The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-01-18

60uB0T JTdlu-l uOu Bay you Cdu ~
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 1t gathered momentum and
surged noisily up the track as Alan
and Barcus, on opposite sides Of the
handlebar, 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 a 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.
1.-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: It'll 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"
Sure it did" Barcus agreed. 1T
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 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,
through the circumstance
las 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.
1t was fully a quarter Of an hour be-
fore the growing rumble of the latter
warned the trio on the hand car, just
as it gained the end of the grade and
addressed itself to 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 it had
olted over the frogs, he jumped down,
set the switch to shunt the pursuit off
20 the spur, and leaped back upon
he car.
Hardly had they succeeded in work
ng the hand car up round the shoulder
If the next bend when the special took
he switch without pause and the roar
If it's progress, shut off by an inter-
Tening mountain, was suddenly stilled
o murmur.
But even SO, there was neither rest
or the weary nor mucn excuse for
REORGANIZATION; the rumble Of the
pecial was not altogether lost to hear
ng when the thunder Of the freight
eplaced and drowned it out.
Of a sudden, releasing the handle-
ar, Alan stood up and signed to Bar,
US to initiate his example.
'Well-?" this last painted, when he
ad obeyed.
Jump off-leave the hand car where
!, is-they'll have to stop to clear 1t off !,
ne track"
"And them"
'T'll buy lift from them If 1t takes
~ last dollar in the world" Alan
romised. tits our only hope. We ,
ant keep up this heartbreaking bust
ess forever-and it can't be long be-
re Urine and Marrophat discover
leir mistake!"