The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1920-06-24

After what seemed an con of watt
ing, he ventured another look ahead.
The rear logging-truck was hundred
yards In front of him now, and from
the wheels of the caboose an odor of
something burning drifted up to him.
'rve got your wheels locked !" he half
sobbed. "rll hold you yet, you brute.
Slide That's It'll Slide. and flatten
your Internal wheels. Hahl You're
quitting-quitting I'll have you in
control before we reach the curve
Burn. curse you, burn I"
WithR shrek of metal scraping
metal, the head of the Juggernaut
ahead took the curve. chung there an
instant. and was catapulted out into
space. Logs weighing twenty tons
we're flung. about like kindllng; one in
slant, Bryce could see them In the air:
the next they had disappeared down
the hillside. A deafenlng crash, a
splash cloud of dust
With a protesting squeal. the ca
boose came to the point where the log
glng-train had left the right of way.
carrying rails and ties with 1t. The
wheels on the side nearest the bank
slid into the dirt first and plowed deep
into the soil; the caboose came to
an abrupt stop. trembled and ratified,
overtopped its center OF. gravity. and
fell over against the cut-bank, YEARLY,
like drunken bag.
Bryce, still clinging to the brake.
was fully braced for the shock and
was not flung off. Calmly he desceud-
ed the adder, recovered the axe from
the bumper climbed back to the roof,
tiptoed off the roof TO the top Of the
bank and sat calmly down under
manzanta bush to await results, for
he was quite confident that none OF
the occupants of the COMPOUNDED ca
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 to
emerge at the rear Of the caboose. He
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 Gu
boose.
Gan clear and snug as a bug under
a chip. my dear" he called to Shirley.
'"rhank God, the caboose become un-
coupled-guess that fool brakeman
forgot to drop the pin; 1t was the last
car, and when It jumped the track
and plowed into the dirt, II just nat
urally quit and toppled c~er against
the bank. Come out, my dear"
Shirley came out, dry-eyed bur
white and trembling The Colonel
placed his arm around her. and she
hid her face on his shoulder and shud-
dered. There, therer" he soothed her
affectionately. "It's all over. my dear.
Ais well that ends well"
1.-THE train" she cried in choking
voice "Where is it2''
"In little pieces--down In Mad
river"
Bryce Cardigan" she sobbed. II
saw him--he was riding atop on the
train. He--ah, God help hint"
The Colonel shook her with sudden
ferocity. young Cardigan" he cried
sharply Riding the logs7 Are you
certain?"
She nodded, and her shoulders
shook plteously.
"Then Bryce Cardigan is gDnai"
Pennington's pronouncement wa3 sol
emn. deadly with its fiat finality. mo
man could have rolled down into Mad
river with tralnload Of logs and sur,
vived The devil himself couldn't
He heaved a great sigh, and added
swell. that clears the atmosphere com
siderably, although for all his faultA
| regret for his fathers sake, thst thIt
dreadful affair has happened. Web.
IT can't be helped. Shirley. Poor Revil
For all his damnabie treatment n rae.
wouldn't have had this happts for
million dollars"
Shirley burst into Wild weepiMg
Bryce's heart leaped, for he under
stood the reason for her grf9f. She
had sent him away in anger and be
had gone TO his death; ergo 4 would
he long before Shirley would forgive
herself. Bryce had not lntenG1d pre-
senting himself before Ixar in sis lat.
tered and bloody condition, eut TIE
sight of her distress now was mere
than he could bear lie coughed slsht
ly, and the aieat colonel glanced up nj
him instantly.
"Well, I'll be hanged - The wIrda
fell from Pennington's lips WITH
heartiness that was almost touching.
II thor hit you'd gone with the train"
as Try TO have disappointed You, old
tor, Bryce replied bIithely, "but I'm
last naturally stubborn. Too bad about
the atmosphere You thought cleared q
moment ago! It's clogged worse tAsE
ever now"