Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-05-13

of black substance inside, closed it up,
| placed 1t against the far wall, un.
twisted the coil. stood back near the
door and then pressed the button. The
| result was extraordinary. The whole
of the far wall was blown out and for
| some distance in front the ground
was furrowed up by the explosion
Quest replaced the instrument In his
and ran for the tower house. Behind
| him on It's way to New York he could
| see j. freight train coming along. He
| could hear, too, Red Gallagher's roar
| OF anger. 1t was less than fifty yards,
yet as soon as he reached the shelter
OF the tower the thunder of the freight
sounded in Quests ears. He glanced
around. Red Gallagher and his mate
were racing almost side by side to-
wards him. He pushed up the narrow
| stairs into the signal room, tearing
open his coat to show his oSicial badge.
stop the freight" he shoused to the
operator. Quick. I'm Sanfora Quest,
detective-special powers from the
chief commissioner
The man moved to the signal. Al
other voice Numbered In his ears. He
turned swiftly around. The Irishman's
| red head had appeared at the top Of
| the staircase.
| Drop that signal or I'll blow you
into bits" he shouted.
| The operator hesitated, dazed.
Walk towards me-" Gallagher
| shouted. Look here, you guy, this
will show you whether I'm in earnest
| or mott"
A bullet passed within a few inches
of the operators head He came SLOW
ly across the room. Below they could
hear the roar of the freight.
This amt your job" the Irishman
continued savagely I'VE want the
cop, and we're going to have him.
Quest had stolen yard or two
nearer during this brief colloquy Gal
lagher's mate from behind shouted cut
a warning just a second too late. With
sudden kick, Quest sent the re-
volver flying across the room and be-
| fore the Irishman could recover he
struck him full In the face. Notwith-
standing his huge size and strength,
Gallagher reeled. The operator who
had just begun to realize what was
| happening flung himself bodily against
the two thugs. A shot from the tam
| gled mass OF struggling limbs whis-
tied past Quests head as he sprang
to the window which overlooked the
track. The freight had already almost
passed. Quest steadied himself for a
supreme effort, crawled out on the lit
tie steel bridge and poised himself for
a moment. The last car was just be-
meath. The gap between it and the
previous one was slipping by. He set
his teeth aud jumped on the smooth
top.
| Back behind the tower Red Gala
CHER and his mate bent with Mortified
| faces over the body of the signalman.
What the hell did you want to plug
him for?" the latter muttered. He
| amt in the show at all. You've done
| us, Red, he's cooked"
Red Gallagher staggered to his feet.
| Already the horror of the murderer
was In his face as he glanced furtive-
| ly around.
Il never meant to drop him." he
| muttered. Il got mad at seeing Quest
get off That mans a devil"
What are we going to dos" the
other demanded kearseIy
There's the auto" Gallagher shout
ed. Come on, old man! I can fix
| the wheel. If we've got to swing for
this job. well have something of our
own back first"
They crawled to the side Of the
road. Gallagher's rough. hairy fingers
were still trembling, but they knew
their job. In few minutes the wheel
was fixed. Clumsily but successfully.
| the great irishman turned the car
around away from the city.
| shes hummer" he muttered. 'I'll
make her SO when We get the hang OF
1t. Sit tight"
They drove clumsily of. gathering
speed at every yard Behind. in the
shadow OF the tower. the signalman
lay dead. Quest, half way to New
York. stretched fat on his stomach.
was struggling for life with knees and
hands and feet
Il