Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-07-13
$eIeCte0 misfellauu.
CHASED BY A LOCOMOTIVE.

My medical friend had puffed away Wig
orously at his cigar for some minutes il
silence; and then, throwing away The
stump, quietly began:
IT was in the winter of 1860, when
had Just been placed in charge of divi
sion near the summit of the Sierra Nevada
on the then half-hnished Central Pacific
railroad. After a days ride | came bacl
to the boarding-house ut ten o'clock in the
evening, and was told that a messenger hac
been there from Camp No, -, with q re-
quest that would lose no time in hurry.
ing over there to attend John Smith, who
: was in very critical condition. The mes
senger had been very urgent, and it was
evidently case of life and death-nothine
less. / took a few minutes to consider.
was tired out and wanted sleep badly, but
could, on a pinch go little farther with.
out breaking down entirely. The moon
would be up ut eleven O'Clock, and the
night was still and clear. though the snow
hEd only just ceased falling, and was from
nve to eight feet deep on the level, if you
can use the expression properly where there
Is nothing like a level to be found, and the
roads -or trails, rather are obliterated by
the drifts. | inquired about the location
of Camp No. . 1t was twelve miles
away, and directly over ridge, or spur,
of the mountains, My own horse could
not stand the trip, but big lubber of a
cart-horse, that they said was good sad
dle-horse, was offered me. l got supper,
put on dry socks and an extra pair of fur
lined overboots, and just before midnight
was in the saddle and off.
A good saddle-horse! The brute belong
ed to the nightmare family, and his mother
must have taken special pride in him.
Great heavens, what a gaiti He had travel
ed so long in the cart that the steady Jolt
had communicated itself to his spine and
become chronic. At every step he jerked
his back up as il expecting to feel the girth-
strap strike him underneath and neither
curses nor blows could induce him for q
moment to recognize the fact that he was
ont of the shafts. and abandon his eternal
hippytyhop. When [ started out there
were hard Jumps in the saddle, as large as
chestnutS; before the twelve miles were
half completed the Jumps had grown to the
size Of paviugstones, and awfully sharp
edged and rasping. The snow which had
just fallen filed the trail, but the old snow
underneath being hard packed, and the
trees along the route being well blazed,
had no difficulty III keeping in the right
track most of the time. But when about
three miles from my place of destination,
as near as | could guess, clouds obscured
the moon for time, and [ lost the rold
[ kept on as well as [ knew how, guessing
at the location of Camp No -, and after
rolling down the steep side of q ravine, and
working half an hour to get old Jerky back
upon the ridge, filling my overshoes with
snow and fairly exhausting myselfin found
ering through the drifts, [ was rewarded
with the sight of lights in some cabins half
10 of bof hi
Camp No. -, rounded small canon,
worked my way over a point of rocks, Jer-
ky, stumbling and falling repeatedly, and
reached the cabins ut haltp twelve o..
clock.
The lights had all disappeared. ''HalIoo
the house therer' No answer came
Halloo the houser' louder and longer than
before panel in Jhe nearest cabin OPEN
ed slowly and cautiously, and after time
enough had elapsed to allow of critical ex-
animation of the party outside, voice de-
manded: ''WhO you. John? What you
wantee catchee here?" 1t was Chinese
wood-cutters camp, and there was not q
white man about the place.
The Johns told me that there was a camp
of white men on the other side of the ravine
I6ad just crossed, and perhaps half a mile
.arther mp the mountain; they thought it
might be Camp humble -. Half an
hours foundering through the snow
brought me back to the point whence had
sighted the lights, and soon after l A. NJ.
/ was at the white mems camp. reused
the inmates more easily here, as they were
indulging in n little friendly game of
s'pitch, " or s'draw"-that being Saturday
night-and had not retired to their virtu-
Gus hunks. No, that was not Camp No.
my informer told me, and, what was worse,
Camp No. was right over the summit
of the mountain a mile and half away.
| could go around 10y the trail, three miles,
or ride up to the railroad track, tie my
horse, and walk through the Snow-sheds, Il
little more than mile-it was contrary
to the rules to take an animal inside the
sheds.
started up toward the track and reach
ed it at 2 A. NJ. The night WAS now clear
and still; not the slightest noise could be
heard, and the silence was something
awful and oppressive. The last man and
the last horse on earth will not feel more
completely alone than Jerky and did at
that moment. As was about to dismount
aud tie him to a tree, a thought struck me.
knew every regular train on the road,
and there was none due for hours from eth
er direction. | had timetable in my
IL. Il
carefully by the moonlight. The track was
clear: why might / not venture to save my
strength and that of my horse, and, by saw
inc time, perhaps save a valuable human
life as well? Why not, indeed? The more
| thought of it the mere satisfied [ became
that il was a safe thing TO do.
The moon, now un0bs ured, was high in
the heavens as | entered the snow-shed,
and it was not very difficult to keep the
way. as the light came scintIllatlng through
a thousand cracks and crevices ID the rough
timber structure. Three or four culverts,
to allow the passage of mountain streams
when the snow is melting, checked my
progress for short time but there was o
plank across one or two for the cOnven-
fence of 'foOt-passengers, and as the wa
ter was hard frozen | got old Jerky around
the others IN safety,
The worst was over. and | was already
Beginning to chuckle over the adventure
and pride myself ON my torethought and
pluck In making the venture. | had, un-
doubtediy, saved at least an hour Of hard
work wa1ing through the snow, and pos
sibly not improbably. III fact saved a life
just then heard a low, tremulous, hum
ming noise running along the frost-laden
rails, end instinc,ively checked my horse
aud ! went on in silence. Suddenly it co n
menced again, and seemed louder and
clearer than before | halted again. God
have mercy upon me! l exclaimed invol
unfairly 1t was the rumble of The wheels
of q coming train beyond question.
spraag to the ground and placed my ear to
the raIi. The train was coming from the
,Vest. II Oust be construction train, "
laden with materials for the road, and pos
sibly with laborers as well. The track oc-
cnpied the full width of the shed, allowing
or.iy for the oyerhang of the cars. A man
Nigh. escape by lying dowa; but horse
was almost sure OF death, and If the tram
struck him, it must 80 off the track almost
inevitably / WAS upon old Jerky's back
before was even aware of what L intend
ed doing, and started down the grade to
the eastward as fast AS his stiff and clumsy
legs, urged by whip AID spur, and the at
traction of gragitation would move him.
Clearer and clearer came the hummlng
noise; and / heard. at length. short,
sharp whistle as the rushing train entered
: 4,,,-yaI turuad a gharD curya or IaSSed