Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 571 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

before he could get out of the way the tree was down upon him. Lucy hurried down, lighting her way with her lantern, and guided by the groans, soon found the man. And a horrible tate he had met. He was pinned to the earth by a sharp- pointed broken branch, the stick having gone right through his body. he sickening sight almost caused the girl to faint, but she nerved herself and tried to get the man out, But she was unable to do so. She could not move the heavy limb that held bim down. eat, CHAPTER X, THE SIGNAL DOES ITS WORK. WHILE she was straining to lift the branch, the man caught sight of her face and exclaimed: “Girl, ain’t you Dan Fieldin’s darter?” **'Yes,” Lucy answered, *‘T am,” ‘Then leave me right here an’ let me die, an’ you hurry round th’ bend there an’ save yer lover. is is th’ fu’st train that will be along either way, an’ You'll have ter git round there lively if ye want ter be in time. I’m done fer, an’ | deserved it all an’ a good deal more.” ‘* Was it you that cut the tree?” Lucy asked, ‘¢ Yes, it was me,” ** And who are you?” ne Joe, Jake Hogan.” nd who engaged you to do it?” * That I won’t tell, yt: Ill take it all on meself. An’ now if ye want tersave that young engineer, you’d better be a-movin’. His train will soon be here, au’ then it will be too late,” At that instant the whistle was scunded, and forgetful of all else, Lucy ran forward to warn her lover of bis peril. And as she ran she wound the piece of red flannel around the lantern she carried, thus making a redlight of it—the signal of danger. It was quite a little distance around the bend, and now the rumble of the approaching train could be plainly heard. And feeling the full weight of the responsibility that rested upon her, the brave girl ran forward with all the speed she could command. The train was rushing along at good speed, being a few minutes late, and the steady haut of the young engineer was upon the throttle and his eyes fixed upon the track ahead. On the opposite side of the cab sat Wilson Hooper, the detective. The two exchanged a few words now and then, but the engineer did not allow conversa- tion to draw his attention away from his work. Air-Line Luke was a careful man at the throt- tle, and fewer accidents would have +o be re- or if all ene tnec were aS Watchful. As a class, however, the drivers are both watchful to a marked degree, ere and The train had made its last stop west of West Plain, and Luke was now pushing to make that point on time. The detective had been looking ahead for some minutes in silence, as they sped along, and was just turning to say something to the engi- neer, when he was startled to see Luke spring suddenly to his feet, give one short and sharp pull at the whistle, push in the throttle, and then throw over the reverse-lever, and all this within the space of a single second—as it seemed, Hooper was startled, as well he might be. What was the danger? As soon as what we have described was done, the young engineer thrust his head out of the cab and looked steadily ahead, opening the throttle a little as he did go, and thus gently re- versing the motion of the drivers, Hooper followed his example, throwing open the window on his side of the eab and look- ing OOF . id thin t first he could see no to signify that there was danger ahead, and he waded more than ever what the young engineer had seen, ‘‘ What is it?” he shouted, as Luke looked back into the cab for an instant. ‘‘ Redlight ahead,” was the brief answer, * Hooper looked again, and this time he could see it, though it was so dim and seemingly so far away that he wondered how Luke could have seen it so soon, To and fro across the track it waved, like a mere speck in the darkness, but it came near with startling swiftness. Air-Line Luke was now working his engine in the back-motion pretty hard, and twice more he called for brakes, The speed was fast being reduced, but it was still too great for safety if the danger lay right where the redlight was being displayed. Jn a few moments that point was reached, and Air-Line Luke, the Engineer Detective. 9 | the engine swept by with still considerable speed, but once again the warning call of the whistle was sounded, Back upon the tops of the cars the brakeman and the conductor were doing all they could to reduce speed, and their hearts were in their throats, as the saying has it, for they could not understand what the danger was, But the thing they did understand was that Air-Line Luke had signaled danger. When they came upon the redlight and saw that it wasin the hands of a woman, as they could make out in the dim light, all were puz- zled, and none more so than the young engineer. In a few moments after the redlight was passed the danger was at hand, but the train was then about stopped, with the headlight of the engine falling upon the tree that blocked the way. * Great Scott!” the young engineer exclaimed, “this was a close call for us, and we owe our lives to that woman.” ‘* What woman?’ queried the detective. ** Why, the one who stopped us. Come, let’s look around here and see what this means. It looks to me like crooked work, That tree never fell there without help.” They both sprurg down and ran forward to where the tree lay, and then to their horror they discovered the body of Jake Hogan. We say the body, for the man was now dead. **Do you know him?” the detective asked. ‘* Yes,” Luke answered, and he told who it was, A moment’s examination showed that the tree had been cut, and Luke was not long in de- ciding that Hogan had been the one to cut it. The conductor and the brakemien came run- ning forward, with the exception of the flagman, and, all together, they succeeded in lifting the branch of the tree that had caused Hogan’s death, and removed his body. Some minutes later, when they were discuss- ing how to clear the track, Lucy Fielding came p. The meeting between her and Luke can be better imagined than described. When Lucy had told her story, the men were So incensed at what Hogan had done, that they were tempted to throw his body aside and leave it. But Air-Line Luke set them right on that point, ‘* He met his death in the act,” he said, ‘‘ and has passed to a higher court of justice than any of earth,” The body of the wretch was placed in a car. Then arose the question of clearing the way. ‘* The best way that I can think of,” suggested the engineer, ‘“‘is to hook the drag-rope to it, pull it back out of the cut, and roll it down the bank,” ‘* Just the thing,” agreed the conductor. ‘It may pull down some earth upon the track, but we can soon shovel that out of the way.” ‘* How about trains coming the other way?” the detective asked. ‘* No train has any right to come that way until we get to West Plain,” the conductor an- swered., Air-Line Luke led Lucy to the engine and helped her up the cab, and the detective joined them. In a few moments the trainmen had the drag- rope out from its place on the rear of the en- gine tank, and fastening one end to the front of the engine the other was secured to the trunk of the tree. As soon as all was ready the engineer whistled to back, and started. Over rolled the tree, tearing down consider- able of the bank as it was pulled along, and soon it was lying straight with thetrack. Slow- ly then the engine moved forward and did not stop until the tree was out of the cut and well out upon the bank that lay beyond. There the engine stopped, and, after a few minutes’ work, the tree was rolled down the bank and out of the way. It was a most fortunate ending to what had at first promised certain death to the young en- gineer and probably to all on the train, In about twenty minutes the road was all clear and tbe train went on to West Plain Station. There the other Express Freight was found waiting, and when the cause of the delay was made known there was much excitement, ‘‘That was worse than the specter at the ridge,” declared the engineer of the west-bound rain, ‘‘ for that is harmless, even if it isn’t very pleasant to look at.” ay are have you. seen it again?” inquired uke. . ‘‘- You kin bet we have,” was the retort of the fireman, ‘‘ but we didn’t ketch him.” *‘ And are not likely to,” added the engineer. SSS Luke said nothing to this, but in his mind was resolved that, if that ghost could be laid, he was going to put it down. Of course Lucy bad been helped down from the engine as soon as the train came toa stop and the young engineer’s first care was to find some One whom he could trust to see her safely home. This done, be bade the brave girl good- night and she set out at once, When the train started on its way, Luke left his friend, Hooper, standing on the platform waiting for the passenger train that would now soon Le along, and pulling the throttle wide, tried to make up some of bis lost time. When they came to the bridge both engineer and fireman were on the lookout for the specteral Visitant, which was seen again in about the same manrer as bas been descri in pievious chap- ters. CHAPTER XI. THE DETECTIVE LEFT. Hooper, the detective, remained on the plat- ferm of the station at West Plain after the Express Freight bad gone, and walked up and down to pass away the time. As he bad confessed to Luke, he had not had the best of Juck in bis task of unraveling the bank mystery; there was something behind it all which he had failed to fathom. He had made the acquaintance of the cashier, Stewart Lyman, but bad learned little or nothing of him, and decided that one of two things was certain. The cashier was either entirely inno- cent, or was a most consummate rogue who could keep his secret well, and though the de- tective had suspected the casbier, from the first, he could fasten nothing upon him of a suspi- cious character. But, he had not given his ~iiclo attention to that gentlenan. Others w u-c»Lear studying as well as he, and they were be’ ag watched. The further Hooper looked izito the case, how- ever, the rmore he was impressed with the con- viction that the cashier was the one at the bot- tom of it all, This was because most of the other suspected ones had more or less to do with the cashier in one way or anotber: hence, the persons whom he now desired to shadow were some of Lyman’s acquaintances and associates. While he waited for the arrival of the train, his atiention was attracted to two men who were seemingly waiting with the same object in view—that is, they were there to meet the train. The detective, seated on a baggage-truck, at the upper end of tbe platform, was peal over, with his bead held in his bands, as ag hy half- asleep, while the two were walking up and down, passing the point where he was seated at every turn they made, At these times the detective could catch now and then a word of what they were talking about, and this conversation drew his attention to them. ; ‘‘T suppose it is a certain thing that they will come,” one of them remarked, at one turn when they were in the hearing of the detective. ‘“' Yes, they will come fast enough,” was the response. ‘‘And as soon as we get them we will lose no time in getting away.” Presently be heard further: ‘““What do you think about this change? Don’t you think we have been doing well enough with the old?” “Yes, they were going well enough, but there is such a thing as having too many of one kind, you know,” This was all the detective caught for some time, but again overheard a few words more, “Yes, I agree with you,” one was saying at one turn in their walk, ‘‘ we shall soon have to change quarters. Too much attention is being called to that place.” “‘ Just what I told them at first,” declared tho other, ‘‘It was no use use trying to drive any- thing into their heads, thougb,” Now while the detective could not. of course, understand what all this was about, he bad a suspicion that he and these men were waiting for the same party on the train, and felt that, on the arrival of the train, he sbould learn es to give him a clew upon which to work, Finally the train came, and with it the men whom Hooper was looking for, while, much to his satisfaction, the two who had been waitin with him greeted them, and all four burri away from the station—the detective following after them. Their destination proved to be a public house, and, a few minutes after they had entered, the detective also went In.