Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-06-29
"sFor Gods sake, stop herr I e1claim

"For Gods sake, stop herr e1claim-
ed Who are your
| "'Me9' he answered, with quiet laugh.
I'm practical engineer, working in the
interests of science. I've studied for years,
and years, and years, and now l want to
make an experiment. Don't interrupt
mel
"He gave me another look, full of wild
| determination, and then burst into fit of
hilarious laushter.
"Good good good he cried. But
she'll do better, better, better, by and by
Now-she fliesP
"He gave the throttle lever another
jerk the engine shot away faster than
ever, and trees, telegraph poles, fences
and houses went by like lightning.
"For a moment l sunk down upon my
seat 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
GOODNESS l had in me. l must draw him
into conversation, and watch for my Op-
portunity to gain advantage, either of his
credulity or his vanity, sufficiently to in
duce him to give me his place. Once
| there, I mtist trust to Providence and
my own courage to prevent further mis-
chief
al scanned him closer than ever for a
moment or two. He seemed to have en-
tirely 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 still!
! Nv boort fhI1uoT,iDp apainst nv
chest, as I said:
L" You 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 good, practical engi-
neer, as you say I continued. How
| long have you been in the businessT
"1 Years, and years, and years, I tell
your ne answered. It was l who fitted
out Pegasus, the winged steed. l who
gave that fellow, Icarus the wax wings;
| but he flew too near Old Sol, and they
melted and let him down into the water.
Ha! ha! haf
"'I wish I only had your experience at
/ it, said /; what a team we'd make to-
gether. pulling in the cause of science, eh |?
"a new light, an expression of IN
speakable delight, lighted up his face as,
catching nv words, he turned toward me
and, looking me full in the face, answered,
but no longer abstfactedly:
! "Are you for science, too?
| q" Science, every inch of mep said L.
| "Give us your handp and he shock
mine with fervor which sent tingle to
INV yery collar bone 'Hurrah for
science. Iod're the man I've been search
ing for with lantern these thousand
years. You can help me. But ut'-and ne
leaned and whispered IL my ear, so dls,
| tinctly that could hear every oro anu
letter of it above the racket around us
can you keep secret?'
Certainly I CAM replied, while a sort
of creeping horror stole over me, as l felt
his hot breath upon my face.
You swear you can? he continued,
looking inquiringly into my face.
swear CAM said l, with des-
perate effort, looking back at him.
| Because he grated out, between his
teeth, if 1 thought you meant to betray
me, I'd tear your tongue outp
"'Never fear one man of science be-
traying another answered, with sickly
attempt at bravery. I'm your man.
"' Well, then, mind what say said the
madman, apparently reassured, and pull
ing from his coat pocket bunch of dirty
| papers, scrawled all over with lead pencil
marks. Here's my secret, the result of
five hundred years hard study. To you,
| as friend of science, I will impart it.
But remember yo1r promisel'
"By this time 1 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 Haa
and saw there was no hope of stealing
march upon him in that direction.
Now, you see,' he went on to say, a
tangent from parabolic curve goes on to
infinity,' 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 ininity is what? Do you
know? No; but you shall Do I know? !?
Yes; and, in the cause of science, I 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 horrid whisper again, Il
came away secretly the other night, and
now-ha ha! ha!-Pve got good engine
of my own! Speed, speed, speed is what
we want! By-and-by we'll be ready for
the tangent; then infinity, and then our
fortune is made foreverl'
I" 1 saw that hope was fast disappearing.
His intention plainly was to put the en-
gine 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. I nerved my
self for final effort.
"'Come,' said I, your secret is won
derful one, and now that 1 know it, will
give you all my help to carry out your
portant point. The tangent which will
quickest bring US to what we are after
inf1nity- 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 position upon the
outside of the engine, and give me the
signal when to send her off
"The idea seemed to strike him.
"'Goodl better! best' he exclaimed
clapping his hand, and shaking mine
But mind, don't take your eyes off me?
"'That 1 shan't,' said, fervently, as hi
opened the window, and made a move
ment as if to pass out upon the aunnin.
board.
" My heart beat high again, but thi
time with hope and anticipation. Ono,
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
> like demon, he hissed:
2 You've betrayed me! What did
. tell your"
az trembled with horror.
"Come, come said; mo 1 haven't
Go ahead. See! there's the curve Jus
ahead. Hurry, be quick, or the chance i
gonep
5 "'I say you've betrayed me, and IN
t going to kill you'll 1 heard you whispe
, my secret moment agop and he cam
: toward me with all the frenzy and savag
7 cruelty of maniac.
l &c Now thought I, one last struggl
f for life or DEATH and mastering all m
| forpe T ctryIck him q fearful h1ow with M,