The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-07-26

VoVtiou ouCIl " C6ftuluty tn0S uFluE ~
would be needless. I was posing the u
speed-Pve had some practice In thrSFifi&
parcels from trains in motion-.whSn JJjs
suddenly pulled the whistle rope &. TES
honrse sbriek seemed to startle them for On
instant; they buddled sblossr together, ami
tossed the stick outwaras and d6wnwards.
had barely time to see II crash through o
group with thetnrte Ola thunderbolts when,
with u jarring pluiige, the wheels on one sisie
struck the naked ties SFIlaspSp saS.,i ,ihe
trouble we adfeared but little, as the i'm i.
petus OF the ehgine' was almost sure TO nuke
it mount the track again. On the track
agnin, but few yards ahead of us was The
Formidable barrloade, and beyond that the
yswning chasm. Joe was standing up now
will, his eyes blazing, still holding the thros-
lie wide open, as he braccd himself for the
shock. had grasped the break. rod of the
tender the instant | threw the stick of
wood Crash! my hold didn't avail me,
and was pitched head over heels against
the fire box, aud laid fat on my back on the
foot board or Aoor Of the engine.
Joe was as suddenly jerked half way
around, his back striking little door in
trout OF where he stood. breaking the door
and shivering the glass to atoms. But we
were through; how. l couldn't tell, except
wc were on the track, and laundering over
the gorge. Joe's spirits rose with the oc
oasion Extricating himself almost as sud.
denly as he had been deposited in the little
glass door, he jerked tin flask from his
pocket. sprang to the top Of the tender, and
from thcuce to the roof Of the cab. Steady.
ing himselt for q moment with his face to.
wards the rebels, he shouted "good bye"
and mnde them low bow, and took drink
perfectly regardless Of the white puffs of
smoke, as one after another discharged their
pieces at him. rs he afterwards explained,
the engine made too much noise for him to
hear the bullets, as they didn't seem to be
hitting anybody.
Af'er having, in spite of sore bones per,
formed Jig he had extemporized for the
occasion for the express edifcation of the
rebs. Joe descended from his perch, and de-
iberately sh0tting or stoam stopped.
We were still in sight of them, though at
o tQlerably safe distance, and now saw u
group OF them standing near several men
who had been wounded, perhaps some killed
by that ''irrepressible" stick of wood.
Our damages were few bruises each,
but no serious hurts. Our engine suffered
the loss of the pilot, or cow catcher and
headlight, the front Of the smoke box was
sioye in, besides sundry dents and bruises
on the brass castings Of the cylinders but
was, for running purposes, absolutely un.
injured. the rebels having piled The logs
sqnarely across the top of the track, the
point of the cow-killer had gone under them
and though broken by the shock. had raised
them sufficiently to keep them from under
the wheels. while the engine dashed them
right and left into the gorge.
The rebels seeing us stop, started in pur-
suit, but as we foand nothing serious to i'm.
peie our fur her progress. and, ns In Tho
case, distance lends enchantment to the
view" we were off again in high spirits,
and without further adventure worth 70.
counting. arrived safely at our destination.
Poor Joe, after being shot at so often as
to have acquired sovereign contemp. for
rebel bullets, was shot dead some time after
while running q gos ernment engine near
Chattanooga.
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