Page:Morley roberts--Painted Rock.djvu/136

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PAINTED ROCK

down one step. White grabbed him by the collar.

"Don't jump, Crowle!" said Bailey. They had been partners for years in Kootenay.

But Crowle jumped, and uttered a hideous shriek and turned over and over before he reached the rocky ground a hundred feet below him. The tail end of the train was on Jatan trestle, but Jatan itself was miles away. Bailey heard his body reach the rocks with a hideous crash.

"He's dead," said White.

"You—" stammered Bailey—"you——"

"I've saved your life, Mr. Bailey."

The engineer whistled "off brakes," and White left him peering over into the depths beneath. But he saw nothing, and went back into the car.

"The day after to-morrow I'm going back to Painted Rock," said Bailey. White came in presently and sat down beside him. He was very pale.

"Have you got a drink on you?" asked White.

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