The Portland daily press., 1872-03-02

We are left, but the time is distant, not far
When well pass through the beautiful Coates Ajar"
NORTH WOODSTOCK, ME-, Feb 18th, 1872.
The Doctors Story.
1t was in the winter of 1S6S-69, when l
had Just been placed in charge of division
near the summit of the Sierra Navada, on the
half-fnished Central Pacific Railroad. After
long days ride / came back to the boarding
house at ten o'clock in the evening, and was
told that messenger had been there from
Camp Mo-, with request that would
lose no time in hurrying over there to attend
John Smith, who was in a critical condition
The messenger had been very urgent, and it
was very evidently case of life and death
nothing else. l took few minutes to con-
slider. l was tired out and wanted sleep bad
ly, but could, on pinch, go a little further
without breaking down entirely. The moon
would be up at eleven O'Clock, and the night
was still and clear, though the suow had just
ceased falling, and was five or eight feet deep
on the level, if you can use the expression
properly where there is no level to be found,
and the roads-or trails, rather-are obliter-
ated by the drifts. l inquired about the loca-
ton of Camp No.. 1t was twelve
miles away, and directly over ridge, or spur,
of the mountains. Ny own horse could not
stand the trip, but big lubber of cart
horse, that they said was a good saddle
horse, was offered me. got supper, put on
dry socks and an extra pair of filr-lined over
boots, and just before midnight was in the
saddle and off. Ia
A good saddle-horse! The brute belonged
to the nightmare family, and his mother
must have taken special pride in him. Great
heavens, what gait! He had travelled SO
s,,4 ~ I. ol,,. Ia
municated itself to his spine and become
chronic. At every step he jerked his back up
as if expecting to feel the girth-strap strike
him underneath, and neither curses nor blows
could induce him for moment to recognize
the fact that he was out of his shafts, and
abandon his eternal hippytyhop. When 1
started out, there were hard Jumps in the sad
die, as large as chestnuts; before the twelve
miles was half completed two Jumps had
grown to the size of paving-stones, and awful
shard-edged and rasping. The light snow
which had just fallen, filled the trail, but the
old snow underneath beir G hard-packed, and
the trees along the route being well-blazed,
had no difficulty in keeping in the right track
most of the time. But wheu about three
miles from my place of destination, as near as
| could guess, clouds obscured the moon for
atime, and l lost the road. kept on as well as
knew how, guessing at the location of Camp
Mo-, and after rolling down the steep
side of ravne and working half an hour to
get old Jerky back upon the ridge, filling my
over-shoes with snow and fairly exhausting
myself in founderinS through the drifts.
was remarked with the sights of lights in
some cabins half mile away. Not doubling
that this was Camp No., rounded
small canon, worked my way over point of
rocks, Jerky stumbling and falling repeatedly,
and reaching the cabins at half past twelve
o'clock. The lights had all disappeared.
ill 41,AI %l~o,o
. ''Hallo the house!' louder and longer than
before. panel in the nearest cabin opened
slowly and cautiously, and after time enough
had elapsed to allow of critical examination
of the party outside, a voice demanded:
''Who you, John? What wantee catchee
here? 1t was a Chinese wood-cutter's
camp, and there was not white man about
the place.
The Johns told me that there was a camp
of white men on the other side of the ravine
had just crossed, which they thought might
be Camp Number. Half an hours
tioundering through the snow brought me
back to the point where 1 had sighted the
lights, and soon after l A. M. / was at the
whites mems camp. I reused the inmates
little friendly game of ''bitch," or ''draw''-
that being Saturday highland had not re-
tired to their virtuous hunks. No, that was
not Camp Mo-, my informer told me, and,
what was worse, Camp No,--was right
over the summit of the mountain, a mile and
half l could go around by trail, three
miles, or ride up to the railroad track, tie my
horse, and walk through the snow-sheds, a
little more than INLET was contrary to
the rules to take an animal inside the she'd
started up towards the track and reached
it at A. M. The night was now clear and
still; not the slightest noise could be heard,
and the silence was something awful and OPP
pressive. 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 and tie him to tree
thought struck me. knew every regular
train on the road and there was none due
for hours from either direction. 1 had a time
table in my pocket, and l to ok it out and ex-
amined it 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, perhaps save a valuable hui
man life as well? Why not indeed? The
more l thought of it the more satisfied be-
came that it was safe thing to do.
The moon, now unobserved, was high in
the heavens as / entered the snow-shed and
it was not very difficult to keep the way, as
the light came scintillating through a thous-
and cracks and crevices in 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 plank across one
or two for the convenience of ''foot passen-
gers and as the water was hard frozen got
old Jerky around the Others in safety
The worst was oyer, and 1 was already be-
ginning to chuckle over the adventure and
pride myself on my forethought and pluck in
making the venture. 1 had, undoubtedly
saved at least an hour of hard work wading
through the snow, and possibly-not improb-
ably, in fact-saved life Just then l heard
low, tremulous, humming noise running
along the frost-laden rails, and instinctively
checked my horse to listen. 1t had subsidized
for the moment, and L went on in silence.
Suddenly it commenced again and seemed
louder and clearer than before I halted
again. God have mercy upon me! 1 ex-
claimed involuntarily. 1t was the rumble
OF the wheels OF coming train beyond
question. sprang to the ground and placed
my ear to the rail. The train was com mo
from the west; it must be CONSTRUCTION
train" laden with materials for the road. and
possibly with laborers as well. The track oc-
cupied the full width of the shed, allowing
only for the overhang of the cars. man
might escape by lying down; but horse was
almost sure of death, and if the train struck
him it must 60 off the track almost inevita-
bly,. was upon old Jerky's back before 1
was even aware of what intended doing
and started down the grade to the eastward
whip spur, and the attraction of gravitation,
would move him. Clearer and clearer came
the humming noise; and heard, at length,
snort, sharp whistle as the rushing train en-
tered a tunnel. 1t could not me more than
two miles, or three at most. away. Jerkv
skated over the ice patches and floundered
through the crevices in the shed-work. but
reckless of danger to limbs alone in presence
of the greater danger to myself, and perbans
hundreds of my fellow men, whipped and
spurred increasingly, and drove him on at the
helght OF his speed. Nearer and nearer !
and nearer came the train; l could already |
hear the enough, enough, enough of the 10
connective behind me. At last i saw an open |
ing in the side of the shed not many rods dis
tant, and with triumphant yell | urged nv
steed to put forth his utmost effort. Sixty
seconds more and would be saved, and the |
danger to the train avoided. The seconds |
seemed hours in the feversh excitement of |
the moment, but they were over at last, and
sprang off my horse on the instant that he
reached the opening, and rushed, with the |
rem IaIl IN my hand, through the aperture. Old |
;H "a Key s9orted and sprang backward. throw
ing me down and pulling the rain from nv |