The Dolores star., 1921-09-23

they came tramping over TO the side
track But Mr.. Norcross had DIFF
ferent think coming.
"Out of sight-quick, Jimmie' ne
whispered. and In another second ne
had whipped the young woman over
the big footing timber to standing
place under the tank among the
braces, and | had done the same Tor
the girl.
What followed was as mysterious
ms n chapter out of an Anna Katherine
Green detective story. After doing
something to the switch of the unused
spur track the four men separated. one
OF them went back TO the auto, and
the other three walked down the main
track to the lower switch OF the short
siding, which was on the same side OF
the main line as the spur. Here the
| fourth man rejoineG them, and the
girl at my elbow told US what he had
gone back to the car for.
"He has lighted "A red lantern" she
whispered 81 saw. 1t when he took
1t out of the auto"
! guess II was pretty plain to all OF
us by this time that there was some
thing decidedly crooked on the cards.
| but IL we had known what II was, we
couldn't very well have done anything
to prevent It. There were only two
OF us men TO their four: and, besides,
there wasn't any time. The lantern
carrying man had barely reached the
| lower switch when we heard the whis-
| tie OF n locomotive. There was n train
| coming from the west. and few sec
ondS later an electric headlight showed
up on the long tangent beyond the
| siding.
1t was a bandit hold.up. all right
| one OF the men stood on the track
| waving the red lantern; we could see
| him plainly in the glare OF the head
| light There wasn't much Of n scrap
| There were two or three pistol shots
| and then, as near as we could make
out. the hold-up men, or some OF them.
| climbed into the engine.
Before you could count ten they had
made a flying switch with the single
car, kicking 1t in on the siding Before
the car had come fully to stop. the
engine was switched In behind it. cou-
pied on. and the reversed train, with
the engine pushing the car, rnttled
away on the old spur that led or into
the hills; clattered away and was lost
to sight and hearing in less than
minute.
II was not until after the train was
| switched and gone that we discovered
that two Of the bandits had been left
behind. These two reset the switches
for the main track, leaving everything
as they had found 1t, and then
crossed over to the auto.
was just thinking that all this
mystery and kidnapping and gun play
must be sort of hard on the young
woman and the girl, but, though my
half Of the allotment was shiverlug
little and smuggling up just grain
closer to me. she proved that she
hadn't lost her nerve
Did you see the name on that car
when the engine went past to get in
behind it," she asked
NO. said the boss; and | hadn't,
either
81 did" she asserted. showing that
her eyes, or her wits were quicker
than ours. 81 had just one little
glimpse Of II. The name is 'A-l.e.x-a,'"
spelling it out.
Mr.. NOrcross started as II he had
been shot.
The Alcxa? That is Mr.. Chad
wIck's private car-they've kidnapcd
him. Then he whIrled short on me
Jimmie, are you man enough to 70
WIN me and try tackle on those
fellows over there in TINT auto?"
SAID was; but didn't add what
th"ught-that ii would probably he
case of double suicide for us two ia
20 up against a pair Of armed thugs
with our bare hands. The vo,n, u,n
man put in her word.
You mustn't think of doing such n
thihg! she protested; and she was
sun telling him all the different rea.
sons why he mustn't, when we heard
'iie creak and grind of the stolen on.
slhe coming back down the old snur
After that there was nothing ,o do
W, 10 wall and see what was going
10 happen next. What did happen wos
as piihd as all the rest. The engine
was stopped somewhere in the rulch
oacK OF us and out Of sight from our
hiuihg-p place, and pretty soon the two
men VINO had gone with her came hur-
rylhg across out OF the bIlI shodow,
making straight for the auto A min.
lnta
,n'o 'he machine, the motor had sput.
'erea' ana the car was gone.