Gilpin observer., 1917-07-12
byE.AlEXANDE DER POWELL

ter class material than the rest Of the
crew, but just as on all construction
works, certain percentage of the
men drank too much after cashing
their pay checks, and failed to show up
on the grade for days.
But there was more than that pros
pect to worry about this pay day, as
Dawson was soon to realize. Like q
wireless message caught out Of the air
| rumor had reached camp that the
Dawson bank was about to suspend
payment or had already done so.
Mike Mcguire, head of one of the
! scraper gangs, demanded to know of
Dawson whether there was any pros
pect of the banks failing, and was
assured by the contractor In all sim
cerity, that the institution was solid.
Hardly had thee words left his lips
than word was brought by arrivals on
the noon train from the south that a
run had been started on the bank and
hundreds Of depositors were congre-
gated in line waiting for their money.
"Quick," gasped Helen, "the big car.
This is Holmes work. We've got to
get to that bank and see what can be
done. If the doors close we are
ruined"
When the automobile reached the
bank mob was cOngregated before
its doors that reached for half block
and nearly filed the street. What had
happened was plain as day. Holmes
and his employees to the number Of
hod oil
their deposits and the specie reserve of
the bank had been depleted to the
vanishing point.
Helen and Tom Dawson made their
way into the institution through
rear entrance. Mooney, the president,
sat in his office, the picture of despair.
"What is to be doneT demanded
Helen, when the situation had been
made plain to. her, haven't you any
plan by which the run may be
checked?"
"Well, there's plenty of cash in the
other bank at Merced," groaned the
banker. "but / can't get an engine to
go after it-that's Holmes doing, too.
l can't understand why he wants to
break u.s."
1T isn't you he's after, it's the in
dependent lumbermen." said Helen.
"He proposes to tie up our cash SO
| that we can't finish the lumber road.
How much money is there in cash ut
MercedY
Something like 100000" replied
Mooney, 'plenty to do the trick with
If we had it here"
"Write me an order on the Merced
bank for as much cash as you need"
snapped Helen, "Tll get it here
Tom" she added, ''go out and talk to
those people,"
On her way into town Helen had no
uced u light engine standing on the
track near the junction. Her plan
| was to seize this and make the run.
Helen left the bank by the rear and
made her way swiftly to the junction.
To her delight the engine was already
fired up. She Slid the big machine out
on the main track-slOwly at first and
! then, us 1t gathered momentum, opened
the throttle wide.
Tie engine hadn't gone a mile be-
| fore Holmes agents discovered its alb
| sence. Behrens cursed long and loud.
A few minutes later he was burning
the wires to one Of his henchmen,
Annis, at Bar Siding.
Throw the lower switch and ditch
No. 40, running wild north-bound," was
the message that Annis picked OF the
| wire.
Dawson had figured out like a fash
that the switch would be Helen's dam
ger point. While he hardly believed
Holmes would order the engine
ditched, he determined to take no
| chances and ran the car to Bar Sid
Ing as fast as he could go.
The lumberman arrived only Just in
time. Two of Behrens' men were
throwing the switch as he reached
dense patch of timber beside the main
track, from which point the switch.
track ran into pine forest.
Dawson heard the singing Of the
rails. He knew that Helen was
pounding along at fifty miles IN hour
| and that II she ever took the switch
ut that clip 1t would be sure death.
Unheeding Of the shouts from Beh-
rens' gangsters, who weres scattering
lutO the tiiuDeE near thc IhuWuy, bsiW-
son rushed for the switch. A bullet
whizzed past his ear.
With one determined effort he closed
the switch, giving Helen clear track,
just as two of the gangsters stepped
out from behind tangle Of down
timber and began firing at close range.
Good enough" yelled Dawson, "Ill
do little shooting on my own account
now" and turning loose a pair Of au-
tomatoes he drove his assailants to
cover In less than minute.
At that instant the grinding of the
rails became SO loud that Dawson
knew the engine was just around the
bend, and he was determined to cover
Helen's flight past the danger point