The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-02-24

/ SAID, aud TO prove 1t so l would 90 out
/ there again and see if it would appear for
The second time. l went again yesterday,
and, sir, the same thing was repeated
1t will come once more-and then / shall
60 TO my death ~
Nonsense !" said l. ''Come, Earl,
be honest, and confess that you have been
taking too much whisky"
81 never drink anything, as you know,
Mr. Woodbury." returned he. ''and This
Thing was fearfully real If run the
Mail train out to-night | shall be killed,
and heaven knows what will be the fate
of the train l suppose it could not be
taken off Tonight g.
s'Taken off! What the deuce do you
?" snapped /, ''ths road runs trains
as Enthusiastically engineers TO the
contrary Notwithstanding.
He looked at me sadly, eproachfulIy-
and | could have kicked myself for the
way had spoken 10 him.
at was not on my own account, sir,'
said he, ''bnt it is only few days before
! Thanksgiving, and the train will be a full
one. If there is an accident il may be
bad one"
Accident :" said l, contcmptuously,
"fddIesticks Come in TO- morrow, and
let Us laugh at you
He bid me goodnight graveIy, and
went out.
Presently the clock struck twelve, and
l heard three sharp successive whistles
that told me that the train was nearly
ready.
A strange feeling Of apprehension siezed
me, What if anything should happen?
Yielding to ar impulse which would
not be controlled. threw on nv overcoat,
turned out the gas, locked the office and
hurried over to The depot just in season TO
catch The tail of the rear car and swing
myself on board.
Earl Rogers stood at his post, pale and
sil, n, yet altered and watchful.
BY the headlight on the locomotive he
could see the track for half mile ahead,
and his keen eye scanned every inch OF
the way as the train swept on.
Past Roman station-past the Mill Cut
past Hills Embankment and they
plunged into the neck of woods which
skrted Rocky River
Suddenly, as they swept around the
curve, Earl's cheek whitened and he drew
his breath in quick ard hard !
What he saw before the train warned
him that only death and destruction lay
ahead.
He could probably save himself by
leaping off, but that would doom all on
| board
Not q second did he hesitate
The Sharp whistle 10 down breaks
sounded, he reversed steam and did every
thing in his power TO stop The train.
When he saw that his efioi IS were vain,
that the obstacle which lay across the
track only a few rods in advance could
not be avoided, he sprang over the wood
box and unlocked from the Carriages the
engine, which, released from the drag,
shot ahead, and next instant plunged for
ward into the gulf.
There was crash, a succession of
sbrill whistles from the escaping steam,
and all was still
Not one of the carriages went down,
the first one having halted on the very
brink Of the abyss, as if the more fearfully
TO impress upon the minds of the passen-
gers the terrible danger they had escaped
1OSlOi lilC llSilf IS'd ColllS ~ a STOP, L
had jumped out and was flying forward,
ing for Earl Rogers.
They pointed into the river in answer to
my inquiries, and seizing "a lantern from
the hand of one of the brakesmen, soon
climbed down the bank and found him.
He lay under the wreck Of the locomo-
tive, pale and bloody, with no breath COM
lng from his icy lips
The two stokers were little way Of,
stone dead
l am an old man, but didn't feel the
weight of that poor fellow as carried him
up The bank, and ON 10 the house of De-
main, which happened TO be the nearest
residence.
OF course old Domain could not refuse
admiitence under the circumstances, and
in five minutes Laura was with me, tying
to restore the lifeless nan TO consciousness.
She was all courage and hope But for
her we should have given him up for dead;
{ and l to this day firmly believe that her
presence and her care brought him back
from death,
She never finched while the surgeon
f amputated his leg at the knee II was the
only way to save him, Doctor Green said,
and Laura held the head of her patient 10
her bosom and his hands in hers through
the whole operation.
The accident, it was found, Irad been
t occasioned by stick Of timber pinned
across the track, and the railroad company
4 offered reward of thousand dollars for
f the discovery of ti.e rascalIy perperator
No matter how we found it out, bu; it
/ was ascertained beyond doubt that
, Prince Carleton was the guilty party.
e He confessed it when we had him snug
1 and safe, and said that because ne wanted
S EarI Rogers out of the way and hated The