The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-06-10
THE DEMON OF THE ROAD.

display his rcd lamp tagging signals,
and being reminded of the omission
when approaching the train against
which he was bearing the flag, at
tempted TO prevent the inevitable col
lission by mode not in the rules,
made the following singular statement
&. to the general uperntendcnt
"You see when We got the order |
wynt 10 the front of the engine, to help
my fireman to iasten on the lamp.
The iron strap had got bent, and would
not 90 into the slot made to hold it.
SO we tied it on with piece Of rope.
II delayed Us about minute fixing
that. ..
"Was it lighted p
"Yes, sir After taking 50 much
trouble to fix lamp on, We should not
be so green as to go away without hav-
ing light in it.
| "WelI, We were little bit behind
time, and had not much TO spare to save
the connection. was Keeping sharp
look out ahead, aud we were getting
along pretty fast.
at was not a clear night, and 1t
was not thick night; | had good view
Of things ahead.
"Well, sir You may think I've ost
my senses, but | tell YOU solemnly that
saw woman or womans ghost,
walking streigh, up the middle of the
track toward my engine
ut was no use whistliug, she was so
close. / crawled out OF the cab win
dow as quick as possible, and went
along toward the front just in time to
see the form sitting in the but.
fer beam. and putting out the red
lamp.
The creature got of when IT saw
me, and walked away in front OF the
engine, and as We Numbered along al
ter it, somehow disappeared.
II got back into the cab, trembling
some.
81 told John the light was out, and to
20 and get it and light it.
after he had done it, we went out
aud tied it on.
IL went to see if it was burning all
right, and it was burning bright.
II said nothing to Jack about what
| had seen.
"Well, il was no more than three
minutes, and we we're going our smart
est, when saw that same figure walk
ing up the track toward the engine, as
before.
"'Jsck, cried, look there I"
Jack had already seen it, and had
sounded the whistle aud begun TO put
on the brake.
go to the cow-catcher,' ] said /;
aud he crawled through the window.
"a lew moments after he came back ,
his face pale and his eyes starting out
of his head. lie looked at me aud |
looked at him, but We said nothing,
II pointed ahead aud the-s it was
IL got out and fetched in the lamp
The light was out
al saw it open the lamp door and
blow it out, said Jack in an awful ter.
ror and then it got down ana walked
away in front Of the engine. -.
well, | guess there never was two
men on an engine so mortally scared as
my fireman and me.
{ "IIowever, | went out again with
the lamp and tied it on. also turned
the rope once or twice round the door,
so it would not be opened without
some trouble.
Jack, said when | got back into
the cab, there's going to be something
dreadful happen tonight. That wo'
mans ghost of evil. No living be.
ing could do as that has done
Jacks teeth were chattering with
fright, aud so were mine, for the mat.
ter OF that,
i IL felt that we had been singled oui
to be the cause Or the victims Of some
thing awful. ......
Keep good lookout, Jack, | said
we're only mile from c., where
we are tagging No. Ia to, and We
must show the light if all the she
devils in hell are agin Us.
II ordered Jack to the front Of thu
}. engine to watch the lamp
, "Ile did not seem to like It but h
u wet
81 wrote on the back of a time card
1. these words:
"'FoR Cons SAKE DON'T PASS TIL
III SWITCH. We are tagging IA
8. 81 stuck the paper on the end of /
bit of pine wood, and kept it ready.
- when l looked ahead again, sa,
n. the shape, as plain as see you now
: sir, walking toward US, and afterwar
get on the front Of the engine
IL could see the headlight of Nc
1876 in the side track, and | was sur
\ our tagging signal lamp was out, fo
r. there was that female figure walkin
s. ahead of us on the track for the thir
~ time.
so III wasn't so scared as before, SO
or just lighted the pine stick in the fiji