THE ROMANCE AND DRAMA OF REAL LIFE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7749, 15 July 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE ROMANCE AND DRAMA OF REAL LIFE.

thi hKKOINK ok thk aux IM , 11AM .MOUNTAINS. )K . , Sheffield Weekly Tele# . ,•. ._i,\ 'ixtus of last ti*ntmy, u . ilu* imiwt, reckles.*, of men "*jj . i toot in " Death Valley,” a ii, t UVgliany Mountains, lor * r w .i> lon- odds that lie would r , a'i\e. For some yeans > t -.'inis ha<l he' ll told trout ...I ,i Virginia of one man , },. i v. ho had hi rp known to r in fastm»*s, and of whom * ( | inu . . |«. had h«■<•11 seen All had ’’ f ,*' ~|l | and rohhed, it was said, 1 |f. i IL iiii|inn." wh >, under tie* •’ ~ j iul.ei < ntter, |;laye<l the role : 1 " 1 ; iana ' rtlna,, the stiiy mil, was nil i , i;,111 ol enormous Htrengtli, Li ui.ul ■ I* l ' horn** in the valley in oo . ir> tie lon s.in Jem, who shared j\. i!i. hut not Ids ruthlcMsn*v>(s. i 1, Jno ohieetion to robl>ery. he . , ,•...!!• -I in it. hut he drew tin* .i in I i; was believed . nly h.ul no hand in his •in.r * : 'I ~t ' lolem-e. hnl was kept r i’, II.» of them. Eff irts had Ih*oii 7 l:in .il e * ilinos home to tin* j,.,, hut so far they had faili j...; . i evnlenee, hut the terror ij ~ j j,ll* d was so great that . ( , . la;nest man would enter \ ■ii le. could l- 'ssihly avoid j h . in- to p:ss that, when . <bl ;j mi.nth passtnl without ni n„ J inpse of a human Face in k/u'l . II 'I Bourqitin found his ‘,,',,11 ,a •. and it Iwame noeeslfji ,ro h field for hip, ar.tl- \• w . it I ni- Indore his in- , ii evolved a scheme w hu ll in ,| sp .il than vears of ins allMii.'i work. X inltTl'NE AT A COI P. . v d that doling the night ' ;th. a (lovermnent pay- • .. i, ]|. Unit.moie City, would *»•». :ii the sitriti;* of hlack tun- ,[. i ,'i. M'e-h.uiv Mountains, Mr. I J slant. The train, widen i i .tin t>l money to 1,, .|t \. 'i! eoinpaiiu s of dishanded r f j :■ ~|,v. wllllld have for guards p luor.. than half a dozen men; and [ • '•' ..111V senile the II olleV, as • fniMiil t.i do it ally cost, he would i • |a -\ i- on for the r<*-rt ol i:ls \ i as i|Ulle an »*ir.y matte;-. 1.1 a i nd of the last t unnel .thin hi charge of a sigi... < would lx- no difficulty ties solitary wat<-!i- , n .si : ' u r lut'i hand and loot. He- ; li,- .« .li lies so I hat yi iil*l fail U> meet. Tne tram ■ , .•!»* i\-, Irav. lied at cxpre.su l . ;Ihe u ivi k> d. and d any [ tk<- - in.Tr* -iirviwd the crash, r l . .eilv make short work of S- ii eininin- and diaholual in.- >i . i lied I>i>i*r<|lliii outlined ih* ua di soil * lie tiny. “It’s * ii •: ii .' ; re.” lie said in eouclu. n :; l wiia’ ’ moie, no oll<* don’t i*i| *«> •• Ih d hai rin’ aiv-iileiiti'.” l in. 'it " areidellt s” mi-lit take ’» * <•; -I m- to explain ; .tnd in.- i .-! i hat no miirdt r was t-> t-i-.i.. ». his cons. nt. •V'. n I k. nood or had, would a- 1 • signalman who shoiild a- a it lus |Hist at the tunnel- - eno of the planned (-rime, •• ih!\ ah nt oil the appo’ndi* _-1 .11.1 his place was taken uy • ’i. >i ter, Jeanne (larth, a 10r *’~'ll rl, who luid taken it on 1 us, and was familiar witil h-i ' Sh.. had tully < \|h*< ted >*' • ’ i i r w mild ret urn Indore - I u.d when darkn.bs came on, - -lit of him, she found her- ’ 1 .( • Uii 11:,. pi o pei ♦of a I uiely It- .’h •he Imi- ni-lit hours, L,v r "I. I I colli tie 111 aiesi human ’ii| wdli no companionship i f h. r . ..Hi.* d-t;. Rah, and ’ ad then l '* *' si.- -hi Mindiu.; lor<*'.th. 7MK GAMUTS’ ( A ITIVK. '• j * -in- had a stout heart, and ,n * i'M-allet| that only a few )S J • i a savage hlaek hear had o '' ! ' tin* ii**xi tunnel, she re■r‘ • •' •*'♦ to ii v solitary wat -u, !,, -l '• any enrst not to d<*s<‘rl. e()| I* I"' v I-* li-lded the hm- rows : I*' 1 *'- 1 ’ >dc*ns in the little shark. ’OCI , ..I, uit Ii I lie double ’ " pm- awake and ilisttai l '• ii I from her lonely and * v "-iinicnt. '"I read lon-, however, tfil 'li * darkness a sound ot * l ’»' at a little distance* up o hei an I - h it in- violently ; and , •'n* <1 learfullv, the sha: p nmirietl, elmkin- ' ' <he<l awav in sileue** r: n . till. Rushing to the p- ; : I w i'll strain:!!- ey. s ‘ ' r! ii, . mi,| to her burr >r Jg ' • cl tornis, with slouched ' I li.tr ii,;,-died fa<*v., ru'hmr; • ■!' I »••-. I- or a moment she ’ h ual\H*d ; then she dashed . •- hill Is-fore die could . ’’ 11- loremoet of the giants . :| • r h. ik on i liei head, and 1 . ’ -If ela p -tl ill a pair of d , "' ' *‘i *• 1 sw iltlv, in spite of -a end shri»*ks, over tlu» in *'■ i oia is i ai.i, on ." ..1,,. 11.-:.r.l ,1 .. : ; r I. -nd :h- <*louk was run-lily ' "• her head, and dn* found 1 ' mall hut. in wli'eli her ! fc ;v r : ' d. h horn.* n"In'll mi dut \. , ’ ’ ' ' .*-• .1 -rimlv cdeni, an jl j . . I"'- <1 man with a shuck 1 w‘ , l; !lr !l H ;l,,, ‘ n U* rap,-, d ! \hv Ills inask , ' '"d him stood a tall, miificu '".uii who h ok. d sht***pI " <:|.er sp-.ke a word an tho '"-‘n pr.aliHi d a rope and swiftly iin r " ’h- bedpost, while his ™ nj 1 " 1 *-'I a l -lit d eipnal-lan-m tp.* ,V *1 ■■• v u- rna.h* their captive -Jk rj; ‘ ' •'*'» men were about to PH , '‘hen a dispute bepan he- : ji "‘O. -li,• - * in low, button'd b j‘l. !f '< mi lunder and an-iy tones <»f whieh Jetyinc gathered

that, hor fate wa#j the object. The quarrel waxed hotUu* and fiercer, and finally knivoH were drawn: but to the terrified girl's unspeakable relief, the Hceno of the htvlth* was suddenly removed from her sight by the younger man taking to his hoelrt, pursued by h:s companion. lint although Jeanne wan thankful to see tlie hacks of her assailants, her plight could not well have Ihmmi more terrihld. Hound hand and foot, surrounded by pitch darkness, never knowing at wlmt moent the ruffian'ts might return to kill her, as the elder of them evidently intended, she was left a prey to the most horrible fears and anxieties. And, to add to her terror, a storm sprang up. Pandemonium was hi loose: the frail cabin in which she was imprisoned rocked and swayed under the fierce blunts of the wind which shrieked around it and threatened to swep it away. In her agony and alarm sin* struggled madly to break he ropes which hold her, hut all her effort.-* were as vain au they were torturing. A NIGHT OK THRILLS. When at last the gale had subsided, and she was Innsing into unconscioufi* ness under the long and fearful strain, her heart began to heat furiously as she heard footsteps approaching the hut. A moment later there came the grating of a key in the look of the door, a cold blast of air struck her face, stnd through the darkness she saw a huge, fhadowv form * coming slowly towards her with extended, menacing arms. In vain she tried to cry out: her voice Kceimxl frozen in ’her throat. A heavy band fell on her face, and she felt certain that the end had come at last. But I). -It h had now few terrors for her : it. would almost l>© welcome ns a release from the unsnenkablo horrors she had gone througn ; and she resigned herself to the blow which would put a merciful end t> them. Hut, to her amazement, the blow did not fall. Instead, to her inexpressible joy, she felt the cruel ropes begin to relax, and m a few moments she found 'herself unbound and free. Overcome by her miraculous rescue from what seemed certain death, she steal dumb Indore her deliverer, wondering vaguely what would come next. In a tew rough, almost incoherent words her rescuer, in whom she recognised tin* younger of her assailants, explained his strong action. "The old ’tin,” ho said, “has been playin' mo false. There’s murder goih’ to be done in the long tunnel it Ii is yore night. Tin? agreement was that., barling accidents in the smash-up. nobody , was goin’ to he outed. Now' father ’an gone and clean brdke liis words. He would have murdered you if J hadn’t stopped him. An’ he says nobody must he allowed to leave the tunnel alive, in case they .should happen to recognise us an’ bring the cops down an ns. Why,” he said, “ the cantankerous old catamount! Ile even tried to knife me!” SAVING THK TRAIN. “Hid,” by continued, “I mean to -ct level with (In* old ’tin”—and lie unfolded his plan of revenge, winch was that Jeanne should make her way through the ravine to the entrance to tho tunnel, a mile or so distant, and stop tlit* imperilled train by swinging a red light across .the track, thus warning tho guards and effectually baulking Irs father’s plan of robbery and murder. Groping round the room lie found a lantern, lighted il, and put it in Jeanne’s hand. A brave man might well have shrunk from a mission so daring and arduous as this midnight journey through the storm-swept ravine, through a darkness so den-e that she could scarcely .see her hand before her, and where a false step might easily mean death or serums injury. Hut Jeanne did not hesitate a moment. At any cost to herself she meant to save the train and tin* lives of the men who guarded it, and it was with a light step and a stout) heart that **lu> set out on her perilous journey. She had gone hut. a few steps when ■she found herself faced by a. terrible danger she inunt pass the signal-box at tii*' tunnel exit, and in the light of the rows of signal lamps she saw the red-haired giant who would have murdered her hut for his son’s intervention, keeping sentinel, his eyes searching the darkless in every direction. Crouching low, she moved w ith stealthy and silent steps round the fringe of darkne'S, dreading at (Tory moment to In* seen and challenged. Hilt luck was on ’her side : Red Hourqum’s keen eyes and ears failed to detect, hor nearness, ami in a few moments she was safely pa-t, him and hurrying along the gully h< math which was the long tunnel. A DESPERATE PLAN. She knew that she lindjmi, an hour iu reach tho cutting between the first und st cond tunnels, w hen, if ait all. she must stop the oncoming train ; and each s-tep of the way was dark and perilous. A single awkward stumble, and she was undone. Could she do it? Well, if she failed it should be through no lack of trying. Thus, stumbling at almost every step, the brave-hearted girl made her slow way onward. Again and again she flipped on the •treacherous, rotting leaves and I**ll prostrate, only to pick herself up and stagger onward. Again and again she collided with til.- tree*, which blocked her way, and wil'di she could not see, bruising and stunning herself; once die .slipped on a boulder and only by a miracle os- < aped falling into the swollen river raging I'm below her f* ct; and once slu* only saved herscll from being dashed t> death in a steep gully by clutching ait tin branch of a friendly treci. Thus bruioed, panting, et niggling, die had mx-ompanied half her journey, when, to her horror, islio heard the distant slirltk of an onKine-whistU'. I'lio tra it alto luul Ih.jk'.l to save was nrdiiiiK to its doom; and aim lia.l still hail' a iiiilo to »> to mull tin- onti-anoo of tho tunnol. Ik'l'oi'o alio could envoi* aliotlior liuodrod yards it would have dadird into tho fatal tunnel, and no now. r Oil oai tli o odd uavo it and its l>as-viiKois from dint ruction, 'llns, Il.oii, was to 1.0 iin' oml of all her gallant I li'ors. Sh uck inotioidivn with j*riot* .diooad a n ild, di's|)ilirini: Jiluncc uliiii.i, h i* on ad salu, —and tlion il was, wilt'll all l!d|>* seemed dead, that lliu “mirnclo" happonod. Siulih olv .leiuine s eyes rosti’d on ,1 In, shiittid ventilator law placed over an nir-slialt, aim ist at her vary Ire: and at the sijtlit an inspiration .’ii mi! 1 ,* Middoii fln.dicd upon la r. 'I lie a'radian, slu. know. I.al sirn.iuht down into th., tilnill I Komo 30ft hrlow. She rear, mhoted that this very shaft had

been used recently by a gang of workmen engaged in repairing the tunnelwalls, tind tlmt through it they had rawed the debris and superfluous material to tho ground above. If they could enter the tunnel by ii, bo could she, and thus be in tmo to stop the Oncoming train. fcjlio found to her delight that the tep v had been removed from (the frame, and that at the mouth of the shaft was one of tho wooden boxes fastened by stout t opes to a pulley-wheel in the ventilator frame, in which tho workmen had let themselves down and hoisted up the debris. Grasping her red lantern firmly in one hand, sho clambered over the odge of tho great basket. At that instunit a second shriek from the engine, as it plunged into tho tunnel, so unnerved her that sho nearly list her balance and fell headlong down the black shaft. Recovering herself quickly, however—for there was not a moment to ho lost, and she could hear the rumble of the onrusli.ing train getting louder and nearer—she worked desperately to start the box on its journey; and soon felt herself gliding swiftly downwards, with mingled feelings of relief and fears that after all she would he too late. Meanwhile, the train she still hoped to save was dashing through the tunnel. to its doom, when Engineer Dean, tho driver, peering ahead through the cab window, saw by the lights of his powerful head-lamp a dark, square object drop swiftly from the roof of the tunnel into the centre of tho track a couple of hundred yards or so ahead, and from the mysterious object a red light gleamed warn>ngly. Quick as lightning lie jammed his brakes hard on; and a< the train slowed down he saw a hundled-ttp human form suddenly separate itself from the square object and begin to sway a red dangerlight acTCi-s tho track. A few seconds later the train came to a stop; the driver leaped to the ground, and, running towards the signaller who had dropped so mysteriously from the roof of tho tunnel, found himself face to face with Jeanne—a wildeyed, strong figure, covered from 'head to foot with mud, without a hat, her hair in wild disorder. JEST IX TIME. In a few breathless words she fold her story of the tragedy thnlt was awaiting the train a short way down tlx* tunnel, and of how she had made her strange appearance on the scene, ju-'t in time to warn him and to save Ido train and all on board. “As tho young heroine told In r story to the engineer and the train-hands who had now gal'ln ixxl round her,” says the Baltimore “Sun,” “she was the coolest pet s >n of the seven who were assembled in tho broad circle of light cast by the locomotive head-lamp. Every face puled at the thought of the tragedy from which the child had delivered them at such risk to herself. Every eye glistened with pride, and soijiiowith tears, at her heroism; and the kiss which Engineer Dean pressed on Jeanne’s mud-stained, happy face, expressed the homage and gratitude of them all.” But there was no time to waste. Slops must he taken at once to catch, rod-lmnded, the scoundrel who was no doubt sit that moment preparing, and gloating over Ilia diabolical deed. Indeed, before any plsiii could be devised, the sound of two shots fired in quick succor*>ion camo to the men’s oars from some distance ahead up the tunnel. At the sounds a ready-witted brakesman ru licd hack to the train for a Winches, tor, and had just returned when si. it sill figure was seen running rapidly towar*jU the group down the lirosul path of light cast by the engine’s lamp. Before, however, he had run many yards, lie was seen to stagger. He rose, stumbled a few more paces, and then fell prone, and lay motionless on the track. A moment later a second figure outlined itself suddenly upon the track of light—a gaunt man of gigantic suture, bare-headed, with iiory red looks and heard flying wild. For a moment ho paused tit tho prostrate figure; then, catching .sight of the group who were hurrying towards the fallen man, 'he rushed towards them with Mood-curd-ling yells and eyes glaring with the light of madness, flourishig a revolver in It's right hand. THE END OK RED HOURQUIN. When lie caught sight of Jeanne nmongist the group lie levelled his woap >n l ull at her, with a snarl like that of a. wild beast. A loud cry of iiusnnc didig!lit rang out, and lie pressed the trigger. Hut the hrakenian was too quick for him. A deafening report iroan the Winchester mingled witth the sharpy crack of the revolver; and Red Bourquiii, v trniii wrecker and madman, pitched forward upon IPs face, stonedead. The rest of this thrilling story of real life, which is still told by more than one old Virginian settler who had sc n Red Boiirquiu in tin* lies'll, can he put into few words. The bodies of the two would-be train wreckers. Hourquin and his sun for it was the son who fell a vie tint to the old man’s insane vengeance in the tunnel were taken for burial to the grnn solitude of Death Valley, the scene of so many of the old man’s unotoricil crimes, and in the old log shack which had been their home for years, was found a. collection of pnil taken from their victims. As for Jeanne, (lie stout-hearted heroine of the story, she was taken that ii’glit. In the train she had save ! from disaster, to Harper’s Kerry, where she found her missing brother, the signalman, who e failure to return to h's post was the result of a runaway accident Of all |li .- •( who figured in this drama of half a century ago, Joanne Garth al me survives to tell, with charm-ter-i-« i;• mode t\, the story of tliail. night, of ‘terror and tragedy when slu* saved the pay-train and saw R-d Bourquin pay tin penally of a life of crime in the ilinin'! of the Alleghany Mountain-.