The Dolores star., 1924-10-10
When Engineer
Outwitted the
Bold Bandits
By GEORGE ELMER COBB
%. lsi4. western Newspaper Union.)

in either hand.
The engineer raised both hands; the
fireman backed up against the coal
heap in the tender and followed suit.
The terminus of the branch line was
1xtacl, and here there was a little
bank. II was owned by Henry Morse
who operated a larger institution In
good-siEed city just over the Texas
state line. The engineer of the pres
ent special" was not an engineer
However, for two years, back in his
life, he had worked on the road"
The anxious banker tried TO get the
railroad company to send a special TO
1xtacl to bring thence the little bank
safe containing Important documents
and cash. and found no one willing to
undertake the dangerous mission. Al
bion Marvin stepped to the front.
The railroad company agreed 10 fur
n.sh an engine and steel express car.
Ben Wharton. skilled fireman, under
took TO run the gauntlet with the nov
ice engineer on promise of quadruple
pay.
They had made the run to Ixtacl
without hindrance. The little safe had
been put aboard the train.
At IXtacl no attack or outbreak was
attempted. A pretense was made by
the legal authorities to protect the re-
moval of the safe. They laughed in
their sleeves, however.
That loot will never leave Mexican
territory" they predicted
Ten miles, fifteen miles, twenty
miles the train progressed. Then the
signal. the armed Mexican and engl.
neer and fireman challenged and help.
less, as seen.
The Mexican did not speak further.
He kept his weapons leveled as II
posing for a picture. Suddenly he gave
q shrill piercing whistle Its echoes
had scarcely died away when half u
dozen armed men descended from II
covert.
The fireman. closely scrutinizing his
comrade, fancied he traced a quick
glitter in his clear, scrutinizing eyes.
The engineer seemed calculating
Their challenger was just in range of
the exhaust cock. In fact, his face
was directly upon level with it.
Suddenly, but quite naturally, 1t
looked, the engineer gave a lurch. His
elbow met the extending valve.
Straight into the face of the unsus.
pecting Mexican went scading del
uge. Blinded, blistered. in agony, he
dropped both revolvers. His hands
went up to his tortured eyes.
Now, them" shouted Marvin, and
he sprang to the lever.
A dozen shots from the bandits rat
tied against the cab. A curve was
turned
Saved" uttered the fireman, with
grin and chuckle.
Hardly" qualified Marvin. "If we
. can only make Sonoma - he repea ted,
in business-lIke tone that sounded
hopeful to his puzzled assistant. 81
thought so" he added half an hour
later. and slowed up just In time to
avoid dashing into barricade of rail-
road ties piled across the rails. This
time six rough characters surrounded
the engine
"Cus of that carl" ordered their
leader. and Marvin obeyed.,
Now, then, 60 on about your busi-
ness" was the added command, and at
a wave of the speakers hand his sub
ordinates removed the obstacle on the
tracks.
Open-mouthed, detected, the fireman
stared at Marvin as he resumed his
duties.
"See here" he finally observed.
they've got what they were after"
'Yes. the express car" nodded Mar
vim gayly. "It will take them an hour
to burst in that steel door to get into
the big safe"
"Well. then"
by that time we shall be at SO,
noma."
You keep saying 'Sonoma,'" rather
irritably observed the fireman. whats
Sonoma got to do with 1t, anyhow
This much: To the advancing mysti
fication of the fireman, as they neared
Sonoma, instead of running on the
main track, Marvin slowed up, set 81
switch to a long siding running to
mahogany forest a mile or two distant,
halted amid lonely solitude and drew
forth and blew a signal whistle.
Within few moments a responding
"honk honk! !" came from near road
way and an automobile appeared.
Nov, then, of with that coalw or
dered Marvin, and brief burrowing
revealed the little strong box that had
never seen the inside Of the steel ex-
press car.
Four armed men were in the auto
The train was abandoned, the run
started for the Texas border.
1t was early the next morning that
Albion Marvin reported to Henry
Morse with a rather proud look of ex-
pectation on his handsome features.
His faithful assistant, the fireman.
left the banker, his face in broad
grin over his quadruple reward.
vUbnr Albgnn ,,,art ~ 10 tln