The Red Cloud chief., 1874-08-01

This song Of Lyg"ne years.
You laugh 1t the old fashioned strain:
Al brings my childhood hack again.
AID fills my ears 9th tears. ~
From OLp AHD Nsv for August
A CEASE on TEE aAIL.
1t was during the latter part Of the
summer Of 1862, that | found myself
holding the position Of engineer on the
Va. and 8. e. Railroad . road d
iha, time held b. the government. and
u-ed for the transportation Of soldier.
and military stores. l can ASSURE you
We wero kept pretty busy in those
days, having TO run 1t any moment,
light or day, whenever there was oc-
casiou for il. and We we're always in
kreat danger. not only from the poor
condition of the track, but from the
euerriIias. Night and day We were
liable to be called into active service,
10 We seldom enjoyed q season Of rest
even when it came, being, Is We were,
in constant drdAd Of q call TO u post.
This was aiways the case with me, at
| asst, and I never wished 70 remain
long away from the depot lest should
ruddenly be needed.
il wss twelve O'Clock one Friday
night that / xzs taking . train up the
@4rc;a charlington Mt. Pleasant.
nd four cars full of armed men, re-
turning to the latter place after . sue
cessful raid, and knowing that l must
make short tlse." the gusge stood
high. showing the unusual pressure Of
s,eam / WAS carrying. We had
reached Clinton, and we're stopping n
lsfils While fos gef~restrhenss, most Of
the uentaking their meals in the car.
when 3 single engine steamed out from
she side track On to the main road.
This engine was one Of the largest on
the ROAD, and was called the Nulture.
She was . most powerful machine, and
could we'll vie in point Of speed With
other one Of our engines. My
'..lsasher." however, was considered
without doubt, to be the fastest trav-
cler ON the road. though mo- % pow
erfal by far as the Vulture.
The engineer Of the Vulture WAS q
cro<e, su.ly fellow. who was looked on
With suspicion BY many Of the officers /,
bu, as we we're short Of experienced
hands, and could III afford to lose him.
he vas allowed u keep his place. On
.his night ! noticed that he seemed
upcommonly surly, and { determined
to watch him, especially as be was 60
ing up the road too, and would imme-
diatel, prscsds me. l felt that some
thing Was wrong. and this impression
wss confirmed when l went ove to
the Valture and saw how big her
q stood. Inoticed also. that Nick
Dariey-the engineer-had no fireman
-~bA-hsn, ErS evidently intended to
make the trip alone.
1t is necessary to state here. that .
couple Of long trains full Of horses
were expected down the track that
night. aud Thad received ordcn 70
switch off and wait for them At the
second station above Clinton.
Well We stas sed-Nich and The
keeping but short disssoos ahssd Of
ne, and 20 psal. that on . straigh,
track I could see his sctions plainly
We were both runaing Al high speed,
bat not any too high for safety. and
ny headlight kept the Vulturs in Z
Aood Of light.
Our track. though in very poor re,
pais, ms . pretty straight one, and
very veil graded. Only two station;
above Clinton Vas . stretch of s:raieh,
-~rSSdUasedins for tweu.y-six miles,
without csoosNpr curve, and not one
ssasion along the 3 length Of it
There were sundp de- red side track.
sloue there. but they were sldom
used, and altogether it Was the mos,
~>~c> sa,ateh of v~sl-~r