The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-11-29

ever, and stepped very lightly and swiftly
forward, trying to remember if there were
not rock or hollow where she would be
as safe from men as she had been from the
passing train. She did not think of or find
any such place, and, after all, the persons
whose voices troubled her were not in the
i cut, nor We're they coming to meet her.
She was very nearly through, herself, be-
fore she could any way make out what it
all meant; but as she paused in the deep
shadowsof the rocks and peered timidly
out toward the now dull and muffied
/ sounds, with which the voices were no
longer mingled, broad, quick CLEAN, as
from a lantern suddenly shaded or ex-
tinguished, shot across the track not many
yards below, and then all was darkness
and silence.
i But that one moment of illumination
had revealed extraordinary things to the
keen, extraordinary vision of Katie Crown
/ inshield.
There were men, three or four, she
could not say just how many, but rough,
i fierce, wild, and anxious-looking, and be-
fore them, on the railway track, from
which the rails had been pried away just
4 there, was confused heap of granite bowl
ders and fragments. Katie understood it
as clearly as. if those men had taken her
into their confidence, and had told her in
! words.
1t was plot to wreck the train
4 No matter why-whether for revenge, or
plumber, or in the utter malignity of lost
souls-Katie never paused to so much as
ask herself question, but turned and fled
back through the cut as for life and death,
for both were with her, side by side, and
hurrying step for step. She had no
thought or dread that the wreckers had
seen her, or would follow. Neither was it
at all likely; but Katie's brain was too full
of her purpose to admit a thought of self,
and she held out her lantern fearlessly
enough now, that she might be doubly
sure of her footing ON the ties and gravel.
And now she was out in the open air,
i beyond the upper entrance, and she could
i see the peaceful light still shining from
!. Aunt Betsy's window. But there was no
time to go there for help.
i The train must be so very nearl
/ Katie did for moment think of kindling
4 bright fire ON the track, but that would
take too long, and the great ruin and hor-
ror would come before even Q small fagot
would be well ablaze.
j "There's nothing but my own little Ian
term almost sobbed poor Katie. May
II be he will know it when he sees it, but he
must be warned before hereaches the cuts
u The lantern shone like frosty little star
ward up the track. She had not far to go,
for the train was ahead of time that night
instead of being behind, as would have
been more desirable under the circumstan-
ces. Never had anything appeared to
Katie Crowninshield more suddenly than
did the great, glaring eyes of the 1ocomo-
n tivehead-light that now glewed upon her
out of the ogershadoWing night, and her
/ lantern seemed to have instantaneously
! vanished. SIS saN sg & a
Iii is so small, 4 she cried, in agony,
!. and he will never see it.
Nevertheless, on low mound of earth
and stones, close by the side of the track,
Katie took her post of charity and danger,
and swung her little lantern frantically to
: and fro, while she now tried to make her
/ sweet girls voice heard through the roar
and clamer of the rushing train.
5 On came the railway giant, tugging with
him his precious freight of human life,
( and it flashed upon Katie CrOwninshield's
mind what an awful capacity for suffering
that train might have ON board. On, with
+ the great glare and the aIl-absorbipg tor
f rent of sound, and, almost before Katie
e knew it, the object of her hope and fea1
) had dashed ruthlessly past her, and was
quickly swallowed up from her sight il
2 the rocky jaws of the deep cut. With &
f cry of grief and disappointment on hel
n lips, and strange thrill of pain at hel
q heart, the poor girl sank upon the ground
t and buried her face in her hands, while
!, the little lantern dropped neglectedly be
e side her.
$ Only for one brief instant, however, die
0 Katie yield to the terror and the trouble o
it, for in another she had picked up hel
: starry friend, sprang to her feet, and dart
{ red away down the railroad track toward
n E4l1o Cf
e and there were sad wings TO her speed, bu
d it seemed to her as if she would never ge
|. through the cut. She paused moment
e when the lower end was reached, to gath
It er breath and to brush the mist from he
e eyes before she looked upon the awfu
s scene she knew must be prepared for her.
And therl-why, there was the train, TIL
q rear car rising close in front of her, whil
it the others land there were but few of then
e that night stood all erect upon thei
wheels beyond-not all upon the track, t
n be sure, but all apparently safe-all, ex
L cept one great, dark mass, whose polished
F; metal glittered in the varying lights tina
Y flashed upon it, and whose hoarse throa
st screamed angrily with the escaping steam
J for the locomotive had come to grief pret
II ty decidedly among the granite bowlder
that were heaped on the track by the fiend
q who had planned the wreck. The passen
% gers were swarming out of the cars, an
g none of them seemed to be hurt at all, no
7. did Katie hear sound that told of pain a
ld she swiftly threaded her way among an
Ell past them. She had caught a glimpse
le group away beyond even the shattere
s., locomotive, however, which forbade he
lingering for an instant. Right down tx
s. ward her own garden-gate four men wer
p carrying heavy burden, and others wer
b, following, and Katie heard them say, g
y she darted by:
1t tsNNho is it?''
st .Why, it's the conductor. He ws
ce thrown from the platform of the forwar
=: carr
d, s'Is he killed?''
lie "They say so. Nobody else was hur
lg He was a splendid fellow.p
" A tall, handsome, bearded man, in darl
n blue clothing, but his face was ghastl
ly Ipale when they laid him on Grandfatht