The Crittenden press., 1920-09-17

the front Of the caboOSe. His chin
was bruised. skinned, and bloody; his
nose had been broken, and twin rivu.
lets of blood ran from his nostrils. He
wiped II away, swung his axe. drove
the blade deep into the bumper and
left II there with the haft quivering !;
turning, he climbed swiftly up the
narrow iron ladder beside the brake
rod until he reached the roof: then,
still standing on the ladder, he
reached the brake-wheel and drew
1t promptly but gradually around
until the wheel-blocks began to
bite. when he exgted his tre-
mendous strength to the utmost
and with his knees braced doggedly
against the front Of the caboose, held
the wheel.
The brake screamed. but the speed
Of the caboose was not appreciably
slackened. ITS had too good start ="
Bryce moaned. 'The momentum Is
more than | can overcome. Oh. Shir.
ley. my love- God help youw
He cast a sudden despairing look
over his shoulder downward at the
coupling. lie was winning, after all.
for space OF six feet now yawned
between the end OF the logging truck
and the bumper OF the caboose. II
he could hut hold that tremendous
strain on the wheel for quarter OF
mile, he might get the demon Gu.
boose under control!
After what seemed an con OF wait.
Ing, he ventured another look ahead.
The rear logglng.truck was a hundred
yards In front OF him now. and from
the wheels Of the caboose an odor OF
something burning drlfted up to him.
'Tve got your wheels locked!" he half
sobbed. "l'll hold you yet, you brute.
Slide That's III Slide. and hatten
your Internal wheels. Hah, You're
Quittlng--Qultting. I'll have you In
control before We reach the curve.
burn, curse you, burn!"
With a shrek OF metal scraping
metal. the head Of the Juggernaut
ahead took the curve, clung there an
instant. and was catapulted out Into
space. Logs weighing twenty tons
were flung about like klndllng; one In
stant, Bryce could see them In the air
the next they had disappeared down
the hillside. A deafening crash. n
splash. u cloud " dust
Wuh n protesting slueal, the ca.
boose cOmc TO the point where the log.
ging.traln had left the right Of way.
carrying rails and ties with II. The
wheels on the side nearest the bank
slid Into the dirt first and plowed deep
into the soil the caboose came 10
an abrupt stop, trembled and ratified.
oyertoppcd It's center Of gravity, and
fell over against the cut.bank, wearlly,
like n drunken hag.
Bryce, stlll cllnging TO the brake,
was fully braccd for the shock and
was not flung or. Calmly he descend.
cd the ladder. recovered the axe from
the bumper, climbed back TO the roof.
tlptoed OF the roof to the top of the
bank and sat calmly down under n
manzanltu bush to await results. for
he was quite confident that none Of
the occupants Of the confounded On.
boose had been treated to anything
worse than wild ride and rare
fright and he was curious to see how
Shirley Sumner would behave In an
emergency.
Colonel Pennington was first 10
emerge nj the rear Of the caboose. lie
leaped lightly down the steps. ran to
the front Of the car, looked down the
track, and swore feelIngly. Then he
darted back TO the rear Of the On.
boose.
"All clear and snug AZ a bug under
q chip. my dear" he called to Shirley.
Thank God, ths eAbeess bsosns q,
= = - - -. -. !.