The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-15

fling and fill; he was going home.
What had his fourteen years of exile i
brought him? he unused. What was |
there to show for his long dissocia. |
ton from the conventional world and |
, its endeavors?
He was going home. going in the |
way he most always went anywhere
by beating 1t.
He stepped away from the station |
lights and crawled into the narrow
space between long. high pile of ties
and a steep embankment. some dis
lance from the tracks.
Here, he concluded, he would rest q
couple of hours. He was dog-tired, all
right.
| He awoke suddenly in cold SILVER.
amid a 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 smol-
or with all the power of his 1.-the
limbs, and with a fierce burst Of
strength and speed, he darted forth
to the single, outside rod under the
last coach.
steel brace, an. instinctively doubled
about 1t. His body was yanked hori-
zontally into the air like feather In
: 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 new one on him, he said
this hanging on to a single piece Of
{ flying steel. II there was only some
> way to maintain little better bal.
ance. he could surely stay with 1t I'M
| til WOODBURY. was reached. That was
only 20 miles farther. and they were
i. hitting a pretty clip, with no stops In
D between.
Say! 1t was cold! He drew one
arm in and crooked 1t across the rod
to serve as a balancer. face-protec.
y tor, and a rest; the other he held In
a rigid grip straight ahead.
e What was that strange lassitude
coming over him? He yawned and
gently released the tension on his
numbed hands and legs. Again he
9 yawned, and his drowsy head sagged
r 1t wasn't cold now. and something
n was saying: Go to sleep; it's all the
v same"
He jerked himself in horror back to
It his right position when he realized
Y what tricks his Imagination was play
t ing. He must stay awake! he almost
"a screamed.
whats the use? May 8 we'll quit
II now" he rambled to himself.
n. His clutch of the rods relaxed and
;" slipped away somewhere. He didn'
care. He could feel his legs breal
x their cramped hold and glide away
It seemed as II his body was just kint
X of anxious to drop OF easy into thu
It foot.path by the tracks.
Il A scream of agony merged with thu
shrek Of the air-brakes as he jerket
back q crippled knee from the ties.
He seemed to curl around his mar
70 row purchase like caterpillar wind
b. ing itself around ones thumb.
With another cry Of agony. b.
ID knew no more.
le The conductor and brakeman car
ried the half-conscious tramp into tn
10 station and settled him comfortably II
a reclining position, placing his in
"a jured leg on a low box.
1T Get his name and address when b
comes to, Joe," said the trainmau
10 land send 1t in"
Then he passed out into the night
e. The agent tucked back the tor
10 trousers and underwear Of his patient
and picking up a small. sharp per
"a knife, he STEPPED to the stove. wher
e. he held the blade for moment in
~ pot Of boiling water.
While the now conscious man al
tentively watched the operation. h
lr. quickly thrust the sterilized steel int
a great, colorless protuberance on tn
knee.
He stared 1T Ills rurgeon with
grin of pain distorting his face.
e Its pretty Tough, t that" h
~ gasped. as he perspiration formed
III thick, tiny crystals on his forehead
60 TITS Just like guy going safe with
en- wad of coin through a tough allie.
&c only to be raped on the head an
robbed ON his own doorstep"