The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-08-30

the morning, and then back to Oroy-i
don again, starting at: about 4 o'clock
| inc the, afternoon, though that is mot
quite certain, as we have toSwait for
passengers by the boat, and. that is
kept back by storms. and such like,
though, on the average, the time
doesn't vary more than fifteen mi
nutes. >. %fS
= Int winter time,i as it was. when
this happened, of course it is dark as
pitch when we run into Croydon,
without there's O moon; and I always
look we'll at the head light, and
drive with my eyes wide open; and I
generally let her go full, as the track
is well cleared of special trains at
that time, and the way they have of
telegraphing nowadays, keeps me
well posted about the track ahead by
the signal lanterns along the route.
So you see. felt pretty safe, and
knowing I was O careful man, I didn't
have much fear that I'd let anything
go that would show that Jim was 60
ing to get his revenge by doing me q
harm on the road, or by spelling my
reputation as nm engineer; for, do
you see, the idea struck me that,
knowing the road himself, and all its
workings. that he might think it was
easy to hurt me that way, and so I
kept my eyes open.
The next day, 1 looked at Jim's
house, which is about twenty miles
out of Croydon, in the woods, and
near the track, and I saw him stand
ing in the doorway, scowling at me,
or, leastways, where he knew I was,
for he knew my train and habits, rs
we were chums once. He kept his
eye on the cab window, and as we
got almost out of sight, I looked
round sudden, and saw him shaking
his fist ut the train. Thinks L
to myself when 1 saw that, Viii
liam Rogers, you lock sharp when
you come back over this route to-
night; men that have spite that
lives as strong as that, two days and
two nights, ought to be looked after,
and more than that, Susan said to me
that morning when she was putting
my dinner in the pail, says she,
civilian, my dear"
eyes, Susan" says I, with my
NOUN 1ull or Dread.
civilian, would it make much
difference if you came in half an
hour late tonight with the train?"
''No, Susan, perhaps not" You
see, I knew half what was coming.
Because I'm afraid, almost, of
something; don't ask me what it is,
for [ don't know myself. / feel it
somehow, and want you to drive
slow, and promise me, William dear,
to look at the lanterns, and wheels,
and things, won't you?"
"Susan," says I, kissing OF her,
"I'll walk all the way"
And that was what I was going to
do. made Collins, the fireman, mad
as March hare by making him go
through the wheels twice with ham
mer before we started back from Pill
lerton that night. I went through
the engine myself examined the
springs and level. - had two
extra men put on the axes and On
extra lantern fastened the engine
in front of the boiler. They all
laughed at me, but I kept on till I
felt that things were as they should be.
When 1 was speaking of Jim Mel
sons house in the woods, perhaps I
ought to have said that he was q
widower and had little tot of q
baby, and I noticed it as I ran by
that morning, playing round in the
door-yard. 1 say this so that that
which comes after may better be
understood.
Well, we started back ut 4.2O, that
is, back to Croydon. It was storming
as I thought it never did before; the
clouds rolled up black and the wind
came down from the mountains cold
and clustering. I shut her all up
tight and turned down the light in
the cab, so that I might see better
how things went outside. Pretty
soon, it came on to rain, mixed with
hail, and the night came down blacker
than before. kept my hand on the
lever, and my eyes to the broad streak
of light that lit up about two hun
dred yards of the track. I let her
along easy at about twenty miles an
hour, taking look now and then at
the cars, and keeping an eye on eve
rything. We ran on steadily this
way for two hours, and lost fifteen
minutes, and still everything was
right. I kept my course, as the dan
ger commenced now, if there was
any at all. The storm and rain were