Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-08-06

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Wonder what's the matter?
The baggage master turned round on
me quickly and said
IF you want to know what think,
think Mack is drunk!'
1t can't be- says |, Il never saw him
touch drop of liquor or smell of it in
any way
That's So said the man, but | think
he's drunk to-day. He was in the car
here little while ago, and picked up
all the brakemans lanterns and slung
them in bunch at me. lodged, and
they went back to the engine
/ didn't like the idea of drunken en-
gineer, but had to laugh at the fate of
the lanterns. If had known how l
was going to groan over their fate soon,
/ wouldn't have laughed then.
When got above Fishkill, I thought
I'd let those who got on at one of the lit
tie stations ride free to the next, while /
rode on the engine and investigated.
So | got on the Corning and Mack
looked black enough, instead of as civil
as usual. | joked him about his bad
luck in making his stations, and he
growled out curse. | asked him if he
knew how nearly he had got back into
the lightning express time, and he said
he knew his own business. The man
was evidently drunk and surly. | hap
pened to put my hand down under the
cushion of the seat, and felt bottle
Pulling the cork out, | smelled whisky,
and quietly threw it overheard. But
. Mack saw me and cursed me for destroy
} ing his property. What did you throw
that bottle away for; it wasn't your
: rum he said, at the end of an awful
9 swear.
! 'Tll tell you why said I; I'm con-
t ductor of this train, and you are too
I drunk to do your business right, and
+ you'd get worse and worse if you had a
bottle
Then he grinned savage sort of 8
d grin, and quieted down into silen
e state, but he looked dangerous about thu
d eyes.
it You're conductor of this train, arr
n you? I'll show you how much you have
Y to do with running it, says he, and be
ut gan to slow up and we behind time al
o. ready, you know. / didn't know exact
N ly what to dove were getting danger
of ously near the lightning express time
he and while I was debating, he suddenl
blew brakes with fendish chuckl
ID and stopped at a station that the trai
en- never stopped at before. looked {
is my watch, and determined to send
he brakeman back with a lantetn. and sto
Nv the express just then thought struc
On me that made my hair stand up on en-
so There ,casn't a lantern on the train-tl
drunken beast had smashed them all
there wasn't soul at the station, whiC
nv was miles away from its village; the e
Ir. press didn't stop before it reached Poug
res keepsie, so that couldn't leave word
he caution, and just then heard its VIII
tie mile or two back. The engine
in heard it too, and laughed diabolic
ide laugh
ery That decided me. / caught up
ed. wrench and hit him back of his ear, a.
air he dropped like dead. dragged
sht body q didn't know then whether "
handling corpse or not) off the engil
all and threw it down by the roadside a
ele- jumped on the engine.
,ry- Jimmy, said |, the express is af
TO us. Mack smashed all the lanterns
n a we cant stop her. Our only chance
. SO running away from her--so cram in
ing. wood, and I'll open everything
be- 1 knew, by observation, how to ol
hen. and how to shut off, but of cou
sier couldn't graduate the speed like a
sily fessional. | 'opened everything
ont may be sure, and away We jumped.
,fter was curious chase. To be hunted
Won locomotive don't fall to the lot of {
and ry one. Our engine WAS HOb 50 poWe
hen. a one as the express engine, and
YOUR train was quite long, so we crammee
can the fuel and depended upon high r
got sure for our salvation. OF cours
, al never thought for moment of stopl
thev that side of Poughkeepsie; so we sp
pas ed past the stations, all lighted and {
r has with wondering faces.
"Just after passing the second,
York gong on the engine struck-some one
er of pulled the safety-rope. The firem
r the hand went instiuctively to the whist
,e ND blow brakes, but caught it. 1t
anv the most anxious minute of my life.
re he | did not mind the signal, and sonnet
IN he was wrong and an accident should OF
He l should always be blamed, even
hack didn't blame myself. But, if l stoT
l.