The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-07-01
THE DEMON OF THE ROAD.
AN ENGINEERS STORY.

which he was bearing the flag, at
tempted to prevent the inevitable
collision by q mode not in the rules,
made the following singular state
mont to the General Superintendent:
You sec, when we got the order
went to the front Of the engine, to
help ny fireman to fasten on the
lamp. The iron strap had got bent
and would not go into the slot made
to hold it. 50 we tied it on with a
piece of rope It delayed us about
minute fixing that. ~
"Was it liyhtea?'
"Ycs, sir. After taking so much
trouble to fix a lamp on, we should
not be so green as to go away with
Iout having a light in it.
ssN,ell, we were a little behind
time, and had not much to spare to
save the connection. ! was keeping
a sharp lookout ahead, and we were
getting along pretty fast.
at was not clear night, and it
was not thick night; ] had good
iIview of things ahead.
"Wcll, sif, you may think Eve lost
my senses, but ] tell you solemnly
that I saw woman, or a woman's
ghost, walking straight up the mid
] die Of the track toward my engine!
ssIt was no nse whistling, she was
y so close. I.crawled out Of the cab
window as quick as [ could, and
j.. went toward the front just in time tc
:. see the form sitting on the buffer
beam, and putting out the light IL
y the red lamp.
i ssThe creature got off when it saw
9 me. and walked away in front Of tn
:. engine; ana as we Numbered along
- after Il, it somehow disappeared.
y cot back into the car, trembling
# some.
-, 81 told John tite light was out, ant
=. 10 co and GET it and light it.
- 'sAfter he had done it, We went on
ana tod ii Oh.
Il went 70 see il it burning a
rirht. AMI it was Burning bright.
/ said nothing to JccH about VIII;
y, / hal seen.
=, aWell, it was more than three mil
49, utce, and we were going our smai
est. when | saw tnat same flgn
a walking UP tho track towards the G
81 CINE, as before.
slack I cried, Cook there!'
=. "Jack had already seen it, and Ii
- sounded q long whistle, and begun
put on the brake.
eco to the cow-catche", | sal
:. I. and he crawled through the windo
=. ga few moments after he cal
back, his face pale and his et
starting out OF his head. He look
at me and | looked at him, but
,1J said nothing.
w 81 pointed ahead. and there it w
,'> Il cot. out and fetched the Ian
w. "The light was out!
w. "I saw it open the lamp-ooof,
blow it ont said Jack, in an aW
terror; 'and then it got down
=, 90 walked away in front of the engi1
!, "WeIl, guess there never was
wv men on an engine SO mortally sea
-, as my fireman and me. 2
:, . "However, / went out again v
,o4h the lamp and tied it on. l
:. - turned the rope once or twice TO
:. =, the door, so it could not be ope
49, without some trouble.
= "Jack,' said when got back
moo the cab, there's going to be s
- of dreadful thing happen toni
~, That woman's q ghost Of evil.
49, = living being could act as that t
Dread mas 'ol'o'
,h+ "Jack's teeth were chattering
.han, fright, and SO were mine, for
md matter Of that.
isked Il felt that we had been sir
or Of ont 10 be the cause or the victim
ii ba- something awful.
, and "Keep a good lookout, jack 1
ter we're ONLY mile from G-,v
slider we are tagging No ia to, ant
must show the light il all the
int of devils in hell are agin' u.s.
butter Il ordered Jack to the front G
,dd as engine TO watch the lamp.
e con cite did not seem to like it, b
,ep it went.
II it is II wrote on the back of a time
quite these words:
CRATE "'For Gods sake don't pas
6 and switch. We are tagging la.
p the 81 stuck the paper on the EN-
1g-pan bit Of pine wood, and kept it
licklv. owl, 1oo,-,a obood ooe;,