er his confederate's outstretched foot, or lost
his balance, for just as a blaze of light beat upon the group, he
staggered, clutched at Thurston, and missing him, stepped over the edge
of the platform and fell full length between the rails.

There was a yell from a man with a lantern and a sudden hoot from the
whistle of the big locomotive. Savine's face turned white under the
glare of the headlight. With a reckless leap Geoffrey followed his
enemy. Only conscious of the man's peril, he acted upon impulse
without reflection.

"Good God! They'll both be killed!" exclaimed Shackleby.

Thurston was strong of limb and every muscle in him had been toughened
by strenuous toil, but Leslie had struck his head on the rails and lay
still, stunned and helpless. The lift was heavy for the man who strove
to raise him, and though the brakes screamed along the line of cars the
locomotive was almost upon them. Standing horrified, and, without
power to move, the two spectators saw Geoffrey still gripping his
enemy's shoulders, heave himself erect in a supreme effort, then the
cow-catcher on the engine's front struck them both, and Savine felt,
rather than heard, a sickening sound as the huge machine swept
resistlessly on. Afterward he declared that the suspense which
followed while the long box-cars rolled by was horrible, for nothing
could be seen, and the two men shivered with the uncertainty as to what
might be happening beneath the grinding wheels.

When the last car passed both leapt down upon the track, and a man
joined them holding a lantern aloft. Savine stooped over Thurston, who
lay just clear of the rails, looking strangely limp.

"Another second would have done it--did I heave him clear?" he gasped.
He tried to raise himself by one hand but fell back with a groan.

"I guess not," answered a railroad employe, holding the lantern higher,
and while two others ran up the tracks, the light fell upon a
shapeless, huddled heap. "That one has passed his checks in, certain,"
the holder of the lantern announced.

Within ten minutes willing assistants from the tiny settlement were on
the spot and stretchers were improvised. Savine had bidden the agent
telegraph for a doctor, and the two victims were slowly carried towards
the New Eldorado saloon. When they were gently laid down an elderly
miner, familiar with accidents, pointing to Thurston after making a
hasty examination said:

"This one has got his arm broken, c