The Carlisle independent., 1917-01-04

ruined, if he isn't ruined by this ter rible fire. You must help me, conduc, tor, both of you"
 Followed by the brakeman, the two | walked forward. It was rather a long | train.
 The conductor could not be hurried, | and the search went all too slowly for | Helen, who feared what did, in fact, i presently occur. Sykes and Dan, un- | easy in the fear of special agents on | their trail were on the alert They | sat near the front door of the smoker, | and as Helen and the conductor began i at the rear end of the car to look over 1 the passengers, Sykes, espying Helen, | quietly slid through the front door left open to let the smoke out-to the l platform, Dan following. They sat down on the steps looking for a good place to jump off While the conduc- tor was walking forward, with Sykes casting furtiFe glances at him through the front window, the train drew near the San Pablo river. "Fm off here, growled Sykes to his confederate, briefly.
 Dan protested; a jump was not to his taste, but Sykes, the big fellow, did not hesitate. The train was cross ing the San Pablo. Sykes leaped from the step into the river, Dan reluctantly following suit.
 Helen, through an open window of the smoker, saw Sykes jump. She caught the conductors arm and begged him to stop the train. He pulled the cord and, with the conductor and brakeman after her, Helen ran to the front platform. The train slowed. In the river, Sykes and Dan were swim ming. Helen made ready to drop off. The conductor and brakeman tried to dissuade her; they could not.
 You'll have to go alone, I can't leave this train," shouted the ccnduc- tor to her.
 Helen only waved her hand as she dropped to the ground.
 Luckily, she had not been seen by the men she was after, but further obstacle threatened. The convicts had swum to the nearest bank and were now across the river from Helen. A passing boat was awaiting the draw, and the moment the train passed the jackknife had been started up by the bridge tender. Helen was running to get to the other side before it was too late. Sykes and Ban, ashore, were hurrying away, and the ponderous jaekknife was rising under Helen's fleeing feet. The draw span, already high in the air, made widening gap between her and the abutment but Helen, running to the rising end, jumped from it recklessly to the abut- ment below. She landed, bruised, on the track but she picked herself up and sped on after the fugitives.
 The river bridge is at no great dis tance from Oceanside, but Helen's breath was pretty well exhausted be- fore Sykes and Dan reached suburb an street car and boarded it. So close was she after them that she gained one platform just as the two men stepped up on the other. Concealing herself behind a seat, Helen hid in ter TOT, but with all their astuteness the criminals failed to discover her. When the two left the car in the city, Helen was again relentlessly cn their heels. Following them yigilantly she inter- cepted an officer told him of her chase, and he instantly joined her in the pursuit of the men, now disappear ing in the distance.
 Turning into an obscure street, the criminals entered doorway and started up long flight of stairs, Helen with her policeman hard behind. Looking back from the first landing. the convicts now saw their pursuers. Springing up a second flight of stairs, they knocked hurriedly at the first door. It was opened by their cOnfed- crate, The Bat, who, inside the room, had been diverting himself by count ing the stolen money.
 They're after us," exclaimed Sykes to him. We've got to get out Of here. Beat it, Bat. The girl and the cop are on the stairs"
 Make for the roof" cried the Bat. The hard-pressed pair ran for the | trap ldQQeT. l ne pat, h6SplHB lO ulo room, slammed the door shut. Once through the trap door, which Sykes and Dan dropped behind them. and on the roof, the pair imagined them selves safe, but Helen and her officer were close behind, and when they found the trap door closed against them the officer drew his revolver and | fired up through 1t.
 On the outside, Sykes and Dan l jumped back like rabbits from the shots. Helen and her helper threw open the trap unopposed, and. gain ing the roof, faced the convicts. No where could the robbers find an ave nue of escape on the top of the build ing, and cornered like rats as Helen and the policemen reached them, they put up a hand-to-hand fight
 The officer tackled Sykes, the more powerful of the pair, and Dan, see ing his opportunity for a flank move | trio rauoip tho tron door