Part 59 (1/2)

CHAPTER FORTY

FIRING A TRAIN

A sound like a sigh or the escape of soroup of prostrate ht after all, while driving out the cabin door and its barricading, injure, perhaps kill them, in its explosion

But no one flinched, as the schooner careened over in obedience to a turn or two of the wheel, and glided rapidly off on a fresh tack, while the flame of the heavy train ran here and there over the cabin floor, its peculiar hiss suggesting to Mark the idea of a fiery reptile, and the strain of those excitingtill they appeared to be minutes

Away it sped in its serpent-like trail, for Tom had made liberal sweeps of the powder, and the whole course wascloud of white smoke, which rapidly filled the cabin, till only about four of the bends remained between the fire and the heap of powder, ith a suddenness that sent a thrill through all, there was a tremendous crash, followed by a heavy, dull jar which shook the vessel frolance toward the sternas if he were going to spring out, and then flung hi hi fla the powder, so carefully laid in zigzag curves, right and left and away toward the cabin here it sputtered and flashed innocuously

”Quick, Too off”

”Why, it has gone off,” cried To from out of the dense white smoke, which now completely filled the cabin and rendered thefor the cabin door, when Mark seized and clung to hiht, sir; you lead them”

”Don't--don't you see?” panted Mark

”No, sir; who is to see in this blessed s time

Come on”

”The door isn't open”

”What? It o near,” cried Mark ”Look These sparks”

”Ay, you're all afire, sir What ht to have waited”

”You don't understand,” cried Mark, who could hardly sneak for tre ”That was not the explosion I--I stopped it”

”You stopped it, sir,” cried Toarered there

”Yes, of course Didn't you hear what that was?”

”Course I did, sir, though I was down on ers in my ears It went off well Come on, the door must be down”

Another heavy report seeain, as the smoke curled rapidly out of the cabin , and Mark pressed to it, thrust out his head, and uttered a loud cheer

”Why--no--yes--hooray!” roared To half a h the thick white shtylass_ just astarn”

”I--I knew it,” panted Mark, ”and stopped the train just in time Look at the floor and sweep away any sparks that are left I--I can't now

Mind the powder doesn't go off”

The s fully to the fact that there were sparks here and there where the train had ignited a few tindery spots between the boards, Tom Fillot and Bannock carefully trampled them out and swept aith their caps any portions of the loose pohich ht communicate with the heap by the cabin door