Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-03-17


awake to the relentless energy Of
it's driver, was responding like thing
alive to his iron will. A cry from
Storm made her look across toward
him. She saw his eyes regarding her,
but he was pointing silently ahead,
and looking again through her own
window, Helen's straining vision
caught far ahead the faint CLEAN Of
the red tail-lights.
From the top of the distant sleeping
cars Spike and Hyde had seen the
threatening chase. Without a qualnn,
and crawling along the swaying cars,
they made their way toward the en-
CINE. They held up the engineer and
fireman. Spike understood enough Of
an engine to take the throttle and he
tried to run away from Storm; but
this proved a game in which he had
no advantage. Striving desperately
to increase his speed he found him
self, as he glanced back from the
cab window, steadily losing ground
The race was now more like the eff
fort of q plow horse to run away
from a thoroughbred. A last resort
remained for the criminals. Hyde,
at Spikes direction, climbed back
over the tender and cut off the coaches.
The engine pulled away from the
train. The air went on and the string
of sleepers stopped abruptly. Close
behind them the freight engine was
pounding and lurching. Storm had
barely time to apply his air and pull
up as he stopped and he was nearly
into the hind-end of the observation
Car.
When the passenger crew got out
side there were hurried explanations.
Storm, knowing every foot Of the line,
saw that they had reached the longest
passing track on the division and that
by running around the stalled train he
still had a chance to overtake his
quarry. Throwing his engine into re-
verse he backed down, took the pass
ing-track switch and tore past the
standing cars after the fast disappear
ing passenger train. With all of it's
lights extinguished, and still maintain
ing terrific speed, it was at hopeless
disadvantage against the skill of the
man at the throttle Of the engine be-
hind
Overhauled and with defeat in sight
as the nose of the huge freight engine
crowded them, Hyde from the gang
way and Spike, turning from the use
less throttle, opened fire with their
pistols on their pursuers. Hyde, fir
ing his last shot without effect, in his
rage, hurled his heavy gun back at the
other cab. 1t crashed through the win
dow where Helen had sat an instant
before, but she was now up and back
over the engine tank. AS Storm drew
steadily abreast of the runaway, she
watched her chance and with reckless
daring sprang from where she stood
over to the tank of the passenger en-
CINE. The safe-blowers turned to meet
her. Stack and stack the engines were
rushing toward the little San Pablo
bridge. But with Spikes and Hyde's
attention turned from the passive engi-
neer and fireman in the cab, they were
suddenly attacked by both from be-
hind A furious mixup followed. Hyde,
as Helen jumped down at him, Crap
pied with her. Storm, eager in the
jumping gangway opposite them, saw
her peril. Catching up wrench he
hurled it with all his force at Hyde's
head; it flew true and the thug sank
under the heavy blow like bullock.
Spike in the interval, tearing loose
from his assailants, gained the foot
plate and leaping up on the coal de-
fed them.
1t was for no more than a moment;
the engineer went pluckily after him.
Cornered, Spike looked ahead. They
were reaching the river and the en-
gines were making dizzy speed.
With the recllessness of a mailman
the criminal leaped from the tender
far out into the stream below. The
slightest miscalculation--a mistake sof
tenth of a second in his reckoning
would have cost him his life. Yet
he made his jump without injury,
struck out for shore and gained the |
river bank
Escape was first in his thoughts. |
He remembered the stolen survey in
his pocket. On the safety of this, his
money from Capelle depended and his
first act was to secrete it near where |
he landed
The two engines in this time had |
been brought to stop and backed to
the bridge. Get after the man that |
jumped" cried Helen. 1--WE must find |
him. Take both banks of the rives.
With one of the firemen left to |
guard Hyde, Storm and the other fire.
man hurried down one river bank as
the passenger engineer took the other.
Neither side afforded more than
slight chance of concealment and
Spike, starting from where he had
cached his stolen document, was
bounced on by Storms fireman. But
Spike, powerful man, had almost
fought out for himself second chance
for escape when Storm bore him down
to the earth. Helen ran up. where's
what you have stolen?" she cried furi-
|