Gunnison news-champion., 1922-01-06

A1N fA4sAeAfB anu w. pDe -ftSr ooleCt
in life vas 10 get the car OF the track
before a worse thing should happen.
/ vas doing fairly well with the lifting
and tu-gin= when the enemy hove In
sight less than ave hundred yards
away. And that wasn't all. either. AT
precisely the sam. instant. as IL II had
been timed by the saIDe mechanism
that had bronsigt the freight train,
herr came Wild engine around the
cury. In the opposite direction. with
It's whistle valve held open and making
a rack.t 10 wake the dead. The be-
ref mOtOr-car riders had found a To-
connective sornewher. and were chasing
me
one mad hsave Al the stranded gas
oiine car. mighty boost that got all
but ole wheel Of Il In the clear, and
l was Sone-streakinE It Ike a jack
rabbit for the tail tinber-Oniy there
wasn't stick OF timber nearer than
the slopes OF the back grounding noun
talus
one glance over my shoulder rs |
hed showed me what / Vas In for:
that the story was TO be Immediately
continued in our next. Both engineers
tried to stop; did stop In time to avert
the greater catastrophe. Three or four
men jumped from the freight and two
from the Wild engine to come tearing
after me. ! fanciesi could give them
their moneys worth at that game-
being IN pretty fair trainins-so I
pitched out tO Try TO turn the hypo-
theticai theory into condition.
II WIS great race. Through one
gap aud Into another we went, max
Ing figure sights around the hills and
back again. dOdsing into new rayines
and out Of them into Others. cirrllug
among great sandstone bouiders that
took all sorts Of weird shapes In the
passing glimpse.
don't know Just how long the chase
lasted. but II was long enough 10 give
me very considerable degree Of re-
spect for the n.ry. and persistence Of
those highly indignant railroad men.
We mus, have been miles away from
tn. scene of the disaster when final
ly left them behind and lost them.
When looked back and found ms self
alone with the solltudes sat down up
on d :'s; -c.k to gasp ana laugh. II
had all been 50 supremely ridiculous
and 50 beautifully In keeping with the
reputation | had left behind the at
Angels. that felt sure that now moth
Ing less than n verdict OF expert allen
lists would ever serve to convince these
Red Desert folk that was anything
but an escaped iunatic.
After the breathing spell kept On
up the valley, heading away from the
settling sun. and feeling certain that.
sooner or later. must come out some
wher" in the neiShborhoOd OF Atrupia.
Two hours later | came into a sort
of an excuse for road. Being pretty
well winded by the stiT climb out OF
the canyon ravine. sat down at the
roadside 10 rest bit and to decide
which way ! should go, to the right
or Ia the left. just rs | was making
up my mind | heard patter of feet
and dog hnrked.
A moment later could see the
beast, iudistlnctly He had been com
ing up the road and had stopped n,
the siEht-or sccnt-of me Since a
dog argued the proximity of dog.
owning human being, called coaxlns-
ly: "Here. Towser-here-cum uu.
old feliow-thnt's boy :" and the cur
ious thing about IL Is that he did II.
running up little way and stopping.
and finally coming to squat before
me and 10 lift paw for me TO shake.
joliied him a bit and let him nose
me TO his hearts content. Then sud
denly. as II he had discovered long
lost master. he broke away and bean
to leap and dance around me, barking
q furious and hilarious welcome. In
the midst Of this hubbub heard hoof-
bents and the sQueaking Of saddie
leather. and the dogs owner rode up.
Al nrgt l thought the dimly outlined
that Of boy. but II was q womans
voice. and q mighty pleasant one. that
called to the dog: Down, Barney,
and behave yourself-what's the ina'
Ter with you. sir!"
stood up and pulled on my cap.
I'm chiefly the matter" ! said.
Your dog seems to think he knows
me. and I'm nwfully sorry that his
memory Is 10 much better than mine"
You'd think-anybody would think
that . woman riding alone in the
dark on 4 solitary mountain road
would he Handsomely startled. to say
the least. at seeing man rise up fair
y under her horses nose. But IL my
little lady were scared. she certainly
didn't parade her fright.
Barney Is such foolish dog, some
times" she said apoloeetically. He
has . double brain. you know: half
Of. It is good-natured and silly and
the other half is-well, its-"
The dog had come around again
wasging his tail and At that magic
word half stopped to let him stick
his cold nose into my palm The act