MIKK hail boon sitting on the
pile of 1 ic-T near tin- water innU
over since the fust m:iil shot '
liy in the early morning. Twice he had
tried to slip under a car of one of the I
many in.sKonger trains which pulled up i
at .the tank. He was an adept ut riding j
on the trucks, and in his two years as
a tramp had traveled thousands of
miles, curled up over the spinning
wheels or stretched out on the platform
between the engine tender and the mail
car. Mike was only 15 years old, but
lie had seen nearly every State in the
country, and knew all of the large
cities Intimately.
This iiiumlng Mike felt that he bad
nicoiinterod a streak ot bad luck. Kv
erv time lie slipped under ii car tlio
biakoman or conductor caught him
and hauled hiin out with rough hands
and rougher language, lint Mike was
used to this sort of treatment, and took
it as a matter of course.
The afternoon was well along toward
evening when the west bound limited
express came around the curve, and the
engine stopped under the huge goose
neck pipe which served to pass the
water from the reservoir to the tank
nf the tender. Mike's keen, bright eyes
watched every movement of the train
crew, although he appeared to have no
Interest in the train, Its crew or pas
sengers. Luck was with him this time.
As soon ns the hissing cylinders sent
the first Jets of white steam over the
din lies Mike sprang from the ties, and
In a second was flattened out on the
platform between the mail ear and the
engine. There he was safe until the
next stop, unless the llreman saw him,
for there was no door to the platform
from the ear.
For atl hour fie train sped over the
smooth rails, through farm lands and
past towns and villages, rounding
curves and coasting down grades. Mike
sat at ease on the steps, caring nothing
for the hot cinders which rained down
when the llreman fed his hungry charge
with coal. Just as the train passed
through a deep cut the engine whistle
gave two sharp blasts, and the grind
ing of the brake shoes on the wheels
tidd Mike that the engineer bad applied
the air brakes.
"Something's wrong." said Mike to
himself, when he felt the car shiver
and Jump under the pressure of the
powerful brakes. "He's glviu' her all
the air she'll Miami."
He did not dare to swing out and
look ahead, for he knew that the con
ductor and every brakemau on the train
wen' doing that, and he would be seen.
He was widl acquainted with the coun
try, and knew that there was no town,
vide track, water tank or stopping place
within ten miles of the cut. The train
slowed up with jerks, and, just as It
came ton standstill, Mike jumped from
tlu steps and dove Into a clump of
bushes.
He glanced toward the engine and
kiiw on the track, not fifty feet from
the pilot, a pile of ties on the rails. At
the same Instant he heard a pistol shot,
and then from the bushes on both sides
of the track a score of men rushed to
ward the train. Two of them, with re
volvers in their hands, sprang into the
engine cnh.
The engineer seized a long-handled
monkey wrench and the llreman grasp
ed an Iron bar, but before they could
use them they were shot down and
thrown from the call. Hoarse shouts
and pistol shots mingled with the
screams of women and the yells of
men. Half a dozen of the train robbers
attacked the heavy side doors of the
express car, and others entered the
passenger cars and sleepers with re
volvers In their hands.
The men who were trying to break
down the door of the express car with n
ledge hammer called to the messenger
Inside to open the door, but they re
ceived a shot from a rltle which sent a
liiillct through the heavy oak. It struck
one of the robbers, and he fell to the?
ground.
"Itrltig that dynamite," shouted on
of the men.
Mike's heart seemed to rise In Ills
thivnt, but he did not dare leave the
bushes. In a few minutes there was
u loud report, ami Mike saw that the
door was shattered. The messenger
was struck down, and In n short time
the train robbers had rolled the express
safe out of the ear and carried It Into
the woods.
All of this time the two men who shot
the engineer and llreman remained !u
the engine cab. The engineer had fall
eu near Mike's hiding place. He was
groaning with pain, and Mike crept to
lit in.
"Are yon klllcdT asked Mike. "I
nln't no robber. 1 am a tramp and was
riding on the platform."
"No," said the engineer. "1 am not
killed. I ti tn shot through the arm, an 1
I guess my leg Is broken."
Just then one of the robbers, who
i..vifij-."a
seemed to bo the leader, cried out:
'I I -ro. some of you follows. Throw
those I ies off lilt: track."
";ot a good look at that fellow."
whispered the engineer to Mike. "Look
at him good, .so you will know liini
again. Look it t all of them
They
flagged me in the cut, and I had to '-e have a big, strong Irishman driv
stop." 1 ing one of our teams. Yesterday he was
Mike singled out the leader and men- i sent with a barrel of flour to the home
tally photographed every feature of his , of a woman on the South Side. Arrived
face, his clothing and hat. : there, the driver took the barrel ou his
Til know him again," he said. back and started up the stairs, his ex-
P.y this time the ties were thrown Into press book in his coat pocket,
the ditch, and the leader, giving a shrill ; "Half way up the second flight of
whistle, yelled to Ihe two men In the stairs the Irishman came upon a worn-
cab:
"(live her steam and jump." I
The engineer's pale face grew chalky ,
white. He struggled to rise to his
feet, but bis leg bent under film. Fall
ing, with a groan, he whispered to
Mike: j
"Do you know anvthing about an en
gine?" Mike nodded. "I know how to Are
and 1 know how to use the air," said
he.
"(let on that train. Oct on the front; were no more stairways to conquer he
platform. Hurry, the train Is moving, looked about and saw a ladder leading
Climb aboard and over the tender, shut : through an opeu scuttle to the roof. L'p
off steam, and give her every bit of this ladder he climbed, out on the roof
air." j he steeped and then, finding he could go
Mike darted from the bushes, and, 1 no higher without a balloon, he deposlt
catohing hold of the railing, swung ed the barrel and came down,
himself to the lower step of the front I "Ou the stairway though nearly at
platform. As he did this the two men ! the foot he found the woman again,
sprang lo the ground. One of them and she signed the delivery book, but
saw Mike. J before he got to the office Mrs. Me-
"Come out of that," he cried, and ! (iowan was there demandiug an expla
with a quick motion he leveled his re-j nation. The driver was called In as
volver and tired. soon as he returned.
Mike felt something hot across his "Where did yon put that barrel of
cheek, and then his face felt as though ! flour?" demanded the olliclal.
some one had drawn a red hot Iron i 'Where she tould me.'
across his skin. He put his hand to
the place, and when be drew It away j
It was covered with blood. The en
gine puffs were coming faster and :
faster, and the train was gathering I
speed rapidly. Mike swung himself
TANKS TO TUB CiKNKKAI. MAN AOKIt.
out from the steps and looked back,
and saw the two men disappearing in
the woods. Then he clambered over
the tender, and in a few minutes was
in the cab.
The train was rushing along at fun
speed, and the locomotive rocked and
swayed like a boat In a storm. Mike
had spent the lifteen years of his life
around railroad yards. All of the rail-'
t'ntiil iinm nt tlin liim.tlim lm.l nmita ti
his father's funeral, for Mike's father
had been one of the best known section
bosses on the line. That was two years
back, and Mike had been gathering rail
road knowledge ever since. So he look
ed nt the steam gauge as soon as he
reached the cab. It showed l'J5 pounds i
of steam. Next he looked nt the water
glass and saw that there was plenty
of water in the boiler.
He seated himself on the green cush
ion which spread over the engineer's
bench. The throttle valve was wide
open, and he pushed In the lever until
the locomotive sensibly lost speed. Then
he pulled the reversing lever back a
few notches and the huge machine was
under control.
He made up his mind to run to the
next town, and after a twenty-minute
ride he could Just see the smoke of a
factory in the place. A shout behind
him caused him to look back, lie lu
voluntarily lowered his head, for on the
roof of the mall car were two mall
clerks, a brakeman and the eom'uefor
of the train, each poiutlng a revolver
toward his bead
"Don't shoot!" he cried. "I am no
train robber. I am only doing what
the engineer told tne to do," and he
reached for the whistle cord nnd sound
ed the station whistle.
In a few minutes nil of the men were
In the cab, nnd Mike began setting the
air brakes. He did It so well that the
long train came to a full stop at the
platform, and the passengers flocked
out of llu cars nud surrounded the
engine. The mail clerks told them
about Mike, and a passenger took up
a contribution for him.
lu the meantime the conductor had
telegraphed the story of the hold up to
the train dispatcher, and In ten mlnutea
after a freight locomotive, which stood
ou the siding, steamed toward the place
where the robbers had stopped the
train.
The engineer and fireman wers
brought back to the town, where the
doctor said neither was badly Injured,
mid the next day Mike was taken to
1 the office of the general manager of tlw
' road by the conductor of the train,
i Most of the train robbers were arrest
; ed. and when they were brought Into
i court Mike was able to Identify the
i leader and the two men who had cnp
; Hired the engine. Soon after he was
' sent to school, and the railroad com
, puny paid all bills. San Francisco
Post.
Iii-.er Was Literal.
The manager of one of the Chicago
express companies tells a good story.
an. scrubbing.
" 'Will ye be after tellln' me where
Mro. MctJowau lives':' he asked.
" 'I am Mrs. MeCowan," said the
scrubber a statement which was ir
relevant 'and I live upstairs,.'
'"Where will I lave this bar-rel of
flour?' asked the driver.
" Take it up as far as youse can,
and thin put It down. I'll nttind to it,"
replied Mrs. Mcliowan.
So he went ou up, and when there
" 'Where did you tell him to put It,
madam?'
" 'I told him to take It up as far as he
could, an' '
" 'An' Ol did.' Interrupted the honest
driver. 'If she'll look on the roof she'll
find It.' "
Do Horses Weep?
Do horses weep? is a question dis
cussed by the Admiralty and Horse
Guards Gazette. It tells us that it Is
a well-authenticated case of a horse's
weeping during the Crimean war. On
the advance to the heights of Alma a
battery of artillery became exposed
to the fire of a concealed Ilussian bat
tery, and In the course of a few min
utes it was nearly destroyed, men and
horses killed and wounded, guns dis
mounted and limbers broken.
A solitary horse, which had appar
onl ly escaped unhurt, was observed,
standing with fixed gaze upon an ob
ject close beside him! this turned out
to be his late master, quite dead.
The poor animal, when a trooper was
dispatched to recover him, was found
with copious tears flowing from his
eyes; and It was only by main force
that he could be dragged away from
the spot, and his unearthly cries to get
back to liis master were heartrending.
Apropos of the Intense love that cav
alry horses have for music, a corre
spondent of the Gazette writes that
when the Sixth Dragoons recently
changed their quarters a mare belong-
! ll1?0 e ,of '-"oopers was taken
so 111 as to be unable to proceed on the
i journey the following morning. Two
1 days later nnother detachment of the
! same regiment, accompanied by the
band, arrived. The sick mare was in a
! loose box. but hearing the martial
strains, kicked a hole through the side
of her box, and making her way
through the shop of a tradesman, took
her place In the troop before she was
secured and brought back to the sta
ble. But the excitement had proved
too great, and the subsequent exhaus
tion proved fatal. Philadelphia Times.
MaJ. Shirts, of Course.
Famous old Gov. Henry A. Wise of
Virginia was directly or indirectly the
source of many a good story. Here Is
one mat i no not turns, nas round its
way imo prim; vme nay at a political,
gathering he was approached by a well-
! utvsseu imm muai wno snook hands
warmly with hint. The Governor was
: a ult I,"'"'u ami eoniossed he could
uot r.ewul "u nanusnakors name.
' v. von ninsi rpmenmi. m
ernor," said the latter. "I'm from Rich
mond. I made your shirts."
"Why, of course," said the Governor,
with all a politician's tact. "Gentle
men, this Is my very excellent neigh
bor, Maj. Shirts." Washington Post.
Trout Over Two Feet Long.
A trout of the Locbloven species
weighing lli pounds and measuring
2 feet 7 inches In length and list; luches
in girth, was recently taken In King
horn I.ooh.
As soon ns any one commences taking
a prominent pirt In anything, peopU
cou.iiueu.ee picking at him.
. Si
Signalling to Mnr.
Mr. Nikola Teshi has recently suggest
ed the possibility of transmitting elec
trical Impulses, not only to every part
of the earth, but even to distant plan
etsto Mars, for Instance. A connect
ing wire, he says, is not needed.
Value of Pneumatic Tires.
It Is reported from Paris, where
pneumatic tires have been Introduced
on some of the cabs, that In conse
quence of the lessened shock to the ve
hicles, the cost of repair has been re
duced "o per cent., to say nothing of the
saving to the nerves of passengers and
the muscles of horses
A Comet's Double Tail.
Photographsof I'errine'scomet, which
was visible during the last winter, show
that It had two tails, one straight and
the other curved sharply backward,
According to the views of the Russian
astronomer. Rredechln. the straight
tail probably consisted of atoms of hy
drogen, and the curved tail of atoms of
iron.
A Phonoirraphic Joke.
At a recent meeting of the Uoynl Sod
ety of Edinburgh. Nature reports that
Prof. John G. McKendrlck pronounced
these words In the presence of a phono
graph which was working backward:
"Arrulmide fo Ketlsrevenn." When the
Instrument was turned In the proper di
rection tlio audience was startled at
hearing the machine say, "University
of Edinburgh."
Radiography in Biology.
The new kind of photography, to
which the discovery of the X-rays has
given rise, has already been experi
mentally applied to the study of biol
ogy. In Germany not only the bones
but the heart, lungs and windpipe of a
mouse have been successfully photo
graphed In their normal positions, and
something similar has been done In
this country. This Is clearly a great aid
In the study of animal physiology.
Curing Deafness by Nolne.
According to Popular Science News,
a well-known aurist has invented an
Instrument for curing partial deafness
by the aid of sound. His Instrument
produces a sustained sound running
through several octaves. The sound is
conveyed into the patient's ear through
a telephone transmitter. As soon ns the
particular pilch of sound that the ear
hears imperfectly has been ascertained,
that note Is concentrated upon the ear
drum for a certain period every day.
Pocket Kieetriclty.
A number of devices have lately been
Invented by which an electric lamp can
be carried iilfout and used like a candle
or lantern. Some of these are complete
in themselves, carrying a battery that
operates only when the lamp which
may be of almost any desireo- shape,
that of a pocket flask, for Instance Is
held In a particular position. When
thus held the ncld in tlio reservoir
reaches the battery poles, and the in
candescent light blazes out. On revers
ing the lamp the light is extinguished,
In other eases a stronger light Is pro
vided by means of a separate battery
which may. however, be carried In the
pocket. It is proposed to substitute this
I form of portable electric lamp for the
uiuHnir.v laiuerii in me iiniDuiance serv
Ice of the French army.
Mountain Lions.
The puma, or mountain lion, is said to
he comparatively plentiful In all the un
settled parts of the State of Washing
ton, nnd sometimes it Is found In re
gions where settlement -hns nlready be
gun. In a letter to Science, Mr. M. S
III11, of Tneomn. describes n mountain
lion which came down to the beach of
l'uget bound, about thirty miles from
j Tort Townsend, last summer, approach-
I ing ins wire nud children nnd uttering
j I ngntriii screams. .Mr. Hill and his
family succeeded in driving the nnlm.il
away with shouts nnd threatening mo-
tlons. What he says about the cries or
screams of the puma is regarded as Im.
portant, because there has . been a con
flict of authorities on the question
wuetnerthenuimals utters such sounds
Mr. Hill also reports that a puma has
been known to chase a man on horse
back, accompanied by a dog, at night.
Do Fish Take Italia.?
It Is asserted on the authority of the
captain of a steam fishing smack lu the
North Sea that codfish, at certain times
of the year, take sand Into their stom
achs for "ballast." This, according to
t no capiain, is done when the fish are
noout to migrate from the shallow wa
ter covering the southern banks of the
North Sea to the deeper water farther
north. He says that he has often ob
served that fish caught on the southern
i : .r,w :,., -' . it
banks Jrst before the migration
aim iiiiee eaugui in the northon.
ters af'er it Is completed, have sand
their ftomachs, and that the ,2
discharged after the arrival of h"
.... ...... . uu lIJe .
....h,a,c.. m i.iuui or IU18 It iggta,
that the sand found in the fiah .
diffefti In color and quality fmm iv
of the bottom where they are caught
Hot-Ham Heroism.
A rolish officer, now dead. wi.
to the United States soon after thepj
oiiiiiiinwu me I'onsli hisunv
tiou under General Chlopieki in i.
used to tell with much zest the storj
or ins promotion troin the ranks U
was a private of cavalry when Chi
pick! s retreat began. The troops b
made a weary night march, and tw
in bivouac for breakfast, when mm-
brought word that they were alino-I
Etuiiuuiitit-ii ii. u ikossiati roree. Instan
ly the Poles hurried to their saddle,
mounted, nud sought a way of escape
The young cavalryman had been hoi
Ing some pieces of ham for himself in
a camp kettle. Anxious to "save his
bacon," lie (tumped the half-boiled mu:
into his saddle-bags, and joined W
companions. Two minutes later hs
horse became restive, at a most inoppi
"I'M! 111. 1TJI UU ..U, lliUUijUlj 31
ridge the Poles had found thenisolvejl
confronted by a Ilussian force of It
fnntry. There was but one thing to be done
The Kusslau line must be brokea!
through at once. It was being rapidly
re-enforced. If the Poles should fail
to cut their way out nt the first charge
they must all be captured.
Ou they rushed at the order to chargp.
and now our young trooper's horse had
become fairly frantic and quite uncon
trollable. He sprang away far In ad
vance of the charging line. The rider
determining to make the best fkrlitbe
could, swung his sabre, took a stronger
grip witli his knees, and gazed bard at
the face of the Ilussian he expected to
be launched against.
Just then a volley hurtled Into the '
charging line, but the foremost horse
and rider escaped unharmed. A few mo
ments and they were upon the enemj,
Usually a horse refuses to leap at bayo
nets, but this one jumped furiously at
the kneeling front rank, and such was
the momentum and fury of the beast
that the Utissians just lu his front lost
nerve, broke, and gave him entrance.
Through the gap just made other
Poles sprang a moment later. Strlktof
right and left, they widened the breach.
and In ten seconds the Russian infantrt
was demoralized. The Toles escaped
with slight loss, and It was not long be
fore the young lender quieted his steed,
dismounted and found a chance to ei-
amine his self-cooled ham.
A few hours later the Polish general
of cavalry rode up to the captain of the
troop that bad so distinguished Itself,
complimented him, and said: "By the
way, captain, who was that splendid
young officer that led you all In?"
'He wasn't an officer; that was only
one of my boys."
-Not an officer! May the bullets strike
me if Ljlon't make him one! Call his
out hcllat once."
The general shook hands with the
youth, promoted him to a lieutenancy
then and there, and gave him a placeon
his staff.
Some days later, when the captain
called at headquarters, he sought out
the new lieutenant, whom he foonfl
dolefully contemplating his unsaddled
horse, which had a huge, raw sore on
each side.
'What on earth Is the matter wits
your horse?" asked the captain.
'Oh, nothing much."
'Rut wlia t made those terrible soreif
'The same thing that made me a lieu
tenant," said the hero. "A big chunEM
hot ham In each saddle-bag; but, forth
love of the saints, don't tell the genertl
or the boys."
Cats Wanted In Oregon.
On the register of n prominent
adelphla hotel this legend was writ
ten recently: "Joshua L. Drunigoole.
Oregon; here for pleasure, and cat
The clerk wbh Inclined to doubt tt
sanity of the guest, despite the fa"
that he looked sensible. Mr. Drum
goole, however, laughingly explain"1
awav the clerk's fears before lie wen'
to dinner. "I hnve a large ranch U
Oregon, devoted nrinelnally to.
growing of wheat nud other grain. Fo'
several years past our crops have w
fered creatlv bv reason of the deP1"
datlons of great armies of gophers thit
Infest the country thereabouts, -i"
nuisance hns grown more nnd moreW
uoylug with each succeeding year, W
we have flnnlly decided that a aW
must be put to It. Now, a cat is dfati
on a gopher, but cats are not so plen
tiful In the West ns they arc here. &
I Intend to get together a coupk! of
hundred cats and take them with v
when I start for home. Out In J
country cats bring fancy prices, boj
from my recollection of this locality, '
should be able to get all I need for terj
little money."
Bloomcrites Must Pay Men's Prlo
Whnt la i-lnimed to lie the mOSt
pensive thermometer lu the world to 1
use at one of the large universities.
Im nil nhaolilfulf cni-rpct InStrUWC11,
with graduations on the glass so
thnt it Is necessnrv to use a maffalflo
to rend them. The value Is $10,000.
Teople are not easily shocked nf0
they are fifty years old.
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