.. .1- .1 ~m. ~u~ tavuM'w‘ - r “n “sun”..- -~..-....._.. -w..‘......._....._...... “4.1.3-...” ringing) -..v- :r :n “ Thirty miles to Silver Leaf, and that only a way-station!” his swift reflections ran. “ lVill Calhoun be awake? Can I call him up in time to flag the train? If not—— Get there, Eli!" ‘ Without a thought of his own imminent peril, the detective took the desperate plunge; it really seemed nothing else, just then! ' Slipping, sliding, jumping with cat-like activity, and almost its feline silence, McPherson descended into Grape-vine Gorge, trusting more to the noise unavoidably made by the wreckers to cover his advance than to either luck or skill on his own part. More. than once the brave fellow narrowly escaped a fall which could hardly have done less than cripple him for life; but, just as often he pressed on, his sole hope and desire being to send timely warning to the night agent at Silver Leaf Station to halt the menaced Express. The time-limit was so terribly brief! The seconds were fleeting so swiftly! And—if Isaac Calhoun should be sleeping at his 0st! p Nearly breathless, clothes torn and flesh not only bruised but bleeding in several places, Detective McPherson finally reached the track-level. So far as he could see, the wreckers were still in completeignorance of his coming, and shaking a clinched fist their way, the detec- tive started down the road-bed, other hand fumbling in his pocket to make sure no harm had come to his faithful ally, through whose aid he hoped to flash a warning over the wires in time to halt the Lightning Express at Silver Leaf Station. But, ere a dozen steps were taken, McPher- son halted abruptly, an ugly suspicion mak- ing itself felt. “ \Vhat if they’ve posted guards? Surely Flashy Fred and his devils in human guise wouldn’t risk being runinto, now ‘2” A low, sullen rumble of distant thunder made itself heard, just then, and, a bit later, came an additional flash of lightning. McPherson instinctively looked upward, and by the electric glow he caught sight of the dangling ends of severed wires, showing yet another precaution taken by the train- wreckers. That one glance, then as darkness followed, the detective looked toward the knaves at their nefarious work, hardly more than fifty yards further up the track. Could be hope to escape observation should he climb this pole in order to send his mes- sage from mid-air? The risk was great, and yet, was it any less than chancing an encounter with the probable sentinel further along the track? That reflection decided McPherson, and clasping the damp and slippery telegraph pole he climbed upward as best he might without the aid of the customary spurs. Under less urgent circumstances the in— trepid man might have failed to accomplish this feat, but with such immense interests at stake he knew of no such word as failure. Grasping one of the cross~arms, Mcl’her- son quickly made his hold secure by crook- ing a leg over the middle arm, then turned head to glance over to where the wreckers were busily at work. . Here and there flashed the dim light, while each one of thelawless knaves seemed doubly in earnest as the minutes crept along and the hour for their dread harvest drew nigh. Just the one look; then Alick drew forth his pocket instrument and quickly attaching it to one of the severed wires, tapped a swift call to Silver Leaf Station. Once, twice, thrice, as swift as his trained fingers could manipulate the sender, then breathlessly waiting for an answer! In vain! Not a sound save yonder hoarse commands as the man with a lantern directed the wreckers, followed by the strokes of metal against metal, or of creaking, groaning tics being forced out of place by bars and levers. Click! click! click! With fierce impatience vibrated the in- strument, now, sending call after call along the damp wire to the distant station, for right well the Telegraph Detective knew that it was only a matter of brief minutes now, when the crowded Express would flash past Silver Leaf unwarned, to thunder along toward destruction at the rate of fifty miles an hour! Cool and damp though the night was, and raw the chilling Winds that struck him high in air, Alick was fairly sweating in his fierce anxiety, tingling in every nerve, hardly able to smother the impatient shout which strove to pass his lips as his repeated call remained unanswered. . 11Thirty miles away, yet he could see it a ! Isaac Calhoun placidly sleeping on his narrow cot, caring little or nothing whether or no he was awake when the Express should thunder past the station, since no stop was made there unless on urgent signal. Click! click! click! Still no answer, and McPherson knew that the train was almost due to pass Silver Leaf Station, after which but a single hope re- mained: for him to speed along the track until out of sight and hearing of the evil gang, then light a beacon which the engineer could not poss1bly mistake! And yet, if the wreckers had posted look- outs both up and down the track? A man’s brain will work wondrOLisly fast under such circumstances, and never before did the Telegraph Detective do swifter or kecner thinking than while perched in mid- air, trying his best to call up the night-agent at Silver Leaf. Click! click! click! Gods! \Vould the fellow never hear, never make answer? Just to think of all those precious lives dependent upon one sleepy-headed oilicial! Click! click! click! In desperate haste McPherson worked his instrument, making noise enough to risk his own discovery by yonder ruthless villains; still no answer came; and he was on the point of releasing the wire and trusting to hick to pass the possible guards stationed by the train-wreckers, when an electric thrillcaused his sensitive fingers to tingle. and he gave a low, eager cry as he knew his call had at last roused Calhoun! \Vithout waiting to hear what the night- agent might have to say, McPherson swift- ly clicked oil the startling message from mid- air! “ Hold the Express, for God’s sake! \Vreckers tearing up track at Grape-vine! Am I in time?" A few incoherent sounds which plainly showed how intensely agitated the night- agent was by this startling message, then—— silence! “Flag the Express! You must hold it, Cal!” swiftly tapped off the detective; but now, as before, no answer came back! What did it mean? Had the Express al- readv flashed past the station, and was Cal- houn so totally unmanned as to be unable to reply? ' Or, had one of the train-wrecking gang captured him and taken full possession of the station?‘ McPherson’s blood seemed to run cold at this dread thought, but he again and again sounded his urgent call at brief intervals, trying to hope even against all hope. For the time being he was lost to all else. He gave no, thought to his own peril, and kept working his instrument With feverish energy, each moment seeming an hour, each minute a veritable age! . . Then, guidedcby those swift sounds, a pair of inimical eyes ferreted out that clinging shape in mid-air, and a fierce challenge rung forth from the road‘bed below: “ Ah-ha, ye divil, ye! “’hat ye thryin’ to do up yan way, annyhow? Come oot o’ thot, now, or Oi’ll blow ye cl’ane to blazes, be. gobs!” CHAPTER II. THE TELEGRAPH DETECTIVE AT BAY. TAKEN completely by surprise, Alick Mc- Pherson looked downward, to catch sight of an indistinct shape almost directly below his elevated perch. Past doubting it was one of the nefarious gang, and as another forked flash of light- ning briefly illuminated the scene, the detec- tive saw an armed hand raised in his direc— tion, and instinctively he swung himself to one side, ducking his head behind the cross- bar of the telegraph pole. None too soon, either! A red glow lit up the gloom for an instant, and McPherson felt as though a red-hot iron had been swept quickly across his shoul- der, and from past experience knew that the bullet had cut through the skin in its hasty passage. It was merely a flesh wound, hardly suffi- cient to bring blood, but it was enough to show him how surely his life was forfeited unless he could foil the lawless gang whose startled cries were now audible. “Come down oot o’ thot, ye divil, ye!” fairly howled the Irishman as he sent his lead upon its vicious mission. “Hi-yah, b’ycs! Oi’ve threed some sort av divil up a. gooshberry bush, faith! Coom an hilp——” A second shot, the ugly whistle of which the Telegraph Detective distinctly heard as it passed harmlessly by his ducking head; then McPherson took swift action, know- ing only too well that his life hung in the balance. Making no effort to release his instrument, but swiftly tapping the sounder in alarm as he swung himself into position for a leap, vaguely hoping that even yet his warning might prove efficient, the dauntless detec- tive steadied himself for an instant, then boldly leaped from the cross-arm, shooting swiftly downward, straight as fate, for the excited Patlander who was trying for yet apother shot at his human target in mid- air. 7 Swiftly as that leap was made, theaimbé“ the Telegraph Detective proved true; the‘ traimwrecker was crushed to earth by that living catapult without time to spit out a curse at enemy or warning to friend. Although thc‘shock was materially lessen- ed by striking the Irishman, )Icl’herson was pitched awkwardly forward across the rails, receiving further bruises yet luckily breaking no bones. Half-stunnedrthe detective scrambled to his feet; brushing a hand over eyes to clear his vision, its mate fumbling at belt where his revolvers still clung to their scabbards. The alarm had been taken, and abandoning their nefarious work, the murderous gang was rushing that way, eager to kill or cap- ture the enemy so oddly “ treed” by their pal, Paddy McCoon. ' There was at least half a score of the ruf- fians, and knowing that he could expect precious little mercy at their hands, if once fairly cornered, McPherson sprung swiftly along the road-bed in flight, yet with brain clearing, and nerve rallying to meet the emergency. - In right hand he gripped a revolver ready for use when the critical moment might come, his keen eyes flashing ahead and to each side of the double atrack, on guard against possible enemy in front. A trained athlete in almost every sense of the term, Alick McPherson felt that he could hold his own with the best of the ang in a race along the road-bed; but, woul he have that chance? Could he even hope that no outlooks had been posted by the leader of the train wreck- ers? ' Hardly had he time to ask himself this question, when it found an answer, for one of the rufiians in hot chase sent forth a far- reaching yell which was shortly answered from the gloom ahead; and McPherson knew only too well that his flight was barred by at least'one armed foeman! “Yelp, yc hounds! Maybe ye can kill, but you’ll never take alive! If only the train— Heaven have mercy on the passen- gers!” Even while his own life was in imminent peril, Aliek McPherson had thoughts for the human freight being whirled along at breath- less speed to—wliat? Had Calhoun "been roused in time to flag and warn the Express? Had the train already passed Silver Leaf when he roused up to give that incoherent answer to the urgency call? Or, had those unintelligible sounds been but a ‘ghastly jest played by one of the evil gang who had already taken full posseSsion of the station? ‘Tortured by those thoughts and fears, a less cool-witted and steady-nerved man might easily have broken down altogether; but not so brave Alick McPherson! At first he was strongly tempted to run the gantlct, trusting to luck to carry him safely past yonder guards, either by dodging or by shooting a passage through, then to outfoot- ing the wreckers and gaining sufficient lead to start a fire which would serve to halt the Express;but the chanceswereheavily against this scheme, and a second thought shaped a far different plan, whose very audacity promised success. Giving a sharp yell of defiance as he sped along the road-bed, the detective fired a couple of shots in quick succession as though meeting with an armed foeman, then sprung lightly off the track and taking to the nearly perpendicular wall of rocks to his left hand. A full doch shots came from excited pur- suers in answer to his burning powder, but none of the hastily-aimed missiles found aliv- ing billet, and McPherson chuckled grimly to himself, as he sought the handiest cover. ” Come on, ye whelps of Satan! Come on, and keep a-running until—just give me a chance to double back, and I’ll fool you, even ct!” y It really seemed as though the Telegraph Deetctive was about to succeed in his bold ruse, for the train~wreckcrs, led by a tall athletic fellow whom McPherson had no dif- ficulty in recognizing, raced past his hiding- place in their savage ardor; but then, ere he could take advantage of the opening thus af- forded, a change was made. - The big train-wrecker gave ahoarse shout, then the gang came to an abrupt halt. His voice added: ' “ Steady there, lads,until—— Hello, pard!” “ Hyar I be, boss!” came the reply from ahead. “ What’s the row, an’ who’s bu’sted all over loose this-a-way, aryhow?” “ Have you seen any one trying to slip past on?” “ You bet I hain't, then! Nary critter, not even a durn shadder could foolish yer uncle, boss!” “ All eyes open, then!” fiercely cried the leader of the train-wreckers, turning and rushing back along the track. “ Part this way, the rest go ahead! He’s hiding among the rocks, somewhere, and we can take him x—We’ve just got to take him, dead or alive!” The Telegraph Detective listened to all this with an interest more readily imagined than portrayed; but now he showed his teeth in a grim smile, lifting the hammer of his revol- ver far enough to enable him to twirl the cylinder across his open palm, thus making sure the weapon was in good working condi- tion. “ Another nail in yourcoflin, Flashy Fred 1” McPherson muttered. as he gathered both legs beneath his body, ready for quick work when the right moment should come. 7“ Dead or alive, eh? Well, it’s catching be- fore killing, gnd maybe I‘ll get a bite while you’re making a square meal, anyway!” If he could only feel certain that the Light- nin g Express had been checked! If he could only know Calhoun had roused up in time to flag and warn the train of peril ahead! As yet the gloom was too deep for perfect recognition through eyesight alone, but Mc- .Pherson believed he had recognized that com- manding voice, and if so, he knew that not the slightest degree of mercy would be shown him in case he, should fall alive into the hands of the desperado gang. Again that commanding voice rung forth: ‘,‘, Block the way, lads, and don't leave an opening big enough for even a ghost to slip through! Now, steady,'all! Light up, you fellows!” 4 In the fierce excitement of the moment, the single lantern seen in use by McPherson had been dropped and the light extinguished; but now he crouched lower in his place of hiding as he saw dull lights begin to glim- mer, both up and down the track. He knew that a systematic search was about to be made, and too, only__ too well, that discovery was buta question of minutes, at best. He ripped his guns firmly, at the same time listening with all his powers to, see if he could catch Strain! v important point! llad Calhoun performed his duty? Had he flagged the Express in time, or was the train even now speeding along to destruc- tion.and horrible slaughter, all unwarned, all unsuspecting the hideous death-trap set by the murderous train-wreckers? Surely an answer of some sort had come to his last call? Who else could have given it save the night-agent? And yet, why so incoherent, unless Calhoun had roused up too late to avert the dread peril? If he could only break through yonder armed line, free to race along the road-bed to flag the train ere it,was eternally too late! If he could shoot his way through! Why. not? The mere-fact of his asking such a ques- tion proved how desperate the undaunted awful fears. Already several lanterns were ablaze, both up and down the track, those holding them flashing rays over the rock wall, searching each nook and cranny, eager to sight the human game and give all hands a chance to shoot to the death. , McPherson saw his enemies gradually drawing closer to his refuge, and knowing that discovery could not be averted much longer, he prepared to take action while yet he could move without being instantly turn- ed into a living target for nearly a score “re- volvers or rifles. It was a forlorn hope, at best, but he re- solved to make a dash away from the wall, across the roadbed, deeming it barely possi- ble that he might be able to crawl through yonder stones and rocks lining the high bank of the river, and thus get beyond the line of wreckers on that side, then race along the track to even yet halt the Express. Waiting until just aftera brilliant flash of lightning to. intensify and add to the gloom, the detective left his covert and stole swiftly across the level road-bed. But, ill—luck seemed against him that night, for hardly had he reached the nearest rail than another flash rent the clouds above, for a single instant rendering all be- low as light as noonday. Only a single moment, but that sufliced for the keen-eyed wreckers, and a savage yell made knewn the discovery. Louder than the others rose the Voice of the herculeanglcader, and the detective ut— tercd a smothered cxccration as he caught the words: “Look out! It’s that cursed McPherson! Jump him, lads! It's killed or be hanged, now!” A number of shots were fired in that direc- tion, but darkness reigned just then, and the missiles all sped wide of their mark. Fierce with a longing for revenge, Mc- Pherson fired at the Hercules as the train- wrccker came rushing that way, but he, too, was foiled by the gloom succeeding those blinding flashes. Cut off from flight, in either direction, with his ruthless enemies rushing upon him in force. their movements fairly visible, now, by the lanterns carried, all rays from which were flashing in his direction, the dc- tective fell back until he stood upon the very edge of the nearly perpendicular bank of the river, revolvers in hand, ready to sell his life as dearly as possible. As some of the wreckers rushed ahead of the lights, thus offering a‘ fairly-good mark, the stead y-nerved detective opened fire, right and left. Oaths and curses greeted this swift fusil— lade; then a rattling volley came from the If he could duly. feel at ease onthat one an: detective was growing, brain-racked by those. joining force, just as their lights flashed fairly upOn the detective at bay. And, With a sharp cry, as of agony, Ahck McPherson disappeared, shooting swiftly down toward the rapidly-flowin g river! CHAPTER 111. IN THE NICK or TIME! THIRTY miles away from Grape~v1ne Gorge the feverish click—click—click of .the telegraph sounder was filling the dingy little office with its alarum, and only a few feet Silver Leaf Station, sleeping calmly and peacefully as a. child. Louder and more impatient came! that thrilling call, and even now a trained. ear might easily have caught the distant whistle of the Lightning Express as it thundered along through that misty night. , Thundering along on time, with naught to fear in the .way of delayed trains, given the right of way over all others, accustomed. to flash past this diminutive structure With barely a blast by way of warning, almost out~spcedin g the sound itself. . Still the alarm was sounded, warning of death and destruction lying ahead; still the agent lay peacefully on his narrow cot with- out thought or dream of how much depend- ed upon his vigilance just now! And now, the sharpened ear might even catch the faint rumble and roar of heavy wheels grinding along the ballasth bed; now the keen eye might even catch a far- away glimpse of the glowing headlight as the track wound around yonder distant point of rocks! Then, just as the telegraph detective was discovered by Paddy McCoon on the train- wrecking gang, while tapping out his fever- ishly anxious call. Isaac Calhoun roused up, his trained ears catching his regulation call over the wires, and, almost without thought he reached forth a hand to tap back the an- swer. . “ Hold the Express, for God's sake! Wreckers tearing up track at Grape-vine. Am 1 in time ?” With wonderful rapidity came those sounds, but Calhoun caught them correct- ly, and as he did so the whistle of the Express sounded in his ears, the swiftly growing rumble of wheels pounded with sickening force upon his brain! He made some answer; just what no man ever. knew, much less he Whose trembling fingers struck the instrument; and then turn- ing the signal to danger, he snatched up his lantern and sprung through the little win- dow facing the track, taking glass and sash along with himself, fearing to lose even an instant by taking the customary exit! The brilliant headlight fairly blinded the frightened agent, it was so terribly night He shouted, he ?screamed, he almost split his throat as he frantically swung his lantern in the signal to stop, jumping oflf the track barelyin time to save himself from going down to a horrible death beneath the grind- ing wheels. “Slow uplt Wreckers—~track torn upat sound of an a an, i .G u» 0 his dingy little depot. ‘ He caught a glimpse of the engineer's face staring at him out of the cab, and with frantic energy repeated his warning cry amid that confusing whirl of dust and eddy- ing currents of damp air. “Stop! For God’s sake slow up! Track torn up—oh, stop!" Under a full head of steam the Express was thundering along, gaining impetus for the long and winding grade lying only a mile ahead; and it all seemed like a hideous nightmare dream to the agent whose slum- here now bade faii‘ to cost scores if not hun- dreds of valuable lives, ' A bloody mist came over his eyes and he sunk down in a shivering, nerveless heap as the palatial private car at the rear of the long Express flashed past him. ~ . Then—oh, thank Heaven for an unmerited mercy! Isaac Calhoun heard the air break put on, and with the harsh grating of the wheels as they whirled swiftly around on the sanded track, his overtasked brain seemed to give way, and all was a merciful blank for the time being. \Vhen he roused up again ’twas to find the train backed up to the station, and a dozen or more intensely excited persons surround- ing him, one and all pouring questions forth, as to why, what and wherefore. “ Oh, thanks to kind Heaven I wasn’t too late!” Calhoun huskily panted, pale as a corpse and trembling like a leaf. “ When I firing—when I knew—oh, it’s terrible, terri- e.” “\Vhat is terrible?” demanded the con- ductor, only to be pushed aside by a tall, portly, rather pompous-looking gentleman coming from the private car, who sternly asked: ‘ “\Vhat means all this, my man? that do I hear about a wreck?” “Mr. Zattell, one of the directors, Cat’- hounj” hurriedly explained the conductor. “ \Vhy did you stop us, then ?" “ Train-wreckers at work ——tcaring up track at the Gorge, sir! And, I barel caught warning in time to signal—oh, its broken me all up!” “ Get a brace on, Ial!” impatiently cried the conductor. “ How do you know all this? Where did you got word from? \Vho sent it?” “Unless it's all a mad dream!" harshly cut in Director Zattell as the suspicion struck him. “ Sure you wasn’t asleep at your post, agent. and dreamed it all?” This was cutting dangerously near the truth, and it served to rally those scattered wits as naught else could have done so quickly. “No, sir; I only wish it was a dream! I had the word from Alick McPherson; you know him, Jameson?” “ That’s enough, Cal! If Mac said it~—-” “ I recognized his touch, and he bade me hold the Express, for train-wreckers “'ch tearing ,up the track at Grape-vine Gorge. I barely had time to turn the light and jump out with my lantern. And—I’m wet as though I’d becn‘in swimming!” Almost pathetically came the last words, sounding oddly whimsical under the cir- cumstances, but nothing in the shape of words could have more thoroughly exem- plihed the night-agent’s mental torture. “’ith the conductor vouching for Alick McPherson, all doubt and skepticism were at an end, and swift arrangements were made for the discomfiture, if not the cap turc. of that evil gang of law-breakers. The private car, occupied by Jafl'rev Zat- tell and his son and daughter, was uncduplcd away lay Isaac Calhoun the night-agent at from the train; the crew was armed , _ backed up by a goodly number of the sengers, one and all of whom seemed \ for a man-hunt by way of novelty. N ‘, While this was going on, Calhoun in repeated efforts to call up the Telegraph i ~ tective, but in vain. Not a sound : . back by way of answer, and he like “ failed to open comniunicatipns with the . tions lying on the further side of Grape Gorge. ‘ “They’ve cut the Wires, and McPhe is off the line. Heaven grant the poor low hasn’t paid for his timely warning with his life! If those devils in human aha smoked him at work— cod-by Mac!” “ Who are they? V by are‘ such day permitted to flourish and work their 1 , will along this line, of all others?” denim j Mr. Zattell. ' , Questions far easier to ask than to answer and no man even attempted to do the In: just then. ' With the loss of. but a few minutes. i told, arrangements were completed and t Express pulled out once more under fur head of steam, bound for Grape-vine but promising to arrive at that point in u; different shape from that anticipated by th train-wreckcrs. When only a few miles out of Silver W Station, one of the train-crew called attenti to a bright light which suddenly sprung in! existence far up anion the rocks, glowi like a beacon on the big est point for in around. “ A signal to the gang, for rocks!" was-h excited comment. ‘ It seemed only too probable, and as the word passed swiftly through the train, that. feverish expectation turned to doubt, almost to despair. . . Was it to turn outa “ water-haul,” after . all? i That fear was to be quickly solved, for: the ExpreSs was running at schedule rate,” , those whirring wheels fairly ,devouring ‘ space. . ' j = It was agreed to keep on without show of fear or of suspicion until within a short dig. tance of the Gorge proper, then put on the~ air and halt in short order, pouring forth the improvised army to surprise the nefarioul gang—if still p0ssible! But, there was the rub! ’ ‘ The kcenest lookout failed to show augh of the enemy along the track, near at hand or far ahead in the brilliant pathway of the headlight; and when the si rial was given to slow up, still the road-bed ooked free front obstructions, free from living qbstacles to further progress. ’ -' Forth poured the little army, one and'all feverishly eager for a brush with the trainn _ wreckers, and, headed by the train-ore ,_‘ they rushed ahead, weapon; drawn an ready for instant use. \’ ' 1 But, not a shot was fired, not a blow ‘ struck; for never a glimpse of the laws breakers was caught, and only for the storm ly significant evidence given by the d placer rails and torn-up ties, it ml ltit inve been set down as in fact a nig ,. dream of the seesaw! new “.3” , . ' reiwa, ten peered over the rocky!“ leadingrlown the deep-bedded river, wh , water would surely have completed the. 311' death-work began by toppling cars and grinding machinery. ’l‘rul ’twas the work of demons! One look; then the alert conductor scth man on over the culvert to torpedo the true beyond, against trains coming from the was knowing that, with the wires down no other means of reaching such crews could be safely dc ended upon. Just as all hands were absorbed in exam ing the broken way, a. strange] dilapidaterl object was caught sight of, an a fierce cry of “train-wreckers!“ went up, more than one menacing weapon turning that way be fore the cfy for peacemould be made and recognized. “ Meet By all that’s good and holy!" cried‘ the conductor, rushing forward and gran ing those bruised and bleeding hands. “Mien on‘earth have you come from, Alick?” - “From the river, last,” grimly answer the detective, shaking his wet and muddy i« garments as he spoke. “ Then Calhoun got my message in time? I feared--" “Just in the nick of time! But you—- how ha pened it, man, dear?" “Teli) you later, Jameson,.but for now let me get my pocket-piece and send wo ajong the line before— Out of» the way a l!’ ~ ' The Telegraph Detective spoke harshly his intense anxiety, pushing swiftly through that eager and interested crowd, hurr in; back to the pole from whence he had forCed to make his leap for life when dis covered by the Irish member of the train wreckers. Ile had left his instrument hanging to M severed wire, and now wished to utilize " once more in sending warning of t destroyed track along the line, lest eve yet a fatal wreck might. prove the com quence. . Stiff from his many bruises, chilled to th core by his desperate struggle for life in t turbulent stream, Alick McPherson, refusing all help, grasped the pole and slowly but doggedly climbed up it, showing the Scot tish touch of bulldogism in every move- mcut. But, when scarcely half-way to the lovre - . crossm‘m, a sharp cry escaped the deth tive's lips, and for an instant or two I seemed as though the shock he had reocin would send him “down by the run." Only for the space covered by a singl breath, however; then be fairly swarmed u the pole, flinging leg over cross arm an grasping the instrument which still but! fast to the pendent wire. An alarm was coming owrr the line, from Silver Leaf Station, and as the characteriatl clicks smote upon his ears, the detcctiv could hardly refrain from crying out fierce rage and indignation. “ \Vhat's gone wrong, Mac?" impatient}. asked Jameson, from below. For answer, the Telegraph Detective rend. off the message as it was repeated in answer to his call: "Satan to pay! Mr. Zattcll inurch and his Son and daughter carried Help-«help! Conic. quick, for Heaven sake!" - (’17; be minimized.) W Tun perambulator is all right for the hub but, after the baby stage of existence passed, one cannot hope for success W depends upon others to push him ahead.