The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-11-12

the shops, caught the distant roar no
turned and ran for the house.
"Git up. Ed" he called TO the road
master. they're sending a wild car
down the canyon-and she may be
loaded with dynamite!"
Dynamite or not" mumbled the
grizzled roadmaster, as he reused up
from his couch. there's derailer
put in up at kilometer seventy the first
thing yesterday morning. That'll send
her into the ditch!"
Nevertheless he listened intently.
cooking his head to guess by the
sound when 1t came to kilometer
seventy.
"Now she strikes III" he announced.
as the rumble turned into a roar; but
the roar grew louder. there was a
crash as the trucks struck a curve.
and then a great metal ore-car swung
round the point. rode up high as 1t
hit the reverse and. speeding by as IL
shot from a catapult. swept through
the yard: smashed into a freight car.
and leaped, car and ALL into the creek.
They've sneaked my derailerl" eaid
the roadmaster. starting on a run for
the shops. who'll go with me to put
in another one? or Wen loosen a rail
on the curve-thatll call for no more
than a clawbar and wrench!"
'Tll go!" volunteered Bud and the
man who stood guard. and as startled
sleepers reused up on every side and
ran toward the scene of the wreck
they dashed down the hill together and
threw a handcar on the track.
Then, with what tools they could
get together, and a spare derailer on
the front. they pumped madly up the
canyon, holding their breaths at every
curve for fear OF what they might see.
II there was one runaway car there
was another. for the rebels were be-
ginning an attack.
Already on the ridges above them
they could hear the crack OF rides. and
a Jet or two Of dust made II evident
that they were the mark. But with
three strong men at the handles they
made the handcar jump. The low hills
fed behind them. They rounded a
point and the open track lay before
them, With something
"Jump!" shouted the roadmaster,
and as they tumbled down the bank
they heard q crash behind them and
their handcar was knocked into kind.
ling wood
II was a close call for all three
men. and there he'd been but an in
slant between them and death.
death by the most approved fighting
methods OF the revolutionists, methods
which kept the fighters out Of harms
way.
Now up to the track" the roadmas.
ter painted. as the destroyer swept on
down the line Find some tools
we'll take out a rail-"
With frantic eagerness he toiled up
the fill and attacked a fieh-plate, and
Bud and the young guard searched the
hillside for tools to help with the work.
They fell to with sledge and clawbar.
tapping of nuts. jerking out spikes,
then once more that swift-moving
something doomed up suddenly on the
track.
up the hilll" commanded the road.
master, and as they scrambled into a
gulch a wild locomotive, belching
smoke and steam like a fire engine,
went rushing past them, struck the
loose rail. and leaped into the creek
bed. A moment later. as 1t crashed
its way down to the water, there was
an explosion that shook the hills. They
crouched behind the cut bank, and the
trees above them bowed suddenly to
the slash of an iron hail.
"Dynamite," cried the roadmaster.
grinning triumphantly as he looked
up after the shock; and when the fall
fed as II by instinct from the place.
they struck hands on their narrow es-
cape. But back at the big house. with
everybody giving thanks for their de-
livery from the powder train, the mas
ter mechanic raised a single voice OF
plOttots iit hh'" Aht opuHts nv
knew that dynamite had not been re-
sponsible for the crash that smote the
ears OF the anxious listeners.
Twas not dynamite!" he yelled.
Powder train be damned! II was No.
81 She was sour as a distillery! She
blowed up. l tell ye-she bowed up
when she hit the creek!"
And even after a shower OF bullets
from the ridge had driven them all to
cover he still rushed to those who
would listen and clamored that II was
the bran.
But there was scant time to hold a
post-mortem on No. 3, for on the sum
nit of nearby ridge. and overlooking
the black tank. the rebels had thrown
up wall in the night. and from the Sc
curity of this shelter they were indus
triously shooting up the town.
The smash Of the first wild car had
been their signal for attack, and as
the explosion threw the defenders into
confusion they made a rush TO take
the tank. Here. as on the day before.
was stationed the federal garrison. a
scant twenty or thirty men In charge
Of q boy lieutenant