Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-12

But they had barely regained their breath and
mopped the streaming sweat away from their ewes
both back to their task
Catching the eye of Barcus Alan nodded DESPAIR.
ingly. 'p'i'
Afraid it's all up with us now" he proansa,
tnat sounded precisely like the whistle of the gbe
engine" ~ ''e NS-'
little grace granted them. however.
through the circumstance Gas they afterward dis
covered) that the light engine had stonnad a. an
sIins long enough to couple up Trine's Pullman
1t was fully quarter Of an hour before tho
growing rumble Of the latter warned the trio on
the hand car just II gained the end Of the grade
and addressed itself to a level though tortuous
stretch of track
And at this point discovery of the switch ~ q
spur line that shot off southwark into the hills fur.
nlshed Alan with his independent inspiration
stopping the hand car after it had iolted over the
Irogs' ne Jumped down. set the switch 10 shunt the
pursuit on the spur and leaped back uDon the car
Hardly had they succeeded in working the hand
car up round the shoulder Of the next bend when
lne special took the switch without pause and the
roar or its progress, shut of by an intervening
mountain was suddenly stilled to a murmur
But even so, there was neither rest for the weary
nor much excuse for INSTRUMENTATION: the rum
bic OF the special was not altogether lost to hearing
When the thunder of the freight replaced and
drowned it out
OF sudden, releasing the handlebar Alan stood
up and signed to Barcus to initiate his example
we'll this last painted, when he had obeyed
Jump of-leave the hand car where It is-theyu
have to stop to clear it off the track"
And them"
IN buy a lift from them if it takes my last COL
lar in the world" Alan promised It's our only
hope We can't keep up this heartbreakng bust
ness forever-and it can't be long before Trine and
Marrophat discover their mistakei"
v-CABoosE
For once, in a way, it fell cut 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 it lent its common ear to Alans
wellworn tale which had so frequently proved use.
full in similar emergencies of clipping couple pur
sued by an unreasonngly vindictive parent an6
had its hopes rewarded by the price Alan bargained
to pay in exchange for exclusive of the caboose
far the next town.
So that it was not more than ten minutes before
Rose settled to rest in such comfort as the
caboose afforded. while Alan and Barcus sat within
its doorway and smoked
Neither he any other aboard the freight sus.
pected for instant that in the box next for
ward of the cabOose, a woman in mans clothing
lay purdu now and again chucltling impishly to
herself in anticipation Of the time and the event
she biding with such patience as she could
muster.
The whistle Of locomotive overtakng the
o
her cherished plan.
Rising she glanced out Of the open door
curve in the track below the freight laboring up
steep grade. enabled her to catch a glimpse Of
headlight, followed by a string Of lighted windows
indicating a single car: the special beyond 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 il and the caboose
Climbing to the top Of the box car she peered
keenly through the cleaning, which was not vet
dense that she might not discern two heads nro.
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 betterl
Dropping down again between the cars she set
herself to solve the problem of uncoupling the
caboose.
In this she was successful just the last car
rolled out on the trestle
It's own impetus carried the caboose TO the mid
die of the trestle before II 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 instant-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
otueI VIII eyes informed Dy common inspiration.
Barcus announced in a breath Thirty feet
not more"
Alan replied: Can you hold the weight Of the
two of us for half a minute"
Barcus shrugged: Il can try. We might as
well-even If can't"
While speaking, he was lowering himself between
the ties.
"An right" he announced briefly
With a word to Rose, Alan slipped down beside
Barcus shifted his hold to the body OF the latter
and climbed down him until he was supported
solely by the grasp Of his two hands on Barcus
ankles.
Instantly Rose followed him. slipping like a snake
down over the two men till she in turn hung by
her grasp Alan's 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 titanic bolt, struck the caboose with
crash like the explosion of II collapsed
upon itself like a thing of pasteboard.
That II had been constructed of more solid stuff
abundantly proved by the showed Of timbers
splinters and broken iron that rained about thu
heads OF the fugitives
For all that. the gods smiled upon them fc
their courage: they escaped without scratch.
r., he nod