The Elk Mountain pilot., 1915-03-04

the picture OF Dorotny as ne haQ seen
her in Wales. the innocent girl in tho
big sunbonnet whom he had loved.
What had he done7 How had this
thing come between them7
He saddled his horse and rode flve
miles to his nearest neighbor.
Keep charge of my sheep a day or
two" he said. I'm going to Butte"
Something wronk with the wifer"
asked the neighbor sympathetically.
YES" answered Larry. riding away
However. he had no intention of 60
ing to Butte. He knew that the night
train from Butte stopped to take on
water at siding few miles down
the valley. He could catch her If he
rode hard. And. once aboard-well.
Larry had revolver in his coat
pocket.
Yet his object was less to be re-
venged upon Collins than to preserve
Dorothy's good name, to save her from
herself
He rode hard. The moon came up
and lit the mountain way. Time and
again he thought he heard the Butte
train snorting up the incline in the
imaginary. And now he was nearing
the railroad track, which ran. a mar
row, edged ribbon, beneath him. He
spurred his horse down the mountain
way.
At last he dismounted and. turning
the beast adrift to Craze, waited be-
side the rails. Terrible thoughts as
sailed him as he waited there. What
II. instead of killing Collins, he were
to place one of the huge fallen frs
across the rails. dislodging the engine
from the metals as 1t came swinging
round the curve? He could destroy
Collins and a hundred others. sending
them to their death among the bowl
ders far below the grade. and escape
unknown in the confusion.
Was Dorothy worth the sacrifice of
his own life in retribution?
The temptation grew stronger, until
the man shook with the agony that
assailed him. At last he went toward
the tallest of tho frs, a giant tree as
hard as ebony. which lay with its
trunk projecting only few inches
from the rails. With the exercise. of
all his strength he could shift it .
few inches down the incline. He knew
that just where 1t lay the curve was
the most dangerous. He stopped.
Then, in the distance. he heard the
puffing of the engine as she forced
her way up to the summit before de-
scending on the grade that led to the
siding. There was Just time.
But the sight Of the fiery eyes OF
the monster above him paralyzed his
mind. and he could not turn his mus
cles to the accomplishment of the
task. And now the engine was de-
scending the grade. numbering and
screaming as she made her way toward
the siding. Larry stood still. 1t was
too late now. But 1t was not too late
to carry out his original purpose.
Suddenly the moving mass seemed
to stand still. She swerved. reared.
and then. with a scream of escaping
steam. the engine left the metals and
toppled upon its side, followed by nalf
the cars. yet clinging almost miracu-
lously to the mountain side.
Flames burst out among the wreck
age. The screams OF the injured
ly forgetful of his purpose. the man
ran at full speed toward the scene Of
the accident. Men and women lay
half buried beneath the wreckage. Lar
ry ran along the side Of the over
turned cars. searching 'or Dorothy.
And he found her She was unin-
jured. and. on her knees. she crouched
beside a man with a ghastly wound
across his breast. Larry knew Col
Inns, though the face had been bat
tered almost out of recognition. He
must have been killed instantly.
He touched Dorothy upon the arm.
There is nothing to do" he said.
1T Is too late"
Yes" she answered. rising to her
feet in a mechanical manner and NOV
ing away. She seemed stunned by the
catastrophe. She hardly realized
where she was.
Larry devoted hour after hour to
aiding the injured. until the hospital
train that was rushed out from Butte
came up. Then he found Dorothy again
She was standing near the body of her
companion. looking uncertainty about
her.
What are you going to do!" asked
Larry.
Il don't know she answered calm
ly. She seemed to have lost all power
Of feeling go on to California. I sup.
pose. You see, have my ticket
But what will you do there?"
What does that matter to your
Anything"
Dorothy. you said you did not love
that man." said Larry.
"Well?" she returned.