Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1916-09-14

ured to the shock and tumult OF con-
.lict by the experience of many years,
who first recovered his self-possession
and noted one-eyed man stealthily
making his way out of deep and
cavernous fissure in some nearby
rocks. Over one shoulder this villain
ous-faced prowler bore a burlap sack
which gave out a clanking sound as
he felt his way step by step along
the rough trail.
The captain made up in valor what
out his heavy service revolver, he
rushed after that skulking gangster,
loudly calling on him to surrender in
the name Of the law. But One-Lamp
Louie had no apparent intention OF
surrendering either himself or the
coveted bag of loot to that wrathful
guardian of public morals. Instead,
he coolly dropped to one knee and
lived up to his reputation of being
the handiest gunman in Legar's hard
| shooting gang by sending bullet neat
! ly drilled through the police captains
| shoulder.
But he did not know as he lodged
his way among the shadowy tree
trunks that youthful figure armed
with a heavy police revolver, reso-
lute-faced girl and an elderly white
haired man were rapidly closing in
on him. AS he broke from cover and
started up the railroad embankment
he ri hoo tu he
his pursuers emerging from the woods
short distance below him. At the
same moment they saw that sinister
figure with the burlap sack and came
toward him on the run
One-Lamp Louie instantly reached
the conclusion that it was safer to
run than to fight, and he pounded up
the ties with rapid strides.
Fifty yards up the track the gang
ster saw battered old switching en-
CINE standing by dripping water
tank. He leaped aboard and opened
the throttle
AS the self-constituted posse came
to baff1ed stop close by the water
tank they saw an eyilly grinning fig
ure leaning out from the cab of the
fast receding engine, figure whose
hand waved mocking signal of fare
well in true railroad style.
A few feet distant from the water
tank was small, boxlike shanty con-
tanning the levers manipulating va
rious switches. In front of this shanty
stood distraught engineer, volubly
cursing the bold depredator who had
robbed him Of his iron charge. Sud-
denly new look of CONSERVATION
flashed into his eyes and he turned
in a frenzy of excitement to his grimy.
faced assistant
We've got to throw that devil OF |
the main line, GUS" he shouted as he |
Owed into the boxlike structure. THE |
Overland is due any second. They'll |
crash together head on"
Almost as he spoke the last words |
he jammed over one of the shining
levers with all his strength. At that
moment came a long-drawn screech-
ing whistle, accompanied by the grind.
ing sound of hastily applied airbrakes.
Down the level stretch of track the
onlookers, gripped in an agony of sus.
pense, saw the heavy Overland ex.
press rushing at top speed straight for
the numbering freight engine. The in.
tervening space between those speed.
ing iron-clad monsters lessened with
every second.
With set faces the little group by
the water tank steeled themselves for
that seemingly inevitable crash of col.
lision. But at that crucial instant thu
outlaw engine Jwerved with incredi.
BILE swiftness and shot off into the
long siding, just as the express thun-
dered past with its dozen coaches of
human freight.
Like a crazy Malay running amuck
the engine, with the desperate at its
throttle, tore down the siding toward
a startled group of laborers who had
been ripping out defective rail. Amid
babble of warning shouts the engine
struck that deadly gap, and bereft of
Its steel guides, plowed wildly for a
short distance along the ties, and then.
enveloped in a swirling cloud of steam.
plunged headlong over the steep EN-.
bankment Under that shapeless mass
of twisted metal which had once been
staid old switching engine the white.
laced pursuers Of One-Lamp Louie
'ound the crushed and lifeless form of
ne unregenerate gunman huddled
ACROSS burlap sack of stolen plate.
With a gesture of distress Margery
Golden turned away from that repul. II
i've, death-stllled figure.
please take me home," she said
Yearly to her father, who was stand.
ng near ny
(TO 10 ooNrlNUEDl i