Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-10
AUTHOR. OF WHISPERING
SMITH" "THEsMoUNTAIN
DIVIDE" STRATEGY OF
GREAT RAILROADS" ETC.
COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY FRANK H. SPARTAN

might help the engineer TO escape from
the top Trying her skill as plains
woman. she ran moose and cast the
rope, lariat-like, at the top of the pole.
In her nervous haste she failed again
and again to drop it over the cross-bar.
No rope was ever so stiff. clumsy and
intractsble. and the cars were fast rolling
nearer. But restraining her fears she
kept trying and at last. In spite OF every
thing. she landed the big moose over the
pole and bar. Across the track grew
hedge Of tall blue-gum trees. To the
nearest Of these Helen ran, and as fast
as she could climbed the tree, the loose
end of the rope hung over her neck and
shoulder. Gaining a branch high enough
and using all her strength, she drew the
rope taut with a few half bitches she
made it fast around the tree and tried
it with her weight.
The flaming cars, in spite of all that
Storm had been able to do, continued to
gather speed down the Signal grade. The
engineer found himself in ticklish
dilemma. For jump his chances now
were no better than IL he stuck to the
car, and he saw nothing for it but to
stick. Only, he hoped nightly for some
thing to turn his way He was fast APP
preaching the station From the gum
tree hedge he saw what seemed branch
waving violently. Then he perceived 1t
was more than that, 1t was someone try
ing to signal him-a woman-and she was
climbing hand over hand out on cable
stretched across the track. But he could
understand even less than he saw OF
what she meant to do. Overcome by
neared the hedge. he sank down on the
deck. But. Helen would not give UP.
Clinging as best she could to the cable,
she waited for him to pass under her,
Enough of consciousness remained to
Storm in the fury of the fire to enable
him to realize as he came close that it
was Helen on the cable trying to save
his life. AS he swept under her he raised
himself She clutched blindly at him,
and holding on in desperation. managed
to drag him from the top Of the burning
car.
The agent, returning from the camp
with Rhinelander. saw the blazing run
away; and. amazed, saw Helen hanging
from her cable and striving with failing
strength to hold her heavy burden.
He ran toward her snatching a tar
paulin from a pile of cement bags as he
passed them on the platform. and with
Rhinelander reached the hedge in time to
break Storms heavy fall into 1t when
Helen let him go. A moment later she,
herself, dropped exhausted into the can
vas.
Below the station deafening explosion
shook the solid earth. 1t startled the two
construction camps. A new and sudden
flame shot forty feet UP into the air and
dense clouds of black smoke beloved
above where the powder cars had stood.
Sesgrue glanced at Spike as they stood
together over toward the station two
men were carrying Storm into the watt
ing room and Seagrue, coming over,
Joined them. Inside, he saw bending over
the unconscious engineer. stretched on
the floor slender girl dressed in black.
She turned anxiously. in a moment, to
ask II a surgeon had been called. As
she did so. Seagrue. dumbfounded, looked
into the face of Helen Holmes.
CTo Be Continued)