The Carlisle independent., 1917-02-01

and Rhinelander dragging their bur den in front of the protesting line which threatened every moment to give way under the fierce assaults got Spike to the cutoff track. Helen had reached the engine cab and was ready to pull out the cars. Together the two men threw Spike bodily into the open door of the last car. Climb ing aboard after Rhinelander, Storm signaled to Helen in the cab. She opened the throttle, and just as ] Seagrue.s angry men reached the car, Storm slammed the door shut and Helen moved the string hastily down the track@
 The incident would have been closed. with the hind outfit car mak- l ing rapidly towards safety, had not the wholly unexpected happened to upset Storms plan. That very day Rhinelander's linemen had set in half a dozen telegraph poles and the an chor wire of one of these placed near the track, caught, as the second last car sped past, on the step. The pole swayed violently. For a moment Rhinelander's men, watching, hoped it might clear. But crashing suddenly forward, it fell between the last two cars, struck the coupling heavily and sprung the knuckle.
 Helen, watching from the cab saw what happened. She hastily applied the air and feeling they were now far enough away to be safe from the an gry men, did not worry about the ac- cident until she perceived as she brought the train to stop that the outfit car, last in the string, had be- come detached from the train and was running away.
 Inside this Rhinelander and Storm were working on Spike. He opened his eyes after a time and they told him he was safe, not suspecting them selves that their car was now running wild and down a long grade, to the main$ line Indeed, they felt so relieved at Spikes return to consciousness that several moments passed before signs of the accident recorded themselves to Storms experienced ear. The car was running too far and too fast and springing to the door he pulled it open cab. A glance told him the story. We're running away" he cried to Rhinelander, who joined him. Storm sprang for the side ladder.
 Helen was alive to the new danger to her friends. But how to help them taxed, for an instant her ingenuity. To chase them with the engine, as they were headed for the main line. might end in a more serious disaster than now seemed imminent. The main line passenger train was almost due at Baird and the thought of this fact was first in Helen's mind. Near where she stood was Seagrues motor car, the one her abductors had used only 8 few days before. She ran to this and springing into the seat, turned over the engine, accelerated as fast as she dare, and was off in pursuit of the runaway.
 She was sure she must pass Arden station before she possibly could catch the wild car and pulling the cushion from the seat beside her, scrubbed hastily across it with a piece of chalk:
 Runaway car from cutoff on
 main line. Stop passenger at
 Baird.
 With this in her hands as she tore past Arden station, she rose to her feet, balanced herself with an effort and flung the cushion with all the force she could summon through the operators window.
 On the deck of the runaway car Storm had seized the brake. With a violent twist he brought the chain up taut and mindful of the energy needed to check the disastrous momen- tum they were attaining, threw his whole strength against the wheel.
 He might have saved his compan- ions and himself even then, had not the chain, weakened by rust, snapped under the tremendous strain put on it. The deck became impossible and to avoid being shot off it, Storm climbed down the swaying ladder again into the car. Alone, Storm would not have 1 given his peril a thought. He could i drop off car step or from a cab gang way with either moving twice as fast, with entire safety to himself But l Spike, though conscious, was desper- ately groggy; in fact, helpless. He l had proved his reckless skill more i than once and unhurt could have fol- i lowed Storm in any leap the railroad man dare venture. He lay now as little able to help himself as a baby. Casting all this up in his mind, the young railroader decided there was i but one mans thing for him to do and that was to stay with his companions whether all lost their lives or not.
 At Arden station the astonished op- i orator had just time to dodge Helen's l flying motor car cushion as it l smashed through the window. It land