Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1943-05-21
CHAPTER SEVEN

~ i:.'. station wagon bumped
and jui,"G over the chally, rock
SirrWn -:nnc between the highway
and III rl..".:J tracks. Jean sud
""0l- .rsr.w,I ana pointed.
Through the dusk the figures of
s'..:" l".A could be seen lcaping
N"@ ,Hc o.@,urncd baggage car.
g.. Ia nc took Il look at the sta
... w'ann approaching. then
'"sl 80 run for car marked
'.' ',#iH"CC 80 he -cadhcd. The
."' '..erG followed. one of them
.l".. ."- as he ran.
'Hr c1roc"l." Jean cried. For
..-.c N.Ja turning the .c.r's search
.iE., III Oh the fleeing figures
,.- pushed The accclcrator to
IT,. .'....
- L. they've got the mail bag
ri! ..h..' lis face was white with
fury. "N! lean thought for one ter
'ili,& instant he was going to
S0iJai! the .iItion wagon into the
"'HsE car. Int lie glanced at her
"iI.'y-'E. rs though remembering
50 vas along. In the next breath
he had slammed on the brakes.
Eo!u,Hg uIt his arm to keep her
from coin" through the Windshield
with the violent jerk of the stop.
Pulling on The emergency, he or
Gcrcd. stay hcrc.' and flung open
LII door.
"Stcvc" -hc cried wildly. steve
-dnut"
hut he was gone. running toward
IN" car into which the men were
now Iilirg. y shot rang out. Jean
m"dNcd and closed her eyes. But
when they switched open again,
tStcvc still was running, returning
|, tho SabDtcurS' fire as he went.
lh"lr car SwcrvCd ahead just as he
reached it. With n long leap, he
made the running board and chung
lhcrc. as the car gathered speed
/ thcy pushed him off. His body
relied in cloud of dust down the
slope toward the tracks.
Jean. screaming, stumbling, was
halfway TO him before the bandits
car had reached the highway. She
knelt beside him as he opened his
'cyes dizzily, then sat up.
"The ratsw
At the dopcy bclligerence on his
race jeans terror abruptly was
released into hysterical laugh.
she pulled him back whcr he start
ed 10 rise. Lie still minute till
we see If you're shot full of holes"
she ordered.
I'm all right"
Apparently he was, except for
torn clothes, scratches, bruises and
Dadiy spraincd wrist.
"Gc'ng over to the train!- He
SUI was painting. "Stay here"
But jeans spirits were soaring
with the excitement of it now that
lhe nightmare of the first moments
was over. II won't stay here. I'm
gong with YOU" she cried.
The engine still was throbbing,
steam pouring up through the
.uusky cciilc of the canyon as they
MADE their way toward the over
turned cars. Steve halloed, and sud-
'ucniy head appeared over the
GT.age Of the open baggage car door. |
II was the Mexican engineer. He
ana Steve carried out the other VIC
una Mexican trainman, bleeding
ana Unconscious. They oropped
nm on ore of the station wagon
seats ard Steve supported him
%niIc Jean drove to the company
snack that steve shared with sew
'r,, OF The plant engineers.
6y the time she drew up before
INC iiGhtcd. shcd-likc building. the
."cN'cnn trainman had rcgained
,S'o.h.s'ciousncss and was being VIC.
.tn.'y sick. The engineers face be-
I iT nor was covered with blood.
re i was mittcring Spanish oaths as
nc wiped 1T from his eyes with a
.IEEcd forearm. Jeans fastidious
S ,u rcccoilcd. She wanted to escape
n m",n the misery, blood and sick
-" .ss. she told herself they didn't
-. her, and turned to tell Steve
/ = was going to walk to the vii