The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-07-29

dCCuTdt0 way III WHICH ue WOulu COiuC up
to his stations. He would stop any nam
ed coach almost to a foot where he
said he would but on this occasion he
appeared to have poor luck. He ran past !
his stations and had to back down,
and then again he would stop 80 short
that the engine would be in front of the
station and the rear coach an eighth of a
mile back, and it raining hard too. Then
he'd start up again just as the passengers
were getting out. So we kept running
behind time all the while. There was
sort of lightning express came out of
New York about an hour after US, and
we were gradually working back into its
time.
''We got near FishkiII, and. having
made an awful bad shot at depot, said
to the baggage master: Mack has bad
luck at making his stations to-day. Won
der what's the matter ?
"The baggage-master turned around
on me quickly and said !:
"'If you want to know what think,
I think Mack is drunk =
"'It can't be- says I, Il never saw
him touch droq Of liquor or smell of it in
| any way
"'That's So said the man, 'but |
think he is drunk to-day. He was in the
car a little while ago, and picked up all
the brakemen's lanterns and slung them in
bunch at me. / lodged, and they went
out Of the Car door and smashed. Then
| he Chuckled and went back to the engine
'' Il did not like the idea of a drunken
engineer, but had to laugh at the fate of
the lanterns. If had known how was
going to groan over their fate soon, |
wouldn't have laughed then.
"'When l got above Fishkill, thought
I'd let those who go; on at one of the lit
tie stations ride free to the next station,
while l rode on the engine and investiga-
ted.
$50 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 a
curse. asked him if he knew how nearly
he got back into the lightning express
time, and he said be knew his own busi-
ness. The man was evidently drunk and
surly. ] happened TO put my hand under
the cushion of the seat and felt bottle
| Pulling the cork out l smeled whisky,
| and quickly threw it overheard. Bot
| Mack saw me and cursed me for Destroy
irg his property. what did you throw
| that bottle away fort wasn't your
rum p he said, at the end of an awful
| swear.
g I'll tell you why said I !; I'm con-
ductor of this train, and you are 100 drunk
to do your business right, and you'd get
worse and worse if you had a bottlc.'
| 'FThen he grinned a savage sort of
! grin, and quieted down into a silent state,
but he looked dangerous about the eyes.
you're conductor of this train, are
you I'll show you now how much you
! have to do with running it, said he, and
began to slow up, and we behind time
already, you know. l didn't know ex-
actly what to dove were getting dan
gerously near the lightning express time
! and while l was debating he suddenly
/ blew brakes, with fiendish chuckle, and
/ stopped at n station that the train never
stopped at before. ] looked at my watch
! and determined to send a brakeman back
with lantern and stop the express
! just then the thought struck me that made
my hair stand upon end: there ,0oSnt
| lantern on TIE ha1s-the drunken beast
/ had smashed them all-there wasn't
| soul at the station, which was miles away
| from its village; the express didn't stop
before it reached Poughkecpsie, so l
| couldn't leave word to caution it, and Just
| then heard its whistle a mile or two back
! The engineer heard it too, and laughed
diabolical laugh.
sThat decided me. I caught up a
wrench and hit him back of his ear, and
| be dropped like dead. dragged his body
! q did not know then whether 1 was hand-
| ling a corpse or not) off the engine and
threw it down by the roadside and jumped
on the engine.
Sc Jimmy said l, 'the express is after
US. Mack smashed the lanterns-so we
can't stop her. Our only chance is run
ming away from her-so cram in the wood
and I'll open everything.
81 knew, by observation, how to open
and how to shut eff, but of course couldn't
graduate the speed like a professional. l
'opened everything you may be sure, and
away we jumped. 1t was curious chase.
To be hunted by locomotive don't fall
to the lot of every one. Our engine was
not so powerful a one as the express en-
CINE, and our train was quite long SO we
crammed in the fuel and depended upon
high pressure for salvation. OF course, l
never thought for moment of stopping
that side of Poughkeepsie so we speeded
past the stations, all lighted and filed with
wondering faces.
"Just after passing the second the gsng
on the engine struck-some one had pulled
the safety rope. The fireman's hand went
instinctively to the whistle TO blow brakes,
but caught it. 1t was the most anxious
minute of my life. If did not mind the
signal, and something was wrong and an
accident should occur, should always be