Part 20 (1/2)

The terrific and unaccustomed strain began to tell on Alex. Perspiration broke out on his forehead, his muscles began to burn, and his breath to shorten.

”How much farther ... to the grade?” he panted.

”Here it is now. Six hundred yards to the top.”

As they felt the resistance of the incline Alex began to weaken and gasp for breath. Grimly, however, he clenched his teeth, and fought on; and at last the section-man suddenly ceased working, and announced ”Here we are.

Let up.” With a gasp of relief Alex dropped to a sitting position on the side of the car.

”There it comes,” said the foreman a moment after, and listening Alex heard a sound as of distant thunder.

”How long before they'll be here?”

”Five minutes, perhaps. And now,” said the section-boss, ”just how are we going to work this thing?”

”Well, when we boarded the engine at Bixton,” explained Alex, getting his breath, ”we simply waited at the head of a grade until it was within about two hundred yards of us, then lit out just as hard as we could go, and as she b.u.mped us, we jumped.”

”All right. We'll do the same.”

As the foreman spoke, the rain, which had decreased to a drizzle, entirely ceased, and a moment after the moon appeared. He and Alex at once turned toward the station.

Just beyond was a long, black, snake-like object, shooting along the rails toward them.

The runaway!

On it swept over the glistening irons, the rumble quickly increasing to a roar. With an echoing crash it flashed by the station, and on.

Nearer it came, the cars leaping and writhing; roaring, pounding, screeching.

”Ready!” warned the foreman, springing to the ground behind the hand-car.

Alex joined him, and gazing over their shoulder, watching, they braced themselves for the shove.

The runaways reached the incline, and swept on upward. Anxiously the two watched as they waited. Would the incline check them?

”I don't see that they're slowing,” Alex said somewhat nervously.

”It won't tell until they are half way up the grade,” declared the section-man. ”But, get ready. We can't wait to see.

”Go!” he cried. Running the car forward, they leaped aboard, and again were pumping with all their might.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ENGINEER STEPPED DOWN FROM HIS CAB TO GRASP ALEX'S HAND.]

For a few moments the roar behind them seemed to decrease. Then suddenly it broke on them afresh, and the head of the train swept over the rise.

”Now pull yourself together for an extra spurt when I give the word,”

shouted the foreman, who manned the forward handles, and faced the rear, ”then turn about and get ready to jump.”

Roaring, screaming, clanking, the runaways thundered down upon them.