Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-10

eei SaNS AaTi otrenEth for 7ii
Daily Labor.
ers' summons when Karl Hurd. deli.
cate of face and hardly strong enough
Tor the work he had been forced to
accept, staggered back, dropped the
piece of lumber he was handling and
almost sank to the ground from sheer
WEAKNESS. Too much work and not
enough food was slowly killing him
and only the thought of his wife and
daughter gave him strength enough tc
keep up.
Several of his fellow laborers came
towards him and offered to help him
They talked with discomfort over con-
ditions that forced them to submit to
the treatment that Jake and Powers
meted out.
At low warning shout from one
OF their number, all jumped to their
places and were busy at work when
JAKE came around the corner of the
nearest lumber pile-that is. all but
Hurd. He had not been quick
enough, and the foreman, with an
angry CLINT in his eye and an oath on
MS lips, gave him a vicious shove that
sent him spinning across a low nile
or lumber. He crashed to the ground
beyond 1t and rising quickly, stood
leaning against the pile weakly. en-.
deavoring to get his breath.
Here you get to work and cut out
that soldering" yelled Snyder as he
bounded across the low pile in Hurd's
direction.
Get to work now, not next week "
he added as Hurd was slow in re-
spending, emphasizing the words with
a vicious kick.
Sudden, swift passion seized IIurd
and careless of all consequences
thoughtless as to what the future
might hold for him-he lunged fierce
ly at his foreman, and struck him
squarely between the eyes. His was
the strength of desperation and the
blow sent Jake reeling against the
lumber pile.
The startled shout-half of amaze
ment and half of approval-which
greeted Hurd's action, as much as
the sudden impact of doubled fist
against human flesh, brought him
quickly to his senses, and he stood
for moment staring at his dazed
prosecutor as the realization of what
he had done was slowly impressine
itself upon him.
And then fear seized him, and turn
ing on his heel he fed-fed as IL
thousand demons were after him
fed blindly up one lumber yard alley
and down the other with the enraged
Snyder, who had quickly recovered,
dashing madly after him.
Stop or I fire." yelled Jake. and
then his revolver spoke-not once
but three times in rapid succession,
the vicious fire and the shipping bull
let adding to the pandemonium that
reigned in the lumber yard.
But Hurd fed blindly on.
Stumbling, plunging, falling and
rising again, he raced across the
rough, uneven ground, and reached
the railroad tracks just as the Inter-
urban trolley bound for San Pedro
whirred into view. With his last re-
naming ounce of strength, he made
a desperate squirt and flung himself
headlong onto the front platform of
the rushing trolley. That he escaped
death beneath the wheels was a mir
acle.
For Just an instant Hurd lay prone
upon the platform and then slowly
drew himself up to a standing posi-
ton. He was too relieved at his
escape from immediate danger to
give much thought to the fact that
his job was probably gone-that he
was out of employment That
realization of his full plight would
have come to him soon is possible,
ndu not a suQoen cOmmOtton in the
Interior of the car attracted his at
tention. GlanciRg through the glass
door he noticed Jake, the smoking
revolver still in his hand, advancing
along the center isle of the car. His
thce was working angrily and every
line of his ugly countenance cried out
tor revenge. He had been close upon
Hurd's heels in the mad race and a
duplicate of the. wild lunge that
landed Hurd on the front platform
had catapulted him onto the back
one.
The Powers lumber yard lay in low
ground just east of the trolley right
If way, and at the instant that Hurd,
slancing into the interior of the car,
Jaw his pursuer advancing upon him,
the car was swiftly moving unto a
.yestle that carried the trolley high
INTO the air, over the lumber yard,
md on toward the city.
1t was a time for quick action and
Hurd was equal to the emergency.
With a new strength born Of his mo-
nentary respite. Karl gathered him
ielf together for a spring. and muir
nuring a prayer for safety, he hurled
his body fercely from the swiftly
moving trolley and landed on top of
towering lumber pile. AS he lay
winded and painting on top of the
:ude skyscraper, he saw Jake car
led swiftly past him on the dashing