St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-03-13


less, splintered ruin, the crushed ma
chinery, the ghastly faces upturned to
the glowing purple of the twilight sky.
l could hear shrieks and groans and dy-
ing gasps through the dull continuous
roar that seemed to surge across my
brain. And IL should have been the
unconscious murderer, the guiltless Grim
inal Obi God of all mercies Was
there no way to avert the shadow of this
awful catastrophe!
All this was thought in Il second, and
before the chimes had ceased ringing the
room. My usual route down 10 the
switch was foot path, steep and mar
row, that skirted the edge of the prccip-
itous hills; but there was a nearer and
much more direct wry, through the dense
underground and matted briars and
bushes, through which plunged rcgard-
less of tearing thorns and tangled
branches, which seemed TO impele my
progress with almost human malice. As
ran, my speed was accelerated 10y the
shrill whistle of the approaching Accom-
modation. | did not mind that-the
Accommodation would stop on its track.
and wait for the Lightning Express to
pass; but | had not Il second to spare.
for the whistle of the Lightning wa>
heard us if it was the echo OF the other
50 nearly simultaneously were they due
at Branhill Junction. As | nearcd the
track, wish breath that came in short,
painting sobs, and laboriag pll~r. | saw,
as it were, through a scarlet INST Of
blood, the white, starry @lcam of the >i@-
nal lamp in its accustomed place-thc
..all right token to the engineer OF the
| Lightning tram.
Who's hand had so foully lighted that
treachcrous star OF doom
As | ran had searched for the key of
! the switch-lock. 1t was safe. / sprtnL
to the track. hauling down thr signal
with vehemcncc that >hivcrcl the
strong glass 10 Il thousand atom-.
thrust the key into the lock, and un-
locked rhc switch. Great heaven. the
lever was immovaLle, The villain had
done his work completely '; and with 4
wooden pin driven firmly between the
lever and the iron irlmc-work ot lAe
switch had made the movement of the
switch impossible. The loud shrek OF
the now approaching train glNr me al
ditional strength in vain, tor cuull u,t t
move the rails Walker and Buhara
WveklttI had ncglcctcl no one .iuh in
the chain OF their dr>picablc plot. One
instant | stool, in the utter ahArdoun mt
of despair. In the same instant the @Iare
of the Lightning tain dashed on the
track, and lighted it up with painful
brilliancy, and | SAW, Is | knew, tha,
the rails were wron". Willie mind
seemed to give way before the terrible
doom had no power Ia avert. Il breath
less gasping voice sounded close to my
car, and heavy iron instrument wa~
thrust into my hands. dill not sec her.
but kustr who ii was. | dill not see tn,
implement, but | knew there was som,
strength in it.
'.Rcubcn. Reuben. Quick Ii i til,
crowbar :"
Before She had finished the w.rd-
had formed my plan of action; | ha|
acted. With powerful blow har
struck the iron rod Of the >wi;ch-ih,
| tim stem which connected the lever and
the rails, and which before had moved
them, but which now prevented them
from moving. \ single blow was sui
iicicnt l heard the Sharp twau- OF th,
iron rod as it snapped. | bounded +,
the side of the track. 1placel thc crow
bar as 4 lever under the rail. and WIS
about to move the switch. with Il Lug.
, OF reliei, into its place, when felt E;
; hold as firm as steel. and was thrown
r violently back, dropping the crowbar 4,
| fell.
Not SO fast. Reuben Eyre" hiSsc,
: the hated voice of John Walker close t,
| to my ear, "I'll be revcngrd vet, thougl
t the pretty Barbara la, served me false
| struggled with strength that after
ward seemed to me wcll-mgh >upcrnatu
1 raj, to free myself from his grasp, but il
| vain. He had drawn me, suppose
= unconsciously on to the track, AMI
, could feel already beneath my :ect tn,
| thrill and trcmble OF the firm earth,
e sure token that the approaching train
r was near us. | thought OF the unSu>
? pecting passengers whose fate hung il
the balance. Were they to perish whei
+ help and rescue lay almost within :
hands breadth of me F.? They talk o
tue bitterness of life; in that moment o
' horrible suspense, l drank the ioathcC
I cup to the very drcgs.
But help-thanks to Gods provi
, dcnce was nearer at hand than had
, dared to hope. While | strovc will
= John Walkers hcrculean strength, Bur
: bara Wycklitfe had, with surprising cour
age and presence of mind, seized tn,
( crowbar, and had forced the rails int,
position. Brave girl 1t did not require
more than a woman's strength, but sh,
e did need at that moment more than ;
e mans courage. 1t was not nerve an,
n s;new she needed, but the heart to do ii
: The train did not slacken its speed. Tin
d engineer had failed to notice the ab>cmc,
a of the signal, and dashed wildly ahead
e 1t did not matter now. The switch wa
- all right, and the danger was past
: The danger past? Not so, Can yor
h believe that while l distinctly saw al
= this, saw the rails move, saw them right
+ ly adjusted, saw the engineers mistake
e actually reflected that this mistake result
e ed from his firm confidence in mel ha
t never failed him betore--can you com
h prehend that all this time-it was onl
an instant-that l was engaged in
|; struggle for life with John Walker
/, Mind and matter were totally distinct
G Mentally | was absorbed in Barbara