The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-04-01

staggering two or three steps back
ward TO save his balance before hi
could lunge madly forward again.
( The second screech from No. II
echoed past him, and as he looked
fearfully ahead and did not see thf
engine, he suddenly recalled that he
was on the curve and spurred on more
desperately, throwing himself forward
now as he stumbled and pressing him
self up again with his free hand wheI
he fell. 1t was quite two hundred
yards to the beginning of the straigh,
stretch which he must reach to sigma
the train.
Again No. 10 whistled, but now tn,
sound, instead Of coming around the
crescent ahead, seemed to the tram
to come through the woods at his side
and, as he glanced aside, it seemed t.
come directly through the opening
where a path ran through the trees
Spontaneously facing about to the di
rection Of the shrek, the tramp race
into the cutoff.
The pound of the train now came t,
| him clearly as he ran; but the smootl
dirt of the path spread before him
| Yet he lurched over it with high, strain
ed strides, and, still feeling for the
treacherous ties when they were nc
longer there to trip him, he slipped at
first. But his stride soon adapted it
self and he reeled on to beat the train
To beat the train! The exhaust OF
the Transcontinentals great engine al.
ready Kissed through the trees about
him, yet he had to beat the train. He
had to beat 1t, but he could hear it
coming so fast that his little steps
seemed nothing. He could feel the
pain of his muscles and the beat of his
feet upon the path, but compared with
the tremendous rush of the train, he
seemed held by a weight.
In the opening ahead he saw the
track where 1t crossed his little path.
and he had to beat the train to that
track Madly, thinking only to win
the race, and to tighten himself, he
hurled the signal lantern from him
and seemed to gain little.
The track showed plainly before him.
almost at his feet, so plainly that he
knew the headlight of the engine was
almost over the spot where the path
crossed it. To beat the train thereto
beat the train. He didn't know where
his strength came from or that it came
at all till 1t stiffened his legs and
steadied him. He was ten feet from
the track, but the train was almost as
near the crossing.
To beat 1t now-to win at the finish!
The white glare Of the headlight smote
his eyes but he shut them and threw
himself forward blindly, with his arms
thrown out.
1t was the end of the race, and
wildly, madly now, the engine-the big,
pounding engine beaten by the little
man-roared to try to brighten him
away and win after all; but the little
man wouldn't be frightened or cheated,
With the blind, reckless burst of his
triumph. he gathered himself, hurtled
forward-and beat the train to the
track.
1.-THE crazy. damned hobo" the en-
gineer Of No. 10 sputtered to the group
which gathered about the pilot. "Sui-
eide; suicide. that's what 1t is. Jumped
right out Of the bushes there and
threw himself under the wheels. Heard
me whistle, didn't your But he was
bound to kill himself.
Thought he might be crazy and /
gave her sand and reversed her; but
he was under the wheels as soon as
saw him. Suicide; suicide :.
dove right under the wheels
IND I'll get raked for killing him
Killing him2 Lordi"
A man - Bender ~ blood-spattered
md winded. burst through the group
and chung, painting, to the engineer.
Thank God y stopped. Thirty-two's
oil over the track round the curve and
what stopped YET Ran over
manf Lord It's the crazy
hobo we swung OF bout here.
lucky FIR you he got on the right o.
'ay (. and fr US, too-the poor,
sazy hobo"
But the engineer Of No. 10 was kneel-
e and lingering gently the rough
9th Of the sleeve Of the man lying
1der the pilot.
Poor, crazy hobo" he murmured
cry softly, poor. crazy hobo"