The Argosy, November 1908 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

624 flash was a poor one, and all he could make out was a confused impression of fleeing men pee up the side of the cliff. The attempt Seed a disastrous one to himself, too; for just as he turned, the engineer, recognizing that he was no longer under duress, shot his hand for- ward to the throttle, and the train leaped out with a momentum which tore the photographer’s arm loose ftom its hold, and hurled him off the steps and down the embankment. CHAPTER V. A SUNRISE MYSTERY. BEHAN, although not knocked insen- sible, was so confused and dazed by his tumble that for several minutes -after he landed he could only lie still and blink stupidly after the tail-lights of the re- treating train. His first conscious impression was that they would undoubtedly return to pick him up; but, as the chug-chug of the engine drew more and more rapidly away into the distance, he was forced to an understanding that such was in nowise their intention. “The cowardly whelps!”’ he muttered resentfully. “They are afraid to come back, and are willing to desert me in order to save their own skins! They must know of my accident. Of course they know of it, for Daffodil would have in-. stantly given the alarm! It is simply that they are a set of infernal curs!” Nor was his righteous wrath unjusti- fied, for his surmise as to the girl’s action was exactly correct. As she saw him fall, she had staggered back with a quick gasp of horror; then, with ready presence of mind, had dashed inside the car and seized the bell-rope. But the engineer, filled with panic, was paying no heed to signals just then. All he thought of was to put as many miles as possible between himself and those grim rifle-muzzles which had been poked so threateningly into his face. Neither was the conductor the courte- ous and complaisant gentleman he had hitherto shown himself to Daffodil. “Take your hand off that bell-rope! ” he ordered fiercely, as he charged in at THE ARGOSY. the forward door of the car. ‘ This train doesn’t stop anywhere between here and Verdee! ” ‘“But you must stop!” she appealed to him agonizedly. ‘A passenger fell off when we started up. It was Mr. Behave, the gentleman who was back there with me!’ The conductor hesitated just a minute; then his fears made him reckless. ‘““T don’t care,” he declared stubborn- ly. “I wouldn’t run this train back now if the Czar of all the Russias had tum- bled off. I’ve got one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in currency up in the express-car, and the company would never forgive me if I risked that for the sake of a careless passenger,” “But he saved it for you in the first place,” pleaded Daffodil. “It was his setting off the flash which frightened the train-robbers and drove them off. Just think, they may return and, finding him injured, wreak vengeance upon him for what he did.” “Very likely they have him aiready,” retorted the conductor unfeelingly; “so I don’t see where it’s going to do any good to let them get us, too. No, the only thing to do is to get to Verdee as quickly as possible, and report the matter to the authorities. They'll send out and rescue him, if there’s any chance of it being done.” And for all her prayers and protests, her stinging contempt and passionate en- treaties, that was the most which Daffodil could extort from him, a promise that assistance should be despatched as soon as they reached Verdee. With a sob at her utter helplessness, she had at last to sink into her seat and in an almost frenzied impatience, count the moments as the train seemed to her to crawl onward, although really urged to its utmost endeavors up the mountain toward their destination. A realization of the trainmen’s atti- tude, however, coupled with his natural indignation at such conduct, was in a way a good thing for Behan; for, by making him =ccoMe that he was now dependent solely upon his own resources, it acted as a stimulus to restore his scat- tered faculties. Struggling up on one elbow, he began to take an inventory of his injuries, and comiclooks.corn