The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-06-29
"' For Gods sake, stop herr 1 exclaim.

ultSIcElS OI sClcuCc. / We Sluuleu lOT years
and years, and years, and now l want tC
make an experiment! Don't interrupt
, mel!
He gave ne another look, full of wild
determination, and then burst into a fit oI
| hilarious laughter.
"' Good good! good' he cried. But
she'll do better, better, better, by and by
Now-she fiesr
"He gave the throttle lever another
. jerk; the engine shot away faster than
: ever, and tres, telegraph poles, fences
and houses went by like lightning.
For moment sunk down upon my
, scat in utter despair. To measure strength
with the madman was, | saw, simply sui
: cidal. A struggle could only result in
certain destruction to myself, and probable
destruction to the train and all on board
Of it. But one possible chance of regain
ing control of the engine presented itself,
and that would require all the nerve and
coolnesS | had in me. | must draw him
into conversation, and watch for my OPP
pOrtunity to gain advantage, either of his
crcdulity or his vanity, sufficiently to in
dUce him to give NE his place Once
there, must trust to Providence and
my own courage to prevent further mis-
chief
" | scanned him closer than ever for a
moment or two. He seemed to have en-
titely forgotten my presence; now jump
ing up, and laughing and clapping his
hands; now letting more steam on; now
looking eagerly out ahead, and murmur-
ing: Better, better, better stillr
My heart was humping against my
chest, as | said:
"' Iou seem to understand your busi-
ness pretty well, anyhow, my friend Been
long at it?'
he looked at me, looked away again,
but did not answer.
"'I see you are a good, practical engi-
neer, as you say | continued. How
! long have you been in the business?
ga Years, and years, and years, | tell
youn he answered. 1t was | who fitted
out Pegasus, the winged steed. l who
/ rave that fellow, ICarus, the wax wings
but he few too near Old Sol, and they
melted and let him down into the water.
Hal ha. han
"'I wish | only had your experience at
! it. said | what team we'd make to-
gether, pulling in the cause of science, eh?
"A new light, an expression Of un-
| speakable delight, lighted up his face as,
catching my words, j." turned toward me
| and, looking me full in the face, answered,
but no longer abst tactedly:
"'Are you for science, too?
"' Science. every inch of ne! said L.
:" Give US yOGr hand? and he shook
mine with a fervOr which sent tingle to
my very collar bone. Hurrah for
science. You're the man I've been search,
ing for with lantern these thouSallu /
years. You can help me. But and no
leaned and whispered in my ear, so dis
/ tinctly that could hear every word and
| letter of it above the racket around US
can you keep secret?'
Certainly l cam replied, while a sort
OF creeping horror stole over me, as | felt
his hot breath upon my face.
Ou swear you CAM he continued,
looking inquiringly into my face.
"' swear l cam said I, with des-
perate effort, looking back at hirl.
"' Because he grated out, between his
teeth, If | thought you meant to betray
'''' Ne1V'ef ItGaFF ItGSaF' jfi1 j5f2ii13snS E.f,-.. Out -
| traying another l answered, with sickly
attempt at bravery. I'm your man"
90 Well, then, mind what l say said the
madman, apparently reassured, and pull
ing from his coat pocket bunch of dirty
| papers, scrawled all over with lead pencil
| five hundred years hard study. To you,
/
| But remember your promisen
| "By this time l felt terribly uneasy
not only in apprehension of my strange
! companions intentions, but on account of
| the alarming rapidity at which we were
moving. The mailman was crafty enough
! to keep his position upon the tOOt-board,
! and saw there was no hope of stealing a
march upon him in that direction.
I" Now, you see,' he went on to say, a
tangent from parabolic curve goes on to
intinity,' and he held up one of the soiled
scrawls before me, pointing out the marks
upon it with his long, craw-like fore
finger; and intfnity is what? Do you
| know? No; but you shall. Do | know? !?
! Yes; and, in the cause of science, | am
going to show you. Speed, in locomotion,
tends toward infnity. Infnity is unknown.
| The higher the speed, consequently, the
greater the proximity to the unknown.
Down where I've been studying, they
wouldn't let me build my engine to make
this experiment with So and here his
voice fell to a horrld whisper again, I
came away secretly the other night, and
n0w-ha. ha hai-Ive got good engine
of my own. Speed, speed, speed is what
we want By-and by We'll be ready for
the tangent; then infnity, and then our
fortune is made forcverr
" | saw that hope was fast disappearing
His intention plainly was to put the en-
CINE to her highest speed, and send us
whizZing over an embankment at the first
short curve. We had gone nine miles al
ready, although only thirteen minutes had
elapsed since we left H. l nerved my
self for final effort.
"'Come,' said /, your secret is Won
derful one, and now that know it, l will
give you all my help to carry out your
plan. But you have overlooked one i'm
portant point. The tangent which will
quickest bring US 10 what we are after
infinity-must be directed from point as
near as possible to the base of the cone
That point we cannot discern, unless you
with your superior insight into the prin
ciple involved, take a position upon the
outside OF the engine, and give me the
signal when to send her off
THE idea seemed to strike him.
50 Good, better bestn he exclaimed
clapping his hand, and shaking mine
But mind, don't take your eyes off mer
: "'That | shan't,' said, fervently, as h,
: opened the window, and made move
ment as if to pass out upon the runHin
board.
, My heart beat high again, but thi
time with hope and anticipation. One
outside, he would be at my mercy lon
enough for me to whistle down brakes
shut off steam, and reverse the engine.
Alas! suddenly he turned, slammin
the window, and then, glaring upon m
e ike demon, he Kissed:
e You've betrayed me! What did
y tell you?"
= trembled with horror.
), "Come, come I said; no l haven
t Go ahead. See! there's the curve jus
;, ahead: Hurry, be quick, or the chance
L goner
s 81 say you've betrayed me, and II
Il going to kill you, l heard you whispe
0 my secret moment agon and he cam
J. toward NE with all the frenzy and savag
y cruelty of q maniac.
q "' Now, thought I, 'one last struggl
II for life or death and mastering all m
force, | str1ck him a fearful blow with N
e clenched fist upon the forehead.
is Still he neared me. | felt his lon,
Il bony hands in my hair l staggered.
fell backward; my head struck again