The Dolores star., 1921-01-07


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.
ave got your wheels locked " he half
sobbed. IN hold you yet. you brute.
SlIdel That's 1t! Slide. and fatten
your Internal wheels. Hah! You're
quittIng-quitting. I'll have you In
control before we reach the curve.
Burn. curse you. burnt"
With 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 kindling: one In
stant, Bryce could see them In the air !;
the next they had disappeared down
the hillside. deafeniny crash, q
splash. cloud Of dust
With protesting sQueai the ca
boose came to the point where the log
ging-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, wearily,
like a drunken hag.
Bryce. stlll Clinging to the brake,
was fully braCed 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 OF the roof to the top Of the
bank and sat calmly down under
manzanita bush to await results. for
lie was quite confident that none Of
the occupants of the confounded ca
boose had been treated to anything
worse than n 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
leapcd lightly down the steps, ran to
the front Of the car looked down the
track. and s~ore feelngly. Then he
NhI bh'h ~ tiit itai VI liC Nu
boose.
"All clear and snug rs bug under
n chip. my dear" he called to Shirley.
THANK God. the caboose become un-
coupled-guess that fool brakeman
forgot to drop the pin; 1t was the last
car, and when 1t jumped the track
md plowed Into the dirt. 1t just nat
urally quit and toppled over against
the hank. Come out, my dear"
Shirley came ont. dry-eyed. but
white and trembling. The Colonel
placed his arm around her. and she
hid her face on his shoulder and shud-
dered. There, there!" he soothed her
affectionately. "It's all over. my dear.
Ais well that ends we'll"
"The train" she cried In a choking
voice. "Where Is it?"
'In little pieces-down In Mad
river"
Bryce Cardigan" she sobbed. ~
saw him-he was riding atop on the
train. He-ah, God help hIm!"
The Colonel shook her with sudden
ferocity. young Cardigan" he cried
sharply. "Rldlng the logs? Are you
certnin?"
She nodded. and her shoulders
shook piteously.
"Then Bryce Cardigan Is gone -
Pennington's pronouncement was SOL
emn. deadly with It's fiat finallty. mo
man could have rolled down into Mad
river with n trainl0ad of logs and sur
vived. The devil himself couldn't"
lie heaved great sigh. and added
well. that clears the atmosphere con.
siderably, although for all his faults.
l regret, for his fathers sake, that this
dreadful affnIr has happened. Well,
1t cant be helped, Shirley. Poor devil
For all his damnable treatment of me
l wouldn't have had this happen for a
million dollars"
Shirley burst into wild ween,ng
Bryce's heart leaped. for he under.
STOOD the reason for her grief. She
mad sent him away In anger, and he
mad 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 mora
thnn he could bear. He coughed slight.
~ ana the alert colonel glanced up Mt
him instantly.
wei, I'll be hanged!" The words
rel from Pennington's lips with n
heartiness that was almost toucb,po
thought you'd gone with the train -
sorry to have disappointed you, old
Top Bryce replied bllthely, ''but I'm
JUST naturally stubborn Too bad about
lhe atmosphere you thought cleared n
lhor'eht ago! It's clogged worse than
ever now" '""