The Monticellonian., 1916-10-12


upon the fugitive. He realized the in.
tent of the cashier to throw himself
from the train. to end all in suicide.
lie saw the travelling bag getting be.
yond his reach. 1t was the last thing
that would have appealed to him to
stand idly by while such incidents
were taking place.
The two men grappled A new pur
pose flashed into the mind Of the
cashier. Here was he given an unex
pected opportunity for freedom Only
the special agent stood in his way. II
he could but drop this youngster over
the rail, suicide would be unnecessary.
a new purpose came into his tall
1.-THE form 1t was to be put to the
task OF fighting for its own preserva.
ton.
And such a setting for Tight The
elamor of the train beat into the
blood Of the contestants like the ap.
plause of an arena The swish OF the
platform as the express dashed
through the darkness at seventy miles
an hour made the ordinary strategy OF
battle uncertain. Beyond the narrow
rail that skirted this platform upon
which their fight was staged death
waited eXpectant on three sides There
were now no weapons and the contest
ants went back to the primal in a
tooth and fang grapple for existence
as might two frenzied bears at bay
Tho ~ h fa,.- t.fos tl,o 1, ,4,,, -
one who had always kept in condition
through gymnasium work The spe-
cial agent was lither and younger.
The larger man was determined that
he would thrust the smaller over the
rail and fling him from the train. He
fought his way to the edge of the
platform. forcing his antagonist further
and further over it, hammering him
down by the sheer superiority OF
weight and strength.
But all the time the special agent
was playing to his own advantage. He
was getting low beneath the guard of
the cashier His arms had found an
iron lock beneath his antagonists
coat and about his waist He felt that
this hold could not be broken and
that time would come when the
strength of the larger man would
wane He could afford to wait
I was but a swish of the train that
gave him the slight advantage he
sought in taking the aggressive 1t
swayed the tall form OF his enemy as
it lowered above him a little back
ward, This put the spine in a position
where 1t could not Immediately resist
a strong pressure. Already he had
felt give in the body muscles that
meant the first approach of weakness
Like Il flash his head vas on the tall
mans chest all his strength was in
his arms, and he was administering
that treatment known in his youth as
the Indian hug Slowly he overcame
his antagonist. bent him back. and
they came tumbling among the chairs
of the observation platform.
From the fall came a new grip to
the advantage of the special agent. AS
they went down he flung his legs
around his antagonist, and was able
to get the wrestler's Scissors" about
his waist, thus applying pressure
where there was already exhaustion
and allowing his legs, which were rest
ed. to bear the brunt.
Thus were they locked when the
brakeman came to the rear and found
them But the battle was already near
it's end For the flash of a moment
the cashier rallied and acted. In that
moment his hands seized and flung
from the train the grip with its pre-
cious burden. Then he sank into
unconseiousness
Billy Gard had ridden back to the
section of the road where the travelling
bag had gone overheard, and had wait
ed for the coming of daylight to search
for it. In the gray dawn he walked
down the track and met an Irish sec
ton man. who had already picked it
up.
Il see you have found my satchel."
said Gard. accosting him.
Your satchel it may be-" said the
Irishman, "but you will have to be aft.
er tellin' me what's in ii by way of
Identification"
Nothing much beside half a million
dollars, said the special agent. prof
fering the key
The man who had found the travel
ing bag looked inside and, as far as
Billy Gard knows, never spoke again.
He was still dumb when the young
man drove away in his automobile.