Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-04

scent is more dangerous"
Suddenly the storm lifted for q
moment. Far below, miles in reality.
straight jets OF steam rose high
ktbove black. curling smoke, family
Instantly. whistles sounded. The
Siowplows,
III He gripped her arm with the sight
: of It. nor did she resist. Thrilled
I e~nthralled. they watched IT., the
Z whirling smoke. the shooting steam,
abe white spray which indicated the
grinding. churninE progress of the
plows. propelled by the heavy en-
gines behind. From the swollen lips
{ of Houston:
They've started the fight. I'm
going TO work with them
. He knew what she meant and
shook his head.
: + But"
: .No-she does not need me. My
: presence would mean nothing to her.
j cant tell you why. My place
IS down there"
For an instant Medaine Robinette
( Booked at him with frankly question
ing eyes, eyes which told that a
9luestion was arising as to his guilt
Z in at least one of the things which
circumstances had arrayed against
: aim. But suddenly she was speak
5ng, as though to divert her thought.
y Wen have about three hours, It's
sour chance. We'd better cut this
s.ord-the one IN the lead may fall
5and pull the other one over. We'd
Better make haste
Houston stepped before her. a
lmoment later they were edging their
tway down the declivity of what once
had been a railroad track.
Black dots they became-dots
(which appeared late in the after
noon to the laborlng crews of the
ssnow-fghters far below. dots edg-
ang their way about beetling preoi-
.pices, plunging forward. then stop
ping; pulling themselves out of the
heavier drifts. where drops OF ten
and even twenty feet had thrown
Them. Once. at the edge of an over
hanging ledge, he scrambled furi-
xusly, failed and fell-to drop in a
thrift far below. to crawl painfully
back to the waiting dot above.
glours, The dots grew larger. on
1hey came, stumbling, Keeling. The
woman wavered and fell, h caught
her. Then double-weighted. a pack
on his back. a form in his arms. he
came on, his blood-red eyes search
ing almost sightlessly the faces of
The waiting, stolid. grease-smeared
men. his thick voice drooling over
bloody lips:
"%somebody take her-get her into
the bunk cars. She's given out.
all right. Take care OF
her. I've got to go onto Tollifer!
CHAPTER XIX.
1t was night when Barry Houston
Nimped. muscles cramped and FROST
numbed, into the little undertaking
shop at Tollifer and deposited his
tiny burden. Medaine Robinette
mad remained behind in the care of
the snow crews.
fNameless," he said with an -ort,
when the lengthy details of cerunIca-
ton were asked. THE mother
and a necessary lie came to his lips
-Tbecam6 unconscious before she
could tell me anything except that
The baby had been baptized. She
wanted a priest"
From far away came the whistles
of locomotives answering the sig
nails of the s~now-plows ahead. He
remembered the bulky cars of ma
chinery at Tollifer. 1t was partially
his battle they were fighting u
here. He fumbled aimlessly in his
pockets for his gloves. Something
tinkled on the floor and he bent to
pick up the little crucifix with its
twisted, tangled chain, forgotten at
rollifer. Duly, hazily, he stared at
4. with his red eyes, with the faint
feeling of duty neglected. Then;
She only said they might want
IT," he mumbled. I'm sorry-I
should have remembered. I'm al
ways failing-at something"
Then, anxious to take his place in
The lighting line, he replaced the
tiny bit of gold in his pocket and
Threaded his way through the cir
euitous tunnel of snow.
Even from the distance, Barry
could hear the surge of the terrific
Impact, as the rotary smashed
against the tight-jammed contents of
the shed, snarled and tore at its
enemy. then beaten at last by the
Prusted ice of the rails, came grudg-
ingly back so that the crews might
break the ice from the rails and
give traction for another assault.
stop. A figure in the dim light of
the cook car had caught his eye.
Medaine Robinette.
Ii the woman back there in the
west country only would tell! If she
would only keep the promise which
she had given him in her hali-de-
tirium!
Ten minutes later Barry stood be-
side a great Mallet engine. a sleek
Greyhound of the mountains, taking
Instructions from the superintendent.
"Know anything about tirin' an
sngine?"
Il know enough to shovel coal
and I've got a strong pair of shoul-
Gers"
s.When you get in them gas
ookef stick vOrr uosa in the hO1- [
Tow of your elbow. There amt no
fresh air in That there shed; the
minute these engines get inside and
start THROWN on the juice. it fills
with smoke. That's what gets you"
Barry climbed to his place on the
Engine. A whistle sounded. to be
ECHOED and reechoed by the answer
Ing blasts Of the snowplow train
four engines and the big auger itself
ready now for a fresh sally into the
shed. Throttles open fire boxes
Throwing their red, spluttering glare
against the black sky a S fremen
teaped TO their task, the great mass
pf machinery moved forward.
III Faster-faster-then the impact,
like crashing into a ton wall. They
were within the snowshed now. the
EGger boring and tearing and snarl-
ing like some savage, vengeful thing
against the solid mass which faced
81. Inch by inch for eight feet it
progressed; then progress ceased,
while the pillow ahead shrilled the
triple signal to back up. The engi-
|neer opened the cab window and
gratefully sucked in the fresh. clean
air.
Eight feet-that's ALL" he unused.
Eight feet It a time"