The spectator., 1921-04-05


 Mir. Norcross was reaching for the catch on the floor trap and the jerk didn't throw him. But it snapped the young woman and the girl away from the railing so suddenly that the little one had to grab for hand-holds; and when she did that, of course the big huff went overheard.
 At this. a bunch of things happened. all in an eye-wink. The train ground and jiggled to a stop; the girl squealed, "Oh. my huff 7! and skipped down the steps to disappear in the general direction of the Pacific coast: the young woman shrieked after her. 'Maisie Ann come back here-youll' be left and then took her turn at disappearing by the same route: and, on top of it all. the boss jumped off and sprinted after both of them. leav- ing string of tlrge. man-Szed con- ments on the foolishness of women as sex trailing along behind him as he flew.
 Right then 1t was my golden moment to play safe and sane With three of them off and lost in the gathering night, somebody with at least d grain of sense ought to have stood by to pull the emergency cord if the train should start. But, of course, had to take chance and spill the gravy all over the tablccloth, The stop was at >hlind siding in the edge of noun tain desert. and when l squinted up ahead and saw that the engine was taking water, il looked as if there were going to he plenty of time for bit of promenade under the stars. So I swung off and went to join the huff hunt.
 Amongst them, they had found the pillow thing before had chance to horn in. They were coming up the track. and the boss had each of the two by an arm and was telling them that they'd be left t0 d dead moral certainty if they didn't run. They couldn't run because their skirts were too fashionably narrow. and there were still three or four car-lengths to go when the tank spout went up with a clang and a chatter of chains and the old "Pacitic type" gave couple of hiSSeS and snort.
 They're going" gritted the boss, sort of between his teeth and with out another word he grabbed those two hobhled women folks up under his arms. just as if they'd been couple of sacks of meal, and broke into a run
 It wasn't a morSel of use, you know old Hercules himself couldn't have run very far or very fast with the handicap the boss had taken on, and in less than half minute the "Paci- tic type" had caught her stride and the red tail lights of the train were vanishing to pin points in the night We were beautifully and artistically left.
 When he saw thF 1t was no man. her of use, the boss quit on the handi- cap race and put his two armfuls down while he still had breath enough left to talk with.
 Well" he said, in his best rusty hinge rasp, you've done it Why. In the name of common sense couldn't you have let me go back after that nun thing?"
 It was the young woman who an swered the boss.
 II didn't stop to think '' she fluttered, taking the blame as if she had been the one to head the process sion. Isn't there any way we can stop that train?"
 The boss said there wasn't, and I know the only reason why he didn't say lot of other things was because he was too much of a gentleman to say them in the presence of couple of women.
 So far as we could see. the sur roundings consisted of short side track. a spur running of into the hills. and the water tank The siding switches had no lights, which argued that there wasn't even pump-man at the tank-as there was not. the tank being filled automatically by gravity pipe line running back to natural reservoir in the mountains.
 By this time the boss was beginning to get q little better grip on himself and he laughed.
 We've all earned the leather medal, I guess" he chuckled Its done now. and it can't be helped"
 But isn't there anything we can do?" said the young woman. Cant we walk somewhere to where there is station or town with people in itY
 saw Mir. Norcross look down at her skirts and then at the girls.
 You two couldn't walk very far or very fast in those things you are wearing" he grunted. Besides. we are in one of the desert strips. and it is probably miles to a night wire sta- tion in either direction"