The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-07-19


ed black enough instead OF as civil as usual
joked him about his bad luck in making his
stations, and he growled out curse Iasked
him II he knew how nearly he had got into
the lightning express time. The man was
evidently drunk and suriy. happened toput
my hand down under the cushion OF the seat
and felt bottle. Pulling the cork ous smell
ed whisky, and quietly threw it overDoard
But Mack saw me and cursed me for Destroy
ing bis property. What did you throw =, tnat
bottle away for; it wasn't your run he Saiu'
at the end of an awful swear.
oftbis train and YOU are too drunk to do your
business right, and you'd get worse and worse
.sTben be grinned savage sort Of a grin,
and ouieted down into silent state, but he
Looked dangerous about the eyes. eils
- YOU'RE conductor of this train, are YOU (?
I'll show you how much you have ID do with
running it, says he, and began to slow up
and we behind time alrerdy, you know. 1
didn't know exactly what to do we were get
ting dangerously near the lightning express
time-and while was debating, he suddenly
blew brakes, with a tiendish chuckle, and
stopped at station that the train never stop
ped at before ] looked at my watch and de-
termined to send brakeman back with Ian
tern and stop the express. just then thought
struck me that made my hair stand up on end.
There qoasn't lantern on the trGin-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 Pouehkeepsie, SO that I
couldn't leave word to caution it, and just
then heard its whistle o mile or two back
The engineer heardit too, and laughed dia-
bolical laugh. rsr,,
i"That decided me. caught up a. wrench
and struck him back of the ear, and he drop
ned like dead. dragged his body IL didn't
know then whether was handling corpse
or mott Off the engine, and threw it down'by
the roadside and jumpedon the engine.
"' Jimmy said /, the express is after us.
Mack smashed all the lanteins--so we can't
stop her. Our only chance is running away
from her--so cram in the wood, and III open
| everything e.s-aaH s.,s ~ % ~
II knew, by observation, how to open and
| how to shut off, but of course couldn't grad
uate the speed like professional. opened
everything you may be sure, and away we
| Jumped. II fwasa curious chase, 10 be
l hunted BY locomotive don't fail to the
| lot of every one. Our engine was
not SO powerful a one as the express en-
gine, and our. train was quite Icing; SO we
erammed in the fuel and depended upon high
pressure TO, our salvation. OF course, never
JQOuShbg IOf u L1OIDeub Oh stopping lila. sue
of Poughkeepsie; so we speeded past the sta
tions, all lighted and filed with wondering
faces .ss s..,'s .i's- s.se..5.S
Just after passing the second the gong on
the engine struck-some one had pllled the
safety rope. The fireman's hand went in
stinctiyely to the whistle to blow brakes but
caught it. 1t was the most anxious minute
oil my life.. II l did not mind the signal, and
something was wrong and an accident should
occur, should always be blamed, even if
did't blame myself But, If stopped, the ex.
press might-probably would-run right into
us. The pull didn't sound PROFESSIONALISM
a brealzman's. 1t probably was jerlsat the
rope bya passenger who had been carried by
his station-so I'd chance it.
"All this went through my mind like light
ming, as you may imaglne-one thinks quick
ly on such occasions-and caught the fire
mans arm. He had never heard of such a
thing as disobeying the gong, and stared. !
was too excitedte speak, but pointed to the
fire, and he put in more wood quietly.
f"Well, to make q long story short, | never
'ilew brakes till the engine was opposite the
station. Then / shut of, blew one whistle
and went sliding up the road. Just as VIZ
stopped, the express, whose station whistle
had heard lust behind me, came up to the de-
pot, and stopped where the trains usually do
II had minded the gong OF stopped in front
of the depot. I'd been smashed.
"You see there was no way to do but to run
for it. We hadn't red light for the rear car
we hadn't lantern, nor couldn't get one, to
send rack to signal the fagmen were on o
strike, and the express didn't stop anywhere
till il reached Poughkeepsie, and she had got
SO close on TO us when the engineer cut up as
he did, that l couldn't stop at station and
send man back. Before. he could have got
far enough away they'd have been SO close
that they couldn't have broke up in time
but would have come into us. ~ 11.
Il didn't know whether I'd killed Mack OF
not, and took the owl train back, and found
him all right as regards death, but very sick
from the dip I'd given him.
THE Company gave me this watch when
they heard Of it.' p - - z ISIS