Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-06-05

wild, exultant craclle OF fire that
knows its opportunity and power; the
desperate hysterical clamor of those
who have discovered it, and the mad,
brave shouts of those who would at
tempt to conquer it.
Jean Grayson awoke in dazed be-
wilderment. For a moment the noise
seemed a part Of her dream; her
at the foot OF her berth a Pigment of
her imagination. But almost at once
the cold breath from the broken Win
dow brought her to her senses. An
accident! 1t had come then! The
thing which her mother had feared
and tried to provide against. She
was in a railroad accident all alone
and out in the wilds Of the west
where she was utterly un%acquainted
with anyone! 1t was characteristic
of Jean that. when she realized her
plight, she thought first of how her
mother would take the news, and not
Of how she herself would bear the
experience. or whether it meant life
and death to herself. That she must
get out of danger and let her mother
know OF her safety was her instant
impulse, and from that moment her
senses were keenly on the alert for
every detail.
Her mothers horror of railroad &C.
cidents made the possibilities of her
present position as plain to her as
IL she had lived the whole experience
before. She seemed to comprehend
in a flash Just what had happened,
and about the position the car was
in at the time. The lurid glare hat
was already leaping and flickering
outside showed Jagged glass in the
window frame, and scattered gleam-
ing fragments all about her. She must
move carefully not to be cut by them.
Fire! That was the next thing she
took in. That meant that her, only
hope of life was to get out at once.
Cautiously she looked out of the win
dow to get a better idea Of things and
her heart stood still with the horror
Of it all. For one little terrible Sec
ond she forgot her mothers fears and
felt her W gasping, choking terror
at what was before her. One moment
she faced a probable death, felt her
helplessness and gave a cry Of
anguish for those who had al
ways protected her from peril. and
brave courage o 8 and steadied her
nerves. She resolved not to die IL
there were any possible way out of
it; and terror relaxed its hold upon
her at sight of her courage.
With resolute determination she
held her horror stricken eyes to take
in the situation in detail. She must
know everything. see everything, If
che we're to save 8 herself, for she
| cOmprehended readily enough that as
things were 1t "a every one for him
self. No n was going to risk his
life to hunt her up and drag her forth
from the pile Of doomed cars.
The train had been crossing a river
when the crash came. There was
water down below, black and terrify-
ing in the glare of flame that was
leaping like great tongues among the
ruins Just ahead. She could not tell
il the cause of the, accident had been
a broken bridge or a collision, and
knew little about such things to Judge.
The cars were piled one upon an
other in wild confusion, and the Pull
man in which she was immured was
standing on its forward end almost
perpeudicularly. The engine was
overturned and fire was creeping up
ward and threatening the whole mass;
while below the great black stretch
of water reflected the sight. making
doubly terrible every feature.