The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-08-03

bruised and bloody; this was not hi.
nrst effort to aid. Together they lifted
an end Of the crate; they bent-AlaI
stepped back. and the priest kneI'
alone. his lips repeating the prayer for
absolution. Screams OF men came from
behind and the priest rose and turne,
He saw men caught between two
wrecks of cars crushing together:
there was no moment to reach them
he stood and raised his arms to them
his head thrown back. his voice calling
to them, as they died, the words of
absolution.
Three more cars at the cost of two
lives the crew cleared. while the
sheathing of ice spread over the steel
inboard, and dissolution of all the
cargo became complete. Cut stone and
motor parts chasses and castings. fur
niture and beams, swept back and
forth, while the cars, burst and splin-
tered, became monstrous missiles hurt
ling forward, sidewise, aslant. recoil-
Ing Vat men. though scattered singly
! tried to stay them by ropes and chains
while the water washed higher and
higher. Dimly, far away, deafened out
by the clangor, the steam whistle OF
Number 25 was blowing the four long
blasts of distress: Alan heard the
sound now and then with Indifferent
wonder. All destruction had come for
him to be contained within this car
deck here the ship loosed on itself all
elements of annihilation; who could
aid II from without? Alan caught the
end Of chain which Corvet flung him
/ and, though he knew 1t was useless.
hefcarried it across from one stanchion
to the next. Something, sweeping
across the deck. caught him and car
ried him with it; it brought him be-
fore the coupled line of trucks which
hurtled back and forth where the rails
Of track three had been. He was
hurled before them and rolled over;
something cold and heavy pinned him
down; and upon him, the car trucks
came.
But, before them, something warm
and living-a hand and bare arm
catching him quickly and pulling at
him, tugged him little farther on.
Alan, looking up. saw Corvet beside
him; Corvet, unable to move him
farther, was crouching down there
with him. Alan yelled to him to leap.
to twist aside and get out of the way
but Corvet only crouched closer and
put his arms over Alan; then the
wreckage came upon them. driving
them apart. AS the movement stopped
Alan still could see Corvet dimly 10y
the glow of the incandescent lamps
overhead; the truck separated them
1t bore down upon Alan, holding him
motionless and, on the other side. II
crushed upon Corvet's legs.
He turned over, as far as he could
and spoke to Alan. you have been
saving me. SO now l tried to save you.
he said simply. "What reason did you
have for doing that? Why have you
been keeping by mel"
I'm Alan Conrad of Blue Rapids.
Kansas" Alan cried to him. "And
you're Benjamin Corvetl You know
me; you sent for mel Why did you
do that7
Corvet made no reply to this. Alan,
peering at him underneath the truck,
could see that his hands were pressed
against his face and that his body
shook. Whether this was from some
new physical pain from the movement
Of the wreckage Alan did not know
till he lowered his hands after q mo
ment; and now he did not heed Alan
or seem even to be aware Of him.
Dear little Connie !" he said aloud.
Dear little Connie She mustn't
marry him-not him! That must be
seen to. What shall do what shall
dot"
Alan worked nearer him. ''Why
mustn't she marry him?" he cried to
Corvet. "why7 Ben Corvet, tell me
Tell me whyl"
"Who are your" Corvet seemed only
Alan's presence.
I'm Alan Conrad, whom you used
to take care of. I'm from Blue Rap
ids. You know about me; are you my
father, Ben Corvet? Are you my ia
ther or what-what are you to me?"
"Your father?" Corvet repeated.
did ne tell you that? He killed your
father"
"Killed him? Killed him, how?"
'Of course. He killed them all-all.
But your father-he shot him; he shot
him through the head!"
Alan twinged. Sight of Spearman
came before him as he had first seen
| Spearman, covering in Corvet's H.
brary in terror at an apparition. "And
the bullet hole above the eye!" So
that was the hole made by the shot
Spearman fired which had killed
Alan's father-which shot him through
the head Alan peered at Corvet and
called to him.
Father Benitot!' Corvet called in
response, not directly in reply to
Alan's question, rather in response to