The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-08-24

OF us, The wrong side of the curven r
ignorant fools were pulling out the ins
rail, instead OF the outside. In the latt
case, nothing could have saved us fro
running off the track, and probably in
b. the gorge. Our single brakeman, seeir
the danger suppose from habit-w,
commencing to tighten the brake, but ,
a look from Joe, signallcd " oif-brakcs
Joe, meanwhile, opening the throttle
Its widest extent, as We dashed down th
the grade at positively freightful velc
city.
As we neared them, party of ther
huddled together near the track.
seized large stick of wood, intending !
possible, to hurt somebody We wcr
going altogether too swift to fear the
taxing aim at us; and for that matter,
suppose they considered eur destruction
such certainty that firing at us wouc
be needless. was poising the big stick
OF wood, guessing at the rate of speed
I've had some practice throwing parcels
from trains in motion-when j oe sudden
ly pulled the whistle-rope. The hoarse
shrek seemed to startle them for an in
stant; they hudded closer together, and
| tossed the stick outward and downward
| had barely time to see it crash through
the group with the force of thunderboIt
when, with jarring plunge, the wheels
on one side struck the naked ties. That
part of the trouble we had feared but
little, as the impetus Of the engine was
almost sure to make the track again. On
the track again, but a few rods ahead of
us was the formidable barricade, and be.
yond that the yawning chasm. Joe was
standing up now, with eyes blazing. still
holding the throttle wide open, as he
6raced for the shock. [ had grasped the
brake rod of the tender the instant threw
the piece of wood. Crash-my hold
didn't avail me, az | was pitched head
over heals against the fre-box, and laid
fiat on my back on the footboard or floor
the engine.
doe was as suddenly jerked half
around, his back striking the little door
IN front of where he had stood, breaking
the door and shivering the glass to atoms.
but we were through; how we couldn't
tell except that we were stilton the track.
and laundering over the gorge. Joe's
spirits rose with the occasion. Extrac.
ting himself almost az suddenly as he had
been deposited in the little glass door, he ,,
jerked tin flask from his pocket. spr,,po !
on top Of the tender, and from thence TO
the roof of the cab. Steadying himself ,
for moment, with his face toward the q
rebels, he shouted, 'good-by,' made them
low bow and took drink. perfectly re.
gardless of the white puffs Of smoke. AS :;
one after another discharged their pieces Il
at him; w he afterwards explained. tbe :.
engine made too much noise for him to y
" After having in spite of "a "aHm to
performed jig, which he had exteihI",.- s
zed for that occasion for the express edl- b
fication Of the 'rebs,' Joe descended from s.
his perch and deliberately shutting of It
steam, stopped. e
uWe were still in sight Sfthem, though |
.t toleraby safe distance, and now saw &
a o,roun of them standing near several a
men who had been wounded, perhaps Il
some killed, by that 'lrrepresslble' stick ]
of wood. $
"Our damages were few bruises each, t
but no serious hurts. Our engine suffer- |
ed the loss of pilot, or cow-catcher, and t