Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-12-09

would pick us up and bury u.s."
| But suppose it Just smashed up the
| front, and gave us an awful jOlt?"
"Why, then we would steal out the
back door, and take one of the Ian
terms off the platform and run up
front AID give it to somebody to help
find the hurt people. Or maybe we
would give it to a Doctor"
"But then maybe some train would
come up behind and not see us and
run into us and smash us up again"
That's So" said Brother. sit would
be better for you to take the other
lantern and run down the track and
wave the lantern and stop the next
| train"
but suppose you couldn't get the
lanterns of? Suppose they were fas-
tened on?"
Just as Sister asked this question
the brakeman came in and set his
lantern down right behind their seat,
beside the stove.
81 would take the brakeman's Ian
tern, perhaps"
''You silly boy, the brakeman would
| 1eed 1t himself"
The real brakeman was now walk
ing up the aisle of the car, when the
children heard gun shot, and in
stantly the train slowed up and came
to stop with Jerk. The brakeman
went through the forward door to see
what was the matter"
He had hardly disappeared through
the door when two men came bounding
in that door. Both wore black masks.
The one behind shouted to the pas
sengers, "Ha1ds upl Hold your hands
up and sit still !" They We're robbers.
Brother was so scared that he seized
the satchel and jumped for the back
door. Sister followed him, snatching
up her basket and the brakeman's Ian
| tern. You see, it was only step, and
! that's how they got out. Sister hardly
knew why she picked up the lantern,
except that they had just been talking
about it.
They scrambled down the steps and
ran down the tracks. When they had
gone a short distance, Brother tum-
bled down, and so they both stopped
still in the darkness.
They were both dreadfulIy scared,
but Sister said, ''Don't you think we
had better take this lantern and keep
going and stop the next train, if there
is one?
'That's a good idea, Sister, and it's
you that thought of it."
So they started on.
whats that?" said Sister, cover
ing the lantern with her apron.
They looked, and down the track
they saw man with a gun. The gun
stood out quite clearly against the pale
sky.
"It's another robber."
$50 it is. Put out the light"
Sister turned the wick Of the lam
tern lower and lower till the light
went out. Then she whispered, Lets
get into the woods"
They stole down the embankment
and slipped into the woods It was a
pine woods, and the ground was
smooth with dead pine needles. So
their footsteps made no noise. But
once or twice they slipped and fell
down on that soft carpet as they ran
among the trees.
They ran and ran till they were
out of breath. They went up a steep
hill and down again, but always in the
woods. They bumped their noses
against trees. They heard the sound
of a far-Off waterfall. A big owl
brushed by them and scared them.
They had not the fai1test idea where
they were going, but they wished to
get long way off from those men
with guns.
By and by there were no more
woods. The children came out in the
open and saw that they had found
the railroad again. You see, there was
a long curve, and the children had cut
across it.
Then they saw car standing on the
track. 1t was all dark, but from the
shape of it Brother knew that it was
a freight car. He went up to it, and
by feeling up the side, above his head,
he found that the door was open.
II say" said Brother, Tets get up
into this car. Then when the train
men come to put it in the freight
train, we can find out where we are"
Every WELL" said Sister, who was
tired Of tramp!ng through the dark
woods.
Brother scrambled up first. Then
Sister lifted up the basket and the
satchel and the red lantern. After that
Brother pulled her up, too.
They were quite out of breath with
this hard work, and sat down on the
floor to rest, all in the dark. In a
minute they saw a light and heard
the rumbling of wheels. Presently
something bumped up against the
freight car, and they heard the sound |
of the coupling pins. Then Brother
got up to lean out and call to the
trainmen, but before he could get to |
the door the car was in motion. Some |
engine was pushing it. He leaned out |
and looked, but the engine was putting |
loudly, and it was no use tc call.