The Dolores star., 1921-09-23

thing around her neck, ana her StoCky
| chunky little arms were elbow deep In
| a big pillow nun to match. though the
| April night wasn't even halfway
| chilly.
The boss stepped out on the plat
form to close the side trap door which,
with the railing gate on that side, had
been left open by a careless rear flag
man. just then the big Pacific type"
that was pulling us let out a whistle
sCreech that would have walked the
dead, and the airbrakes went on
with Jerk that showed how beauti-
fully reckless the railronding was on
the Pioneer Short Line.
Mr.. 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 10 grab for hand-holdS; and
when she did that. OF course the big
nun went overheard.
AT this. a bunch OF things happened.
all in an eye-wink. The train ground
and jiggled to stop: the girl squealed,
"Oh, my mum" and skipped down
the steps TO disappear In the general
direction OF the Pacific coast: the
Young woman shrleked after her,
"Maisie Ann come back here-you'll
be LETT" and then took her turn at
disappearing by the same route; and,
on top OF It all, the boss jumped OF
and sprlnted after both of them, leav-
ir, fri, % Ia O..
ments on the foolishness of women
as sex trailing along behind him as
he flew.
Right then II was my golden moment
to play safe and sane. With three OF
them Off and lost In the gathering
night. somebody with at least 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 tablecloth. The stop was at
a blind siding In the edge of a noun.
tain desert. and when | squinted up
ahead and saw that the engine was
taking water, 1t looked ms II there
were going to be plenty OF time for a
bit Of promenade under the stars. So
| swung OFF and went to join the nun
hunt.
Amongst them they had found the
pillow thing before had n 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 to dead moral
certainty II they didn't run. They
couldn't run because their skirts were
too fashlOnably narrow. and there were
stiil three or four car-lengthS to 90
when the tank spout went up with
clnng aud II Clatter of chains and the
Old "rncltic type" gave couple of
htSses and snort
"Ihey're going" grltted the boss.
sort of between his teeth. and with
out another word he grabbed those
two hObbled women folks up under
his arms, just as If they'd been
couple Of sacks of meal, and broke
into run.
1t wasn't m0rSel 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.
hc 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 artis,ica!ly
left.
When he saw that 1t was no man
ner of use. the boss quit on the handi-
cap race and put his two armfus
down while he stlll had breath enough
left to talk with.
We'll" 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 20 back after that
muff thlng?"
IL was the young woman who an
swered the boss.
II didn't stop to think !" she
futtered, taking the blame as II 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
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,
roundlngs consisted Of short side.
track. n spur running Off into the hills
and the water tnnk. The siding
switches had no lights, which nrpued
that there wasn't even a pump man at
the tank-as there was not. the tank
being filled automatically by a gravity
pipe line running back TO natural
reservoir In the mountains.
BY this time the boss was beginning
to get little better grip on himself
and he laughed.
We've all earned the leather medal
guess" he chuckled. ATS done now
and IL 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