The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1916-07-28

In the meantime. however. both Oys-
ter Joe and Old ELI had gained the
wagon platform. The former found
himself suddenly clenched by the
waist and lifted clear OF the wagon
Why he should so quickly and SO vio-
lently come into collision with the
swaying ns-.re OF Oyster Joe, like an
alley ball hitting nine-pin, was
matter which for all time remained
mystery 60 hun. 6ut over the SIDE OF
the laundering wagon the two figures
suddenly toppled. rolling along the
dust with limbs interlaced and claw
ing hands unreasonabiy clenched In
each others hair. And before they re-
sained either their feet or their men.
tai faculties, tho wagon itself was we'll
on It's way.
Yet the driver of that wagon knew
that his escape was only temporary
one.
We've got to get out Of this!" he
called to the lurching girl at his side,
rs he seized the reins and caught up
whip. We've got run Of mile and
more before we can reach Bohawkin
bridge and help!"
He lashed the team forward. We've
got 70 get to that bridget"
Tho girl suddenly caught at his arm.
II can see a carl" she called out.
TITS following US! It's gaining on us!"
Again the driver piled his whip.
"Are they still gaining?" he asked.
. moment later.
"Yes." was the girls answer. "But,
zee. there's the bridge ahead of us!"
BY the help Of God. we can make
I'll" suddenly exulted the man at the
reins, for already his tired team was
,plunging up the incline of the bridge
approach. They were on the bridge
NOW. laundering across the draw.
A power house attendant, framed in
his srimy doorway. stared at them in
wonder.
Lift your draw!" frenziedly COM
manded the stranger. Stop that car!
For Gods sake stop that carl"
But the man in the Jumper saw no
reason for any such action. The other,
brushing him aside, leaped to the con-
troll lever. The outraged bridgetender
at tho same moment lesped for the in.
truder.
But that intruder, for all this sud.
den attack, was not to be turned from
his purpose. The lever was thrown
over and one end OF the massive draw,
responding to the impulse Of the equal
~ massive machinery. rose slowly
from the lip OF the dusty roadway.
Legar's car was already laundering
across It's span as that network Of
steel began to lift.
But the increasing incline of the
draw, for all the cars momentum
sucked from that straining engine its
added strength, retarded little and
yet little more the hurrying wheels.
But In the ascension Of the draw-end
there was no delay.
Il was then and then only that a
sudden shout rose from the car. Five
men. realizing what lay before them,
stood up in their seats as that throb-
bing and pulsing thing on wheels,
mounting to the edge of the draw, for
one moment poised there, and then
dropped, like a poolball in its pocket,
to the riverbed below.
It was not until then that the be.
whiskered man at the control lever be-
came fully conscious of the fact that
the engineer In the oil-stained Jumper
was striking and clawing at his intent
body. He endured that assault until
the lever had been reversed and the
draw started back on It's descent
Then. wheeling. the stranger sped
across the draw and leaped into the
waiting wagon.
Look" cried the girl, pointing to
the riverbed beneath them.
There the stranger could see Legar
and two or three Of his men clinging
to row Of broken piling like limpets
about Q river derelict.
II was hoping" said the stranger
as he caught up the reins. that this
would be the last OF him."