Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-04-26

I
tect the freight; he half lifted and
half pushed Helen up into the cab.
and the instant the fireman cut of
the engine, started in pursuit Of the
fast+receding passenger train.
But the stern chase is the long
chase. The freight engineer had set
himself a difficult task: one thing
alone was in his favor, everything
else was against tiIh. He was run
ming light engine against one pull
ing strong string OF sleeping cars.
But his own machine was built for
traction, not for speed, and he was
| pitting it against one of the fastest
| types of engines On the division. From
the time Storm opened the throttle
not device was left untried to make
his ponderous engine go fast; not
trick of all those that had already
made his reputation as an exceptional
runner was now overlooked and every
resource OF the engineers art was
brought into play to overhaul the fly
ing passenger train
Holen crouched on the fireman's box
with her eyes straining ahead into
the darkness, or glancing across the
hooded lights of the cab at the pro
file of the silent engineer. waited in
vain for him to look toward her. 1t
| seemed as if he had forgotten her
existence. His attention, for the mo-
ment, was centered on nothing but
the terrific Roadway he had attained
and must maintain to win, and his
Keeling, laundering machine seemed
awake to the relentless energy of
its 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 qualm,
| and crawling along the swaying cars,
| they MADE their way toward the eli
| 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 a 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 OF 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 tie pass
ing-track switch and tore past the
standing cars after the fast disappear
ing passenger train. With all of its
| lights extinguished, aud still maintain
ing terrific speed, il was at a hopeless
| disadvantage against the skill of the
man at the throttle of the engine be-
| hind.
Oyerhauled 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 pprsuers. Hyde. FIR
| ing his last shot without effect, in his
rage. hurled his heavy gun back at the
| other cab. IT 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 we're
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 a wrench he
hurled it with all his fnrce at Hyds's
head; it flew true and the thug sank
under the heavy blow like a bullock.
Spike in the interval. tearing loose
| from his assailants. gained the foot
plate and leaping up on the coal de-
| fed them.
II 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 a dizzy speed.
With the recklessness OF mailman
the criminal leaped from the tender
far out into the stream below. The
slightest miscalculation--a mistake of
tenth of a second in his reckoning
would have cost him his life. Yet
he made his jump without injury.
sfrtick puf for ehnra and gained the