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U ATr1IE OF lllf ( U&1N WARJJ
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Copyright , 1897 , by F. Tennyson Nccb' I
CHAPTER XII.-Contlnued.
However , there Is no help for It , and
. 00 precaution must he neglected that
will conduce to the success of time
game.
Her safety first , no matter what I
may become of his hopes. i
That Is Jack Travers for } 'ou.
4 Presently he searches for Ah Sin ,
; .
t and gives that humble individual
I quite a severe shock when ho runs
it
{ , j across him The Celestial has been
leeeiling quiet , feasting on the good
things placed before him , and awaitIng -
Ing orders. I
When he learns what has occurred
: . - to call for immediate attention , Ah
" .If Sin Is at once on the qui vivo , and
ready to act I\S best his master sees
11 t.
fit.At
At six o'clocle Smithers shows up ,
looking very unlike himself. He
would easily pass for one of the native
tiTe Jehu whips upon the thousand
I cabs of Ha\'ana.
Jack and his man tumble Inside-
there Is a crack of the whip , and
f
away they go.
I The crowds delay them a little , hut
t Smlther-1 pushes his horses , and at a
. . Quarter.past six they draw near the
station.
There is the usual noise of moving
trains , for the presence of an hundred
thousand Spanish soldiers on the island - I
. and presses the limited . railroad accommodations - . ,
. commodations at times.
Smithers has made all arrangements -
it " ' ; z. ments , and leaving Jack mounted on
- the box , with Ah Sin near hy , he hur-
I _ 1'il'.s into the station to meet the conj . I
j . ) L federate he has engaged. I
Jack sees him two minutes later
waving his hand as a signal to come
, at once. Something Is evidently wrong
or ho would not appear so agitated
With a terrible fear clutching his
heart as Ir with fingers of Ice , Tra-
vers leaps to the ground and runs. Ah
Sin does likewise , and together they
reach Smithers
, "What is it-the traln- " cries
Jack.
\ "Has Bono five minutes ! ago. They
changed the time to a quarter past.
That was It we saw hauling out as
'Vo'e came up , " Is the crushing reply.
- - -
CHAPTER XIII
-
The Man Who Owned the Engine.
f Jack stares at the other-he even
repeats the words Smithers has used.
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"What Is It-the traln- " cries Jack.
Five minutes too late , and time spe"
clal train , laden with Spanish soldiers ,
bas gone to destructJon.
ncfore his c'os. as . plain as day , he
can Me the awful wreck , the dead
and the dJ ins , and anon them oh ,
Cop 'rlght , SS99 ! ! ! ! , by Street and Smith
horrors ! the lovely form of his Highland .
land lassie , the girl ho loves.
No wonder Jack feels for one brief
moment as though rnlyzed.
The reaction comes. Instead of a
deadly chili , he has a burning sensation .
tion pass over his whole frame , and
experiences an earnest , furious desire
to do something In order to save her
from this fearful fato.
Smithers is endeavoring to collect
his senses-Sm'Ithers , who has , tinder
almost every condition , shown such
wonderful nerve , seems broken up by
this decree of Fate.
And while he thinks Jack acts.
It is Ah Sin who leads the way.
The Celestial never gets rattled no
matter what accumulation of disasters
overtake them Jack sees the China-
man's arm extended , and following the
line of his finger he discovers what It
is to which Ah Sin would attract his
attention.
The railway company's telegraph of
fice.
fice.At
At sight of It .Jack's hopes revive.
True , he has sworn not to betray the
plot of the rebels , but when the last
resort I'I ! ' gone and her life Is in peril ,
he will feel compelled to do so. Bet-
ter n broken vow than that she suf-
fer.
fer.So
So he leaps toward the office
Perhaps nearly , if f not quite , sixty .
seconds have flown since he first received - .
ceived the dire news-sixty precious I
.
seconds , luring which the doomed
train has been shooting on toward '
the destruction that lies in wait.
His positive intention is to have the
telegraph . agent wire the conductor In
I
charge of the train , warning him of' '
the awful danger ahead , and having
hi'fI use extra precautions when np.
p1'oachillg the bridge where the dyiia
I mite is supposed to lie.
Smithers sees ! ' him dash into the
office and stifles a groan. Perhaps
this Is for the rebels whose plan for
striking a blow at their hated foes
will fall through. At my rate , he does
not make the least attempt to hold
Jack in check but awaits results.
When ho looks again ho discovers
Jack dashing out of the telegraph of-
fice
fice.His
His manner Is not that of a confident -
dent man who , hr a bold stroke , has
accomplished what he set out to do.
On the contrary , Jack appears ex-
cited-his face is almost as pale as
one who has seen n ghost , and he
glances sharply from right ; to left as
he runs toward them , after the man-
ner'of a man who seeks a remedy for ,
some dreadful malad ) ' . I
As he draws near where Smithers
stands , he can be beard exclaiming
aloud , as thought to save even the pro-
c10lls seconds of time :
"Wires down-Maceo raided the
outskirts of Havana-impossihle to
reach even the first station-no way
of reaching the train-now been gone
seven ant a half minutes , and alreadY
four miles awar. "
Yes , they can hear the rumble of
the train among the hills-It comes
very : plainly during a cessation of
noise about the station , though grad-
ually growing fainter and more dis-
tan t.
"Can you suggest anything ? " cries
Jack , endeavoring to cudgel his
brains to greater rapidity of action.
"Think as you never did before.
What can overtake the special , since
telegraphing is out of the question ? "
Smith ers is looking down the tracks ,
whore they gleam in the lights be.
'ond.
"If we had an engine . we might do
It. "
Jack snatches at the idea like a
drowniiir ! wan might clutch at a
trQv. ' .
. 'i ben we will have an engine it It
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. . . . . '
I takeR a thousnnd-fivo thousand dul
Inrs-nll I have In the world. Follow .
me ! " he ejaculntes.
Jack has not started off ut random
-ho generally knows what he means
to accomplish before setting outto ,
hegln
Some moving object has caught his
eye just down the truck-somothlng
that in this crisis of his existence
looks more valllablo than the best
paying mine in the Cripple Creel 1'0'
glon. It Is an engine just emerging
from a shed , upon a turntable. Smolto
Is pouring from the large , oldstyled
stack , black smoke burning resinous
pinewood , than which few species or
fuel will generate steam more qulck
Ir.
It means a possible chance to solve
the terrible problem that has been
suddenly set before them-it means
thin case of life and death may yet be
decided In favor of continued exist-
ence
Under these conditions , therefore , ; It
cnn bo readily understood with what
tremendous satisfaction Jack starts In
the direction of this locomotive. .
As he advances with such a burst
of speed he takes note or several
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"It Is a case of life and death with us
to overtake that special "
things. Everyone connected with the
engine seems to be in the utmost
haste , and this is the more wonderful
when the fact is taken Into consideration -
tion that In such hot countries as
Cuba they do not , as n general thing ,
use any too much speed in anything
undertalcon.
Ho sees the stoker tossing pine
knots ! into the yawning mouth of the
fire box , while the engine driver leans
part way out of the cab window , his
face streaked with grime , but looking
anxious in the light of the fire.
Thus bearing down upon the scene ,
Traver : Is not long In reaching the
place where several stout men stand
ready to turn the engine around on
the revolving table.
Two men stand beside the trucks ,
one of them having an official air and
holding a paper In his hand that may
be an order.
His . companIon seems to be an ordinary ,
nary citizen-a Spaniard , jUdging
from his olive skin and black hair.
Jack Instantly surmises that the official .
ficlal is time party who can attend to
his wants , and he means to obtain
possession of that engine If money
can buy it.
"Senor , arc you In charge hero I
have missed the special hy a hnlr's
breadth. It Is very Important that I
should overtake it. I would have sent
a message , hut the wires are down. "
The official shoots a quick hilt expressive .
presslve glance toward his companion
whp moves a little closer , cocking his
cars as though be. takes an unusual
interest In what .Jack says.
"SI , senor , the wires are down-that
\Iaceo : ' is : always on the wove , and he
keep the wires cut so that wo In
Havana may not know what he is I do
in ; . It Is very sad , " is I the consoling j
remark made br the official.
_ . _ . - - - - . _ _ . _ . _ . _ _ . . . ,
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I "Dllt , senor , you did mot answer ' my
qncstiot\-nro you In charge here ? " t
"Fo ho 1 nlght-ys , " In ho t reply ) ,
"I 1 wish to hire a slIecll\l. "
'
"A what ? " ejaculates the othm'
"A sleclal-nn ) engine to oVOI'tnlco
the train that left here some minutes
ago. "
.
The official throws UII both arms
, "Madro de Dlos ! -anothOl'I" ! he gill"
glcs.
"Senor , rt is a case of life nail
death , " Tack breaks out with , huslto
Hr , for the men are ' swinging the iron
monster around , and Jack hi inwnrtlly
swearing ho will control the destiny
of that engine , como what ma ) ' .
"Alas ! I 1\1\1 sorry ! " -wlth n shrug.
"I [ money stands In the war , I am
prepared ) to pity you any 11 rico. "
"That Is not It. Alas ! I have no on-
gine. "
'I'his one will do ( , I nm sllre. "
"nut- "
"You hesitate when many ) lives are
In IICrli. "
"It is no longer under my contl'o ) "
"Sonor eXIln. ! , "
"This gontlcrllan Is GOII. Toledo.
He has also missed the train , hut
hears authority to overtake it if the
means can ho had. I have ordered out
this englno. It belongs to him since
! ho Government , commntHls. Senor ,
you must deal with Gen. Toledo. "
Jack whirls upon the nollllOl" III clv.
ilIan attire. ' . : General , as 1 said before .
fore , it Is a case of life rncl death
With us to o\'m'lalco the sllecllll. If
'Ott have the ) power \ to allow such n
thing , I ben that wo may find a lodge-
mellt somewhere 011 your engine. If
a thousand dollars wOllld be of any
Jcn'iccto 'OU- "
The other shakes his head
"We can talk of that later , senor , "
he ! un11 C ! ! .
"YO\l conscnt-In sudden rim lIt me.
"Cfll'I'amha ! there Is no one who
can ) prevent me. I own this engine
I for the hour. , And you say : tt Is a case
of life and lentil . HOnOI" I flympathlzo
with 'ou-I offer you a chance to
I overtake the special , which left fifteen
mlll\ltes ahead of time "
His nHlI1nCr tells .Jael plainly that
he has been entirely influenced ! by time
prospect of a hp.Jvy pr'unlnry reward ,
I and not because he has a big heart.
"Thon you will allow us to accompany .
IH\I1r you ? A thousand ! ' thanks , senor.
If you only knew time facts , you would
never regret your decision. "
.Tacl feels DS though Il load of a
thousand ! pounds has been lifted frolll
his heal't. There is a fair field and no
favor now. It Is all he aSltH at any
time.
The engine has been faced down the
track , and a man dashes down to
change the switch that will run It
upon ) the main line.
"Come sonOl'lI : , all aboard , " sings
out General Toledo , at he swings himself .
self up Into the cab , quickly followed
by Jack and Smlther while Ah Sin
clutches hold even as the onglno
bursts forwal'd.
( 1'0 ho continued. )
- - -
- - - - - -
Followers of Count Toratol
Not long ago the Vienna newspa-
pOl'S were speaking of a Hungarian
doctor of philosophy who had become
penetrated with 1'olslol's Ideas and
had apprenticed himself to a Budapest .
pest ofhoemaker ; , says the New York
WOI'd ) Now a Bulgu'll1n doctor or
philosophy , Ltmbekoft , who has passed
his examinations at the University of
Sofia "cum laude , " and was engaged
1\5 professor of Latin , has become a
bootblack at a street corner In Sofia.
His customers come hecallfifl ) they
wish to have their boots pollshl'd by a
doctor.
Lubelwff Iocs not forget that h'l Is
a Tolstoht ; and impresses on his CIIS'
i tomem the virtue of lowly labor and
the happiness which it hrlngs He '
has actually succeeded In founding
several little colonies of 1'olstolsts In
Sofia.
- - - - - -
Sunday School Enrollment
,
Mole ; ( \ than 13000.000 persons 11.1 C In.
rolled In the I Sund. y Schools M ' ha
r.OIIUtQ' Iu public schools the 'ur' 'I-
n ) ont is mom than 16UOf'lOOI , or oily ;
x,000 (11)0 lnorc.
