The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-11-12

with the exception Of putting O
ri some red lead. Invent back to tn
1t storeroom, got the little casket {
/ lead and put it upon the tow tbs
3. James hal wound around the lea
gasket. Then 1 fastened the plat
: 20 the lead aperture by means of
r, clamp and nut. While at work
d heard the voice of the fireman. III
was swearing at the neglect Of tn
It watchman in not lighting the fire
: There was no danger of my bein,
t detected. He thought, as he after
e wards told me, that it was jaime
D making repairs, for he had heard tn
n clanking Of iron while he was EN-
ployed about the furnace.
1t was near SIX, and in minut
more James would return from tn,
boarding house that stood some dis
: tance from the saw mill looked
T about me. Near the boiler and clos
!. TO the steam guage was high shei
half concealed by large beam. b.
Jumping upon the boiler l coulo
5 reach that shelf. 1 was not a minute
? too late. Scarcely was l concealed
behind the beam before saw Jane:
enter the engine room. He looked
very pale, and large black circles
were around his eyes, as if he had
passed sleepless night.
There iwasas no partition between
the boiler and engine-room. One
glance al the steam guage told him
that the watchman had neglected bis
duty. He rushed down the few
steps in front of the furnace and
shouted to the fireman:
"Quick, Jim, throw more pitch
pine slabs into the fire. Mr.. Smith
will give us fits. Look, he is CON-
ing now to find out why / haven't
blown the whistle"
"Watchman's fault - grumbled
Jim, opening the doors and showing
into the furnace huge pile of shaw
ings. Mr.. Smith then entered the
fire-room, and James explained to
him why the steam was not up high
enough to start the engine.
"George ought to have fired up at
five, hut he must have been sleeping
at his post,' continued he.
"Well,' said Minnie's father, 81
will tell Louis to pay him his wages
and discharge him."
When James heard my name men
toned l could see that he trembled
from head to foot.
"By the way, where Is Louis? He
has not been to breakfast, and he did
not sleep in his room last night"
said Mr. Smith.
"I-I don't know" faltered the
guilty wretch, turning away. Gle
said to the second sawyer that he was
going TO s. upon some busi-
ness" said Jim, looking up.
GAIL right. Now, Mr.. Alton, do
your best to get up steam as soon as
possible, for every hour lost is money
out of the cnmpany's treasury said
Mr.. Smith. leaving the fire room.
felt faint and weary, yet / remain
cd ut my post. James was passing
to and fro with restless sleeps. Once
he stopped and lifted the safety-valve,
from which now came a sound like
sigh. Quickly he dropped the cord
connected with the lever, and some
thing like a groan escaped from his
hall opened mouth.
He then lit his pipe, but after one
or two puffs he threw it upon the
bench. Then again he resumed his
rapid walk. 1 looked at the steam
gauge. 1t indicated ten pounds to
the square inch, and was rapidly ris-
ing. James stopped in his wall, and
began to oil the journals of the en-
gine. The fireman had gone out of
the room. "Now is my time,"
thought 1, rising up and jumping on
the boiler of the engine.
"James-Janes !" cried 1, and my
voice sounded strange even to me.
He quickly turned, and sank upon
his knees as he saw my form stand
ing a few feet from where he had
oeen at work.
"Mercy Mercy"' howled he.
with upli1ted hands.
"No mercy to a murderer" shout
ed l, jumping from the boiler with
the intention of seizing him
But he was too quick for me-
With a cry of intense horror he
sprang to his feet and ran up the
broad steps leading to the upper part
of the mill.
"Save me, save me!' shouted he
to the workmen, rushing past them
to the logway.
"Stop him, stop him ~ shouted l,
springlng after him. The men gave
a shout, but instead of following him
they ran away, some crying ga ghost,
a ghost,'' and others Ga crazy man -
Without needing their outcries |
followed James, still crying 'stopI
him, stop him !'
He ran towards a place called
.sTurnback Creek The creek was
appropriately named. Three hun
dred yards from the mill was cbasm
into which the waters of the creek
plunged with a fearful roar.
"Stop, James, Stop! You are run
ming to the jaws of death y shouted
l, when l saw him only a few feet
from the edge OF the chasm.
The sound of my voice only seem
ed to add more speed to his steps.
Presently for moment he stopped,
and turned his ashen face towards
me !; then he gave a bound like a
deer, and disappeared from my sight.
"God have mercy on his soul,''
murmered /, sinking exhausted to
the ground. Then for a time / re-
membered no more.
A week passed by before my mind
was clear enough to recognize those
who were dear 10 me.
Minnie told me that had passed
through a violent brain fever.
"What has become OF the engi
neer ?''
"James is dead and buried" said
she. "They found him lying at the
foot of the waterfall. He lived long
enough to confess that he had put
you in the boiler. He died penitent." i"
then learned that the workmen
were very much frightened at my ap-
pearence, being covered with blood
and my clothes in rags.
Isoon recovered, and then Minnie