Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-04-13

ured to the shock and tumult OF con
Iict by the experience of many years,
who first recovered his self-possession
and noted a One-eyed man stealthily
making his way out of a 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
he lacked in discretion, and, tugging
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 a 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 a youthful figure armed
with a heavy police revolver, a reso-
l~ute-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 ripped put a hasty oath as he saw
his pursuers emerging from the woods
a 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 a battered old switching
CINE standing by a dripping water
tank. He leaped aboard and opened
the throttle.
AS the self-constituted posse came
to a bafled stop close by the water
tank they saw an evilly grinning fig
ure leaning out from the cab Of the
fast receding engine, a figure whose
hand waved a hooking signal of fare
well in true railroad style.
A few feet distant from the water
tank was a small, boxlike shanty con
tanning the levers manipulating va
rious switches. In front of this shanty
stood a d"istraught engineer, volubly
cursing the bold depredator who had
robbed him of his iron charge. Sud.
denly a 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 on
tho main line, Gus" he shouted as he
dived into the boxlike structure. The
!, Overland is due any second. They'll
crash together head on"
Almost as he spoke the last words
/, ne jammed over one of the shining
levers with all his strength. At that
moment came a l~ong-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 eI
press rushing at top speed straight for
, the numbering freight engine. The in.
. t%ervening space between those speed
ing iron-clad monsters lessened with
2 every second.
Q With set faces the little group by
the water tank steeled themselves for
I that seemingly inevitable crash Of col.
a lision. But at that crucial instant the
a outlaw engine iwerved with incredt.
BILE sWiftness and shot off into the
long siding, just as the express thun-
dered past with its dozen coaches OF
s human freight.
g Like a crazy Malay running amuck
d tho engine, with the desperate at it's
throttle, tore down the siding toward
e a startled group of laborers who had
h been ripping out a defective rail. Amid
n a babble Of warning shouts the engine
struck that deadly gap, and bereft Of
its steel guides. plowed wildly for q
d short distance along the ties, and then
It enveloped in a swirling cloud OF steam,
. plunged headlOng over the steep en-
If bankment. Under that shapeless mass
z of twisted metal which had one been
a staid old switching engine the white
h faced pursuers OF One-Lamp Louie
d found the crushed and lifeless form Of
ID the u~nregenerate gunman huddled
a. across a burlap sack OF stolen plate
With a gesture of distress MArgery
Golden turned away from that reDul
alve, death-stilled figure.
please take me home,' she said
d wearily to her father. who was stand
ing near by.
n. ITO an CONTINUpnN