The commonwealth., 1914-11-12

@ZA ;.;salts',.. asf'alts'y and :!., sat:
He had had his
fling and fill; he was going home.
What had his fourteen years of exile
brought him? he mused. What was
there to show for his long dissocia-
tion from the conventional world and
| its endeavors?
He was going home, going in the
way he most always went anywhere
by beating it.
He stepped away from the station
lights and crawled into the narrow
| space between long, high pile of ties
and steep embankment, some dis.
tance from the tracks.
Here, he concluded, he would rest
couple of hours. He was dog-tired, all
| right.
He awoke suddenly in a cold shiver,
amid confusion of noises, to see the
broad patches Of color reflected from
the Pullman windows moving swiftly
away from him.
The greater bulk of the train
stretched far In front Faster and
faster it took its way, leaving the
tramp with a choice of only two cars
to negotiate.
He saw the uselessness of trying
for the handles of the vestibules, and,
impelled by the fascination of motion
and the anxiety to succeed, he stopped
half over. Running close to the smok-
er with all the power of his litha
limbs, and with a fierce burst of
strength and speed, he darted forth
to the single, outside rod under the
last coach.
! His outstretched hands struck the
I steel brace, an. fnstinctively doubled
about it. His body was yanked hori-
zontally into the air like a feather in
! a gale. With quick, experienced CROP
ing he managed to throw one leg into
! the space between the rod and the
/ car-foor, and with one leg twined safe,
he quickly pulled the other away
from danger and onto the rod.
There he sprawled like frog aleap,
! hugging his hold, rocking from side to
! side with the wide oscillations of the
! speeding car
This was Il new one on him, he said
this hanging on to a single piece Of
flying steel. If there was only some
way to maintain u little better ball
/ ance, he could surely stay with it. un-
til Woodburn was reached. That was
only 20 miles farther, and they were
hitting pretty clip, with no stops in
between.
Say! It was cold! He drew one
arm in and crooked it across the rod
to serve as a balancer, a face-protec-
tor, and a rest; the other he held in
a rigid grip straight ahead.
What was that strange lassitude
coming over him? He yawned and
gently released the tension on his
numbed hands and legs. Again he
yawned, and his drowsy head sagged.
1t wasn't cold now, and something
was saying: go to sleep; it's all the
same"
He jerked himself in horror back to
his right position when he realized
| what tricks his Imagination was play
ing. He must stay awake! he almost
screamed.
Whats the use? May 8 well quit
now," he rambled to himself.
His clutch of the rods relaxed and
slipped away somewhere. He didn't
care. He could feel his legs break
their cramped hold and glide away.
1t seemed as if his body was just kind
of anxious to drop off easy into the
foot-path by the tracks.
A scream of agony merged with the
shrek of the air-brakes as he jerked
back a crippled knee from the ties.
He seemed to curl around his mar
row purchase like a caterpillar wind
ing itself around ones thumb.
With another cry of agony, he
tightened his grip on the rod-and
knew no more.
The conductor and brakeman car.
ried the half-conscious tramp into the
station and settled him comfortably in
reclining position, placing his in
jured leg on low box.
Get his name and address when he
comes to, Joe," said the trainman
"and send it in"
Then he passed out into the night
The agent tucked back the torn
trousers and underwear Of his patient
dHu plChluS up d. S1udil, SudIp peu
knife he sterped to the stove, where
he held the blade for moment in a
pot of boiling water.
While the now conscious man at
tentively watched the operation, he
quickly thrust the sterilized steel into
a great, colorless protuberance on the
knee.
He stared 1T lis aurgeon with q
grin of pain distorting his face.
! Its pretty tough, 1T that" he
gasped, as he perspiration formed II
thick, tiny crystals on his forehead
''It's Just like ;. guy going safe vita Z
. wad of coin through tough alley
only to be raped en- the head apt
robbed on his owR doorstep