The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-07-21

Hatch and a bunch Of Ills Fed Tower
hackers had gSle to Strathcona Oh a
nlinin. deal, and had started 10 drive
10 the gold camp in III auto to get his
man.
Before leaving Portal City he had
written a letter to Mrs. SheilA. tell
ing her what he was Going 10 do, and
that when he rot thrnngh with il.
she would be free. The letter, which
had been left at the hotel. haG .cen
delayed in de!ivery~-hal, IN fact, just
been sent out to the majors house by
the night clerk who had found il.
Long before the story could get it.
self fully told, the different gaps in
it were filling themselves up for NE
and for Mr.. Norcr0SS, as welt, ! guess.
When Mrs. Sheila came to the auto
drive part Of it, the boss whirled and
SlOt an orftr al me.
"Jimmie chase into the diSpatrher'S
office and find out the name OF the
man who chartered that following en-
gine!" he snapped; aud went on the
run, remembering that in the strike
excitement and hustle it hadn't oc-
Cured to anybody to ask the mans
name or that of the particular mine
owner" who had chartered the special
train
Donohuc got the Strathcona opera
tor in less than half a minute after
I fired my order at him, and the an
SWer came almost without a break ::
"Char>er of special train was to K.
Hatch, of Portal City, and of engine
416 to man named Collingwood.'
Gosh but this did settle it! | didn't
run back to the office with the news
! flew. 1t was like firing q gun amongst
the three who were waiting, but 1t
had to be done. The major groaned
and said, "Oh, good God" and Mrs.
Sheila sat down and put her face IN
her hands. The boss was the only
one who knew what to do and ne dld
It: vanished like a shot in the dlrec-
ton of the dispatcher's office.
In about fifteen of the longest min
utes | ever lived he came back, shak-
ing his head. l knew what he had
been doing. or trying to do. There
was one night telegraph station on
the branch-at mining-camp half
way down the grade on Slide Noun
tain-and he had been trying to get
word there to stop the wild engine.
"He has either bribed or bullied
his engine crew. he told the major.
II wired and had a stop signal set
for them at the Antonio mine, but
they Overran it, going at full speed
down the HILL"
1t was plain enough how what Col
lingwood was trying to do. The MUIR
der mania had got a firm hold Of its
weapon. Collingwood knew that
Hatch was on the special, and he was
going to chase that one-car train until
1t made a stop somewhere and then
smash into it for blood. After Mr.
Norcross had talked hurriedly for a
minute or two with the major he went
back to the dlspatcher's room and
/ went with him.
The boss grabbed up an official
time.card and began to study 1t hur'
riedly and to jot down figures. won
dered if he wasn't tempted-just the
least little bit In the world, you know
Here was thing itself up-a thing
for which he wasn't in the least re-
sponsible-and If it should work out tt
the catastrophe that nobody seemed tc
be able to prevent, the chief Of the
grafters, and probably a number OF
his nearest hackers, would be wiped
off the books; and Collingwood's death
which, in all human probability, was
equally certain, would set Mrs. Sheila
free.
He must be thinking of it, I argued
he couldn't be human man and moi
be thinking of IT. But he never
stopped his hasty figuring for a single
instant until he broke off to bark 0uI
at Kirgan, who was standing by:
"Quick, Mart! l want light en-
CINE, and somebody to run it.! JUMP
for it, man."
Kirgan, big and slow-motioned al
most times, was off like a shot. Their
the boss hurried back down the hal
to his own offices, and again l tagged
him. The old major was standing a
a window with his hands behind him
and Mrs. Sheila was sitting just a!
we had left her, with the big terror
still in her eyes and her face as white
as a sheet.
1--WE can't. stop him without throw
ing a switch in front Of him, and tina
would mean death to him and his tw'
enginemen," said the boss, talking
straight at the major and as If HI
were trying to ignore Mrs. Sheila
"1'm going to take Il long chance ant
run down the line to meet them
There's bare possibility that cal
contrlve to get between the train ant
the engine, and If I can--"
Mrs. Sheila was on her feet and sh'
had her hands clasped as II she wer
going to make prayer to the boss
And It was pretty nearly that.
"Take me" she begged; "oh, pleas
take me. It's my right to 60"
I saw that the chief was going t.
turn Mrs. Sheila down-which was
Of course, exactly the right thing t
do. But Just then the major showed In
"Sheila knows what she's talkin
about Graham" he said quietly