The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-02-24
Looks as If 1t might work, he an
lounced Come along and lend me a

hand"
Half minute" Barcus answered,
lodging suddenly back into the car.
When he reappeared, after some five
minutes, Rose accompanied him, and
Barcus was smiling as brilliantly as
though nothing whatever was wrong
with his world.
Sorry to keep you waiting, old top"
he explained "but I was smitten with
an inspiration. There didn't seem to
be any sense in letting the amiable
Judith loose upon this fair land, SO ]
found a coil of wire in the porter's
closet and wired the handle of the
drawing room door fast to the bars
across the aisle. It'll take her some
time to get out, now, without assist
ance."
Ten minutes more had passed before
the two grimy and perspiring gentle
men succeeded in placing the hand car
upon the tracks.
Its swell little hand car" Bar
Gus observed grimly: mo wonder they
threw it away
What's the difference how it looks.
al long as it will go?"
"But will it ?" Barcus doubted.
Somewhere far back along the line
locomotive hooted mournfully.
Its got to!' Alan replied. helping
Rose aboard IF we can only get out
Of sight before they get here"
Don't worry" Barcus advised:
that's a freight whistle"
Maybe you can. distinguish the
whistle of freight from that of pas
senger train--I don't say you can't;
but I'll take no chances on your judg.
ment being good. Hop aboard here II
you're coming with us!'
Slowly the hand car stirred on its
grease-hungry and complaining axles;
slowly it gathered momentum and
surged noisily up the track as Alan
and Barcus, on opposite sides of the
handIebar, alternately rose and fell
back; slowly it mounted the slight
grade to the bend in the track, rounded
it, lost sight Of the stalled Pullman
on the siding and began to move more
swiftly on moderate down grade.
Behind it the thunder of an ap-
preaching train grew momentarily in
volume, lending color to the theory Of
Mr.. Barcus that what they had heard
had been the whistle Of freighter
rather than of the light engine. But
just as Alan was about to advocate
leaving the tracks and taking the hand
car with them, to clear the way for the
train, its rumble began to diminish,
grew less and beautifully less, and was
stilled.
"What do you make Of that?" Alan
painted across the racking bar.
"The obvious" Barcus returned
s'The, freight has taken the siding to
wait for some other through train to
pass. Well have to look sharp and be
ready to jump"
The grade became trace more
steep; the car moved with less reluc-
lance.
LET CO." Alan advised: 'ft1l coast
down the balance of this incline-and
we'd better save our strength"
But they had barely regained their
breath and mopped the streaming
sweat away from their eyes when a
second whistle, Of different tone,
startled both back to their task.
Catching the eye of Barcus Alan
nodded despairingly.
|, Afraid it's all up with us now" he
groaned; that sounded precisely like
| the whistle of the light engine"
eSure it did" Barcus agreed. Tt
wouldn't be US if we had any better
! luck. The saints be praised for this
| grade!''
For all its age and decrepitude the
| hand car made a very fair pace at the
urge of the two who rose and sagged
/ again without respite on either side
the handlebar; and the grade was hap
/ PLY long, turning and twisting like a
snake through the hills.
A little grace was granted them,
moreover, through the circumstance
/ (as they afterward discovered) that
| the light engine had stopped at the
siding long enough to couple up Trine's
/ Pullman-thus automatically ceasing
/ to be light engine, and becoming a
| special.
It was fully quarter of an hour be-
| fore the growing rumbleSof the latter
| warned the trio on the hand car, just
as it gained the end of the grade and
addressed itself to a level though tor
| tuous stretch of track
And at this point discovery of the
switch of spur line that shot off
| southwark into the hills furnished Alan
| with his independent inspiration.
Stopping the hand car after 1t had
| jolted over the frogs, he jumped down,
| set the switch to shunt the pursuit off
| to the spur. and leaped back upon
| the car.
Hardly had they succeeded in work.
ing the hand car up round the shoulder
Of. the next bend when the special took
| the switch without pause and the roar
| of its progress, shut off by an inter-
vening mountain, was suddenly stilled