Cleveland County herald., 1920-07-15

l | booSe under control
 After what seemed an con of wait 1 ing, he ventured another look ahead. l 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. i've got your wheels locked !" he half sobbed. 'I'll hold you yet, you brute. Slidel That's it! Slide, and flatten your internal wheels. Hah You're quitting-quitting I'll have you iH control before we reach the curve. Burn. curse you, burn '"
 With a shriek 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 kindling one in. stant, Bryce could see them in the air; the next they had disappeared down the hillside. A deafening crash, 9 splash, a cloud of dust With protesting squeal, the ca. boose came to the point where the log ging-train had left the right of way, carrying rails and ties with it. The wheels on the side nearest the bank slid into the dirt first and plowed deep into the soil !; the caboose came tS an abrupt stop, trembled aud rattled, overtopped it's center of gravity, and fell over against the cut-bank, weariy. like a drunken bag.
 Bryce. still clinging to the brake. was fully braeed for the shock and was not flung off. Calmly he descend ed the ladder, 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 a manzanita bush to await results, for l he was quite confident that none of the occupants of the coRfounded ca boose had been treated 10 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 ht darted back to the rear of the ca boose.
 All clear and snug as bug unde' e chip, my dear" he called to Shirley "Thank God. the caboose become un coupled-guess that fool brakeman forgot to drop the pin; it was the las car, and when 1t jumped the tract and plowed into the dirt. it just nat uraIly quit and toppled over agains the bank. Come out, my dear"
 Shirley came out, dry-eyed, but white and trembling. The Colone placed his arm around her, and she hid her face on his shoulder and shud dered "There, there!" he soothed her affectionately. "Ifs all over. my dear Alls well that ends we'll"
 "The train" she cried in a choking voice. "Where is ft?'
 Tn little pieces-down in Mad river"
 Bryce Cardigan" she sobbed. q saw him-he was riding atop on the |
 The Colonel shook her with sudden ferocity. "Young Cardigan" he cried sharply. Riding the logs? Are you certain?"
 She nodded, and her shoulders shook piteously.
 "Then Bryce Cardigan is gone !" Pennington's pronouncement was sol emn, deadly with it's flat fnality. "No man could have rolled down into Mad river with trainload of logs and sur vived. The devil himself couldn't" He heaved a great sigh, and added : "Well, that clears the atmosphere con- siderably, although for all his faults, Iregret, for his fathers sake. that this dreadful affair has happened. Well, it can't be helped, Shirley. Poor devil For all his damnable treatment Of me. I wouldn't have had this happen for a million dollars"
 Shirley burst into wild weeping. Bryce's heart leaped, for he under stood the reason for her grief. She had sent him away in anger, and he had gone to his death; ergo it would be long before Shirley would forgive herself. Bryce had not intended pre- senting himself before her in his bat tered and bloody condition. but the sight of her distress now was mere than he could bear. He coughed slight ly and the alert colonel glanced up at him instantly.
 "Well, I'll be hanged :" The words fell from Pennington's lips with a heartiness that was almost touching T thought you'd gone with the train
 Sorry to have disappointed you, old l top" Bryce replied blithely, but I'm just naturally stubborn. Too bad about the atmosphere you thought cleared a moment ago, It's clogged worse than ever now
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