covered) that the light engine had stopped at the
siding long enough to couple up Trines Pullman.
1t was fully quarter Of an hour before the
growing rumble Of the latter warned the THO on
the hand car just it gained the end Of the grade
and addressed itself to level though tortuoua
stretch OF track.
And at this point discovery Of the switch of .
spur line that shot on southwark into the hills fur.
nisned Alan with his independent inspiration
stopping the hand car after it had jolted over the
frogs, he jumped down. set the switch to shunt the
pursuit on the spur, and Ieaped back upon the car
Hardly had they succeeded in working the hand
car up round the shoulder Of the next bend when
the special took the switch without pause and the
roar OF its progress, shut on by an intervening
mountain. was suddenly stfled to a murmur.
But even 50, there was neither rest for the weary
nor much excuse for selfcongratulation: the rum
BILE Of the special was not altogether to hearing
when the thunder Of the freight replaced and
drowned It out.
OF a sudden. releasing the handlebar, Alan stood
up and signed to Barcus to initiate his example
"well-?' this last painted when he had obeyed
Jump oh-leaye the hand car where It is-theyTI
have to stop to clear it OF the track"
And them"
I'll buy lift from them if it takes my last dol.
hope. We can't keep up this heartbreaking busi-
ness toreyer-and it can't be long before Urine and
Marrophat discover their mistake!"
Iv-CABoosE
For once, in a way, 1t fell out precisely as Mr.
Law had planned and prayed
Constrained to pull up in order to remove the
obstruction from the track, the train crew Of the
freight choked down its collective wrath on being
presented with sum Of money. In the hopes of
further largesse 1t lent its common ear to Alans
well-worn tale, which had frequently proved use
ful IN similar emergencies, Of clipping couple pur
sued by an unreasonngly vindictive parent; and
had its hopes rewarded by the price Alan bargained
to pay In exchange for exclusive Of the caboose
as far as the next town.
So that it was not more than ten minutes befora
Rose settled to rest In such comfort as the
caboose afforded, while Alan and Barcus sat within
its doorway and smoked
Neither he nor any other aboard the freight sus-
pected for an instant that in the box next for
ward Of the caboose, a woman in mans clothing
lay purdu now and again chuckling impishly to
herself in anticipation of the time and the event
she biding with such patience as she could
muster.
The whistle of locomotive overtaking the
freight sounded the signal for her to take action on
her cherished plan.
Rising, she glanced out Of the open door, A
curve in the track below the freight, laboring up
a steep grade. enabled her to catch glimpse Of q
neaongnt, followed by string OF lighted windows,
indicating single car: the special beyond a doubt
Without hesitation, since the train was not run.
ming at speed, she dropped out to the ballast,
wheeled smartly about, caught the handbar at the
end of the box it passed and swung herself
up between 1t and the caboose.
Climbing to the top Of the box car she peered
keenly through the cleaning, which was not yet
so dense that she might not discern two heads pro-
truding from the window of the specials engine
She turned and peered ahead. The freight was
approaching trestle that spanned wide and shall
low gully.
So much the better!
Dropping down again between the cars she set
herself to solve the problem of uncoupling the
caboose.
In this she was successful just as the last car
rolled out the trestle.
Its own impetus carried the caboose to the mid
die Of the trestle before it stopped.
As this happened, Alan and Barcus, already
warned OF an emergency by the slowing down Of
the car, and for some time alive to the fact that
the special was again in pursuit, leaped out upon
the ties and helped Rose to alight.
There was no time to execute their plan Of the
first desperate instsnt-to along the ties to
safety the solid earth: the distance was too
great; they could not possibly make it.
With common impulse the two men glanced down
to the bottom of the gully, then looked at each
other with eyes informed by common inspiration
Barous announced in a breath: Thirty feet
not more"
Alan replied: Can you hold the weight Of the
two of US for half minute"
Barcus shrugged: Il can try. We might a.
well-even if can't"
While speaking, he was lowering himself between
the ties.
"An right" he announced briefly.
With word to Rose, Alan slipped down beside
Barcus, shifted his hold to the body Of the latter
and climbed down over him until he was supported
solely by the grasp Of his two hands on Barcus'
ankles.
Instantly Rose followed him, slipping like q snake
down over the two men till she in turn hung by
her grasp on Alans ankles, then released her hold
and dropped the balance Of the distance to the
ground, scant ten feet landing without injury.
thought later Alan dropped lightly to her side,
followed by Barcus.
Overhead the special engine. hurting onward
like some titanic bolt, struck the caboose with
crash like the explosion of a cannon. II collapsed
upon itself like thing Of pasteboard
That 1t had been constructed Of more solid stun
was abundantly proved by the showed Of tmbers,
splfnters and broken iron that rained about the
heads OF the fugitives.
For all that, the gods smiled upon them To-
their courage: they escaped without q scratch
ITO be continued)