The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-24

the light In front Of the engine was burning
dimly, and threatening to expire. With NJ
snathema upon the negligence Of the fireman
he lospsd down to examine It. The lamp
had not been filed. "For Gods sake,
shrieked l. when learned the fact, don't
stop for that trihe; l can travel III the dark
il you can. You are not airsid?" ! con-
tinued, tauutingly, Is the engineer still hest.
tated. a can ride the devil ~ cody ~ you
can" he rejoined, cheerily, and resuming hi'
post started the machine.
As We emerged from the station house, ]
remember thinking had never seen black
er night. The first motion oil the engine
had extinguished the light; not star wss 10
be seen In the heavens, and the few lighted
windows which dotted the landscape here
and there, only added to the general gloom
Of the scene. Flushed and wild a. was,
experienced thrill OF horror a. the engine
msdly dashed into the darkness. strained
my eyes until they ached; I held my breath
and contracted my muscles, a IL falling, 30
fearfully rapid seemed the rate At which VIC
were flying. ....
But q new and pleasanter sensation took
the place Of this terror. None but those
who have actually experienced Il can imagine
the maddening delight which excessively
rapid motion produces. We were under
full Roadway, and with no load TO retard our
speed. Now and then lighted window by
the side Of the track flew past US like me.
teor; while farther of In the gloom, solitary
taper would sometimes seem madly striying
TO emulate our pace--soon distanced, how
ever, and soon lost. In less time than
have been talking, we had arrived at little
village, where the street lamps were burning,
and which ! knew was just ten miles from
W. stopped down and examined
my watch by the light Of the engine fire.
We had travelled the first ten miles in less
than ten minutes. Faster!' ! shouted
madly TO the engineer. Us crammed another
pine stick under the boiler. But il was
hardly possible 10 accelerate our speed Tho
wheels actually leapcd along the rails. The
few drops OF rain which occasionally fell,
struck against my face like fne shot The
steam whistle kept up an endless shrek, az
il the engine were some monstrous goblin.
tortured beyond enduraace by 40 inbuman
fend, while the deep bass Of the increasing
thunder mingled with the wild rattle Of our
wheels, and formed chorus which the
Furies might well have envied.
As my ears were gradually stunned by
these complicated noises. and my eyes wes-
ried by their unnatural exertion, ! iancied
that heard other noises and saw other
sights, which could have been only the pro-
duct Of bewildered brain. As We dashed
into some gloomy gorge, | seemed TO bear
angry voices warning and upbraidng me /;
as we flew over some lofty cmbankment, ]
sar dark spirits in the air, who waved me
on with wild gestures, or struck at me with
airy blades. The lightniDgs became more
vivid and frequent. Now they showed us
the threatening crags that overhung our
path. and now they lighted up raging tor.
rent far beneath US. Ny companion was
n calm and composed ~ though his cradle
had been rocked by tempst The flashes
by which | occasionally caught q glimpse
Of him gave, IL is true, an unnatural gbastli-
ness TO bis face, but bis manner was M cool
and collected az had always known il.
could feel him managing the engine A. quiet
ly and carefully a. il il was summers day.
and he had the lives OF hundred passen-
gers to answer for, beside his own.
"A few minutes-ten or twelve, perhaps
had elapsed since looked al my watch,
and had begun 10 think that my journeys
end was near. We we're passing, as near
as | could jadge by the sound and the wind,
over level, open tract Of country, when ]
fancied felt momentary jar 80 slight,
however, and unmportant that il would
have passed from my recollection at once,
bad il not ben for what followed. Just at
that moment, longer and brighter fash ~
lightning than had before scen, attended,
not followed, by 40 awful crash Of thunder,
lii up again the surrounding scenery. Bat
high above the deafening peal. above the
lesser thunder Of the wheels, above the raying
d the wind, heard shrek, shout Of
horror, 20 wild, 30 awful, 80 like the utter.
aDce Of lost sou, tbst il vexes my dreams
TO this hour. IL Was q sound that no ply
sicsl pain could have ELECTED from human
being which nothing bat supernatural lear
could have produced, and which 90 one Who
Dsce beard il could ever bsnish from his re-
collection.
Involuntsrily felt ior my companion.
Ne eas gone groped hastily about the
confined space in which we had been stand
ing and IT once realized the awful nature
of my position. J was alone, up"n On en-.
yioe which wss tearing msdly forward, at
The rate Of sIty or seventy miL- al hour,
rapidly approaching my destination. about
10 dash headlong, at full sod, ioto the
midst Of 40 eager sod eIci,sd crowd, and
With no more knowssdge Of the management
Or government oi the crazy Il ing thsn 90
IniAnt For an instant / was thoroughly
psraly1ed With fear. Cold drops Of perspi.
rstioo stood upon my brow, and fairly
screamed in impo,snt sgooy. Bot 10 . mo
sss, more recovered myself hsd some
ndst nc, notion tbs, the spesd Of On engine
- tSd % clicked by ot<,sti,g the