The Tomahawk., 1916-10-19

The cashier was, after all, surprised.
He was not aware that he was being
followed. He sprang forward in his
chair but met the CLINT of a pistol In
the hand of the special agent.
And you? Oh, I see!" said the
cashier, recovering himself. "The
bookkeeper was not bookkeeper aft
er an
Il am an agent of the department
of JUSTICE" said Gard. You are un-
der arrest"
The tall figure of the cashier had
risen from it's chair. TO the travelling
bag he chung instinctively. The stu.
alton seemed entirely in the control OF
the special agent with gun drawn and
the retreat cut off. Yet, like a flash.
the cashier turned the knob of the
door that led out upon the rear plat
form of the observation car. The gun
of the special agent spit forth a flame,
but whether he had intended to bring
down his man or not he was afterward
quite unable to recall.
But with leap he was after and
upon the fugitive. He realized the in
tent of the cashier to throw himself
from the train, to end all in suicide.
He 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. It was to be put to the
task of fighting for it's own preserva-
ton.
And such a setting for fight! The
clamor 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
hattie 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.
The cashier was the larger man and
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 a time would come when the
strength of the larger man would
wane. He could afford to wait.
It was but 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 position
| where it could not Immediately resist
strong pressure. Already he had
felt a give in the body muscles that
meant the first approach Of weakness.
Like flash his head was on the tall
mans chest, all his strength was in
his arms, and he was administering
that treatment known in his youth az
the Indian hug" Slowly he overcanfe
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 moment
the cashier rallied and acted. In that
moment his hands seized and flung
from the train the grip with It's pre-
cious burden. Then he sank into
unconsciousness.
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.
M NO., h,ro foun1 y,,v oofcho1"