The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-07-29

reached Ii Mt 2 A. NJ. The night was
now clear and still; not the least noise
= could be heard. and the silence was some
. thing awful and oppressive. The last
Z man and the last horse ON earth will not
feel more completely alone than Jerky
AM did Mt that moment. As L WAS
about In dismount and tie him to tree,
a thought struck me. knew every reg
ular train on the road. and there was
= none due for no, Is from either direction.
had timetable in my pocket, and 1
took il out and examined IL carefully by
the moonlight. The track was clear;
why might | not venture To save my
strength and that of my horse. and. by
saving time. save valuable human lie
rs wcll2 Why not, indeed? The more
I thought of il, the moro | became salts
fed that Il was n safe thing to do.
The moon now unobscured. was high
In the heavens rs / entered the snow
shed. and II was not very difficult tn keep
the way, rs the light came scintillating
through thousand cracks and crevices
in the rough timber structure. Three or
four culyerts, to allow the passage of
mountain streams when the snow Is melt
ing. checked my progress for brief time,
but there was u plank across one or two,
for the convenience Of "foot passengers,
and rs the water was hard frozen, i 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 forethOught and
pluck In making the venture. had saved
at least AN hour Of hard labor wading
through the snow, and possibly-not inn
probably, in fact-saved life. Just then
I heard low. tremul, us, humming noise
running along the 'frost-laden rails, and
instiuctively checked my horse to listen.
1t had subsidized for the moment, and /
went on In silence. Suddenly IL COM
menced again. and seemed louder and
clearer than before. halted again.
God have mercy upon me! l exclaimed
involuntarily. Ii WAS the rumble OF the
wheels of "a coming train, beyond ques-
tiOn. sprang 10 the ground. and placed
INV ear TO the rail. The train was coming
from the west; il must be n "construction
train" laden with materials for tho road,
and possibly with laborers, rs well. The
track occupied the whole width of the
she'd. allowing only for the oycrhanging
} -. ~
living down, but horse was almost sure
of death, and If the train struck him. 1t
must 90 of the track almost inevitably.
l was upon old Jcrky's back before | was
aware ofwhat was doing, and started
down the grade. to the eastward, rs fast
as his s.ifr and clumsy legs, urged by whip
and spur, and the attraction of gravit.tion,
could move him. Clearer and clearer
came the humming noise; and heard, mt
length, "a short. sharp whistle. rs tho rush
inc train entered "a tunnel. 1t could not
I DO moro than two miles. or three at most,
awiy-Jerky skatcd over the ice-patches,
and iloundering through the small snow
diifts which had filtered in through the
creyices i'm the shed.work, but reckless Of
danger To limbs alone in presence OF the
greater danger To myself. and perhaps
hundreds of my fellow men. whipped
and spurrcd increasingly. and drove him
on at the height of his speed. Nearer
and nearer came the train; i could alrea-
DIV hear the cough. cough, cough of the
locomotive behind me. At last. saw an
opening in the side Of the she'd not many
rods distant, and. with n triumphant yell.
| urged my Steed, to put forth his utmost
effort, sixty seconds more and would be
saved. and the danger Ia the train avoid
ed. The secords seemed hours in the
feverish excitement of the moment, but
they were over ut last, and sprssng of
INV horse un the instant that he reached
the opening, and rushed, with the rein in
NV hand through the aperture. Old
Jerky snorted and spring backward,
throwing me down. and pulling the rein
from my hand. saw the. trouble ut n
glance. The opening was not Insufficient
height To admit OF n horse going through
IL erect, and heavy timber 10 which the
planks were nailed, ran across the top.
spr;,ng aside and took "a survey OF the
situation in an instant. The beam would
have borne ten times the strain that could
have brought to bear upon 1t, and rs 1t
was n foot thick. sound, and firmly placed.
I threw all nv strength and weight
against the planking little beyond the
beam, and fe,l back against the icy
ground; the planks were imbedded In
the frozen ground at their lower ends, and
I could not start them in the slightest
degree. spring up and ran TO the other
side of the shed. to try If the planking
on that side WAS less firmly secured.
Through the crevices saw n precipice
running hundreds of feet. sheer down froiu
the side of the shed. could not escape
that way. and IL the train went off there,
no person ON IL would survive To tell the
tale.
l fell on my knees TO pray. but, before l
had uttered word. the thought passed
through my brain that might throw my
horse down, and pull him through the
opening by main strength. l had the rope
from the saddle in my hands in an instant.
and throwing il around his fore-legs. i
sprang to one side. and with my whole
strength attempted To trip him. The brute
Jumped backward and refused to fall.
while the rope ran through my hands.
tearing the skin. AMI soaring the flesh rs
If | had graSped u red-hot iron. i re-
|, membere,l, at that moment. having seen
T a Mexican rd9nerO showing off his skill
in horsemanship. Mt San Jose. amid an adj
miring throng. and making the sneerl,g
remark to friend. "and he Is nothing
|, but bull-driver. after allr' In that time
Of supreme agony. would have sacrificed
every advantage Of birth, education. talent,
, and professional skill, and changed places
, with that uneducated. despised. bull-driy-
Ing Greaser. merely TO have received in
turn the cift Of the ability to perform tho
trick Of throwing down n horse. NV
: foot struck stick OF wood, such rs Is
! used for burning on the locomotives,
, which was lying on tire ground, and in-
stantly stopped TO get II, determined to
, beat the brains out Of the brute with II,
or nj least stun him into insensibility, and
then pull him into the opening. Ii was
, frozen fast in the ice. and could not tear
{ il loose. though put forth strength which
: seemed herculean, in the frenzy of my ex-
: element, IL occurred 10 me that had q
, pocket knife. and might cut his throat;
: but the train was almost upon me-. and
{ there was no time for him to bleed to
, death; this rejection did not consume n
/ second and n half In my despair. gave