Marion Marlowe on the Prairie, or, A Thrilling Ride Across Kansas — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MY QUEEN. ‘am engineer, but the space was too small to move about in, and, besides, another signal might be given or another order from Bert, and he wished to be able to see it executed. The young girl moved the throttle again and reduced the speed of the train. Almost the instant she did so the bell rope was jerked violently. “What the deuce does that mean?” asked the doctor, sternly, The engineer moved to touch the lever, and then his hand fell to his side as he caught Dr. Brookes’ threatening gesture. “Ye’ve got no notion of slowin’ up, who- ever ye be,” he muttered, crossly. “It’s lucky thar ain’t no trains ter meet, fer ther ain’t er switch *twixt hyar an’ Dodge City.” Marion waited for no more but pulled her throttle out. This time shé was uncertain just what to do, but there was no time to think; she must act with decision. Once more the train bounded forward over the heated rails. There were only twenty miles to run. They could slow down in a few minutes. } The whistle shrieked its warning as usual ~ as they neared the station, for the engineer did not hesitate to perform that part of his duty. , Marion glanced ahead through the dark: ness to where innumerable starlike lights sparkled and twinkled. They were nearing a town at last, after that mad, wild ride, and, as the reaction came upon her, her hand fell from the throttle. Dr. Brookes caught her in his arms just _ as the train’ was stopped. She had not faltered once until she had brought them to safety. CHAPTER XIII. THE TROUBLE IN THE COACHES. “What’s the matter, engineer ?” The station master at Dodge City asked _ the question excitedly as the three men in « the cab carefully lifted Marion to safety. “God only knows!” was the answer. Then Dr. Brookes called out, sharply: “Quick! Go through the train, somebody, and see what has happened! Where are the _ conductor and brakemen ?” 3 / * ad De, 25 “I’m the conductor, and Ajax and the other ‘supe’ are tending brakes!” bawled Bert, as he swung himself down from between the coaches. “Get in there quick, somebody, and help us out! We’ve got two train robbers aboard—a dead one and a live one—and the express messenger is half dead, but perhaps we can save him!” Marion revived in time to hear the last vords. As she leaned heavily upon the doc- tor’s arm, she tried to ask a question. “Quick! Ask him if they are safe—Alma and all the rest,” she cried, weakly. There was a general rush of station hands to go through the train, and in less than a minute all was confusion, so Marion was obliged to wait some time before her ques- tion was answered. At last Bert came back to the waiting- room, where the doctor had taken her, and Marion uttered a cry of joy when she saw that Miss Allyn was with him. “T’m all right, and so are the others,” cried her friend, as she took her in her arms, “‘but, oh, Marion, we’ve had an awful experience. There were two rolfbers aboard and they nearly killed the express messenger! They intended to hold up the rest of the train, but Ajax prevented it!” Marion grew calm instantly as soon as she heard that her friends were safe, and in an- other moment a score of passengers from the train came into the waiting-room. -~-“4t was the pluckiest hold-up I ever saw,” exclaimed one gentleman, excitedly, “and I ought to know, for I’ve seen a dozen!” “There’s a quarter of a million in that safe,’ called another man, “and, poor fellow, he stood at his post till he was shot down by a ruffian!” “Oh, but he got a bullet, too,” called out Bert’s voice again. “Ajax plugged him full of holes in about a jiffy, and as for the fel- low that held up the dining car—well, I fancy I peppered him! He’s alive, though, and I’m glad of it! JI should hate to have killed him!” “And to think that Ajax was one of them at the start,’ broke in Mr. Temple. “He confessed to me that he intended to help rob the train, but he changed his mind just in time to save us.” “We'll have to hold the train till we get a Comicboooks.c© =