Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-31

turbance by Spike and his two confeder-
ates. They sneered at Rhinelander's state
ments and told him they wanted their
pay Lyons, hurrying over from the
station, reported TO Rhinelander that the
express company and the chief special
agents office had been notified OF the
robbery and detectives were on the way.
But while Wood and Lyons argued with
some of the disaffected, Spike and his
companions lured others of them to n
hut on the edge OF the camp limits, where
sort of blind pig was in operation Here
Spike. spending money freely. piled the
grumbling laborers With liquor and adj
vised them to stand on their rights and
refuse to work II their money was not at
once forthcoming.
Rhineiander made up his mind not to
dodge the issue and he assured such OF
the men as would listen that IL they
would give him a little time he would
replace the payroll ON his personal credit.
and that no one should lose cent
through the accident. The difficulty was
to get the men to listen. The strike idea
spread through the camp like an infec-
ton, and reason was for a moment COM
pletely forgotten. Spike, perceiving the
mischief well under way and anxious to
get the two city criminals out of the way
before the detectives from headquarters
should arrive and round up the camp for
suspects. directed Sykes and Dan 70 beat
it, back TO town on the local passenger.
At this time a sudden and unexpected
complication arose. with Spike, the party
returned to the shack for a final drink,
and when they left It. Sykes and Dan
started for the station. But a lighted
match carelessly thrown to the ground
inside the hut, falling among rubbish, had
ignited It, and almost before the pair
reached the station the hut was on fire.
Entering the waiting room with his COM
panion, Sykes bought tickets from Helen
for the city. When with Dan he walked
out on the platform. the local train had
pulled in and the crew were looking at
the fire in Rhinelander's camp.
Sykes and Dan boarded the train at the
moment 1t pulled slowly out. In the Of
flee. while Helen was putting away the
Dill with which Sykes had paid for the
tickets. her attention was arrested by a
blot of ink on the edge OF It, With a
woman's intuition. she realized almost at
once that the ink-stained bill was one of
those stolen from the express package the
night before. Running out on the plat
FORM she told Lyons of the discovery.
But at that moment Lyons was too much
concerned in the fire. now rapidly spread
ing across the camp, TO give the necessary
attention TO what Helen said, and to-
gether with a lineman who had Just
stopped his little speeder car before the
station, the agent hurried over to the
camp to see what assistance could be
rendered Rhinelander and his men.
Helen, frantic as she saw the train pull
ing away with the burglars, looked around
for help. Nothing seemed 70 offer In any
direction and she turned djstractedly back
to the office to wire Oceanside when her
eye fell on the speeder. deserted a mo-
ment before by the lineman.
With a start she turned to II, took hold
OF the handles. pushed the car forward
a length, found il responded TO her touch.
and hardly giving thought as 70 whether
she could manage the machine, conceived.
as 1t began to pick up speed. that pos
sibly she could overtaks tho departing
train.
Catching at the infiammable material
with which It's path was freely spread.
leaping from tent 90 tent and hut 10 hut,
licking up the canvas and eating rapidly
into the ninsy wooden structures that
barred its way, engulfing machinery,
wagons and equipment in its quick ad-
vance, fire, famed by the north wind
and its own suction. tore along like a
whiriwind. with Rhinelander ana his gang
doing their best 10 check IL. BY the time
the train had reached the vicinity OF the
camp. the fire had Jumped the track ana
the flames rose on all sides as the local
headed through them.
Close behind the train. Helen, running
the lineman's speeder. was doing her
utmost TO attract the attention OF the
train crew. Their eyes were fixed on
the fire. II seemed doubtful whether
the train could get past the blaze. Ia
any event the men were too much abb