Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-08-12
WAS IT A WARNING F?

glneer on the V. y. railroad, and
running the "Amoskeag," on the
night line from n. to St. A. II
was a good ten hours trip, leav.
ing N. at seven P. M, and get
ting into St. A at five A. NJ, OF
Just about daykreak. Brooks
Tane was fireman. A young fel.
low, only about two years mar,
ried to as sweet a little woman as
you'll very often see. They had
one child-a baby, three months
old. Mrs. Vane had been deli
cate and feeble ever since its birth,
and Just at this time was confined
to her bed, with a sort of slow fe-
yer. Brooks, as was natural,
fretted a good deal about her, and
laid off day or two as often as he
could find a substitute.
The 25th day of SEPTEMBER
| can never forget that date-be.
tween three and four o'clock in
the morning, we were running on
a down grade about lorty miles
from St. A., when | noticed, some
fifty rods in front of us, what look
ed like fire built exactly on the
track, straight ahead. Brooks saw
it as plain as did. We were
not running at full speed, 50 to
reverse the engine and stop the
train was not an affair of maAy
minutes. Brooks and | Jumped
Out together, and went round in
front Of the engine, where we
found-z0thiRg.
The fire, which | saw rs plain
ly as | ever saw anything in my
life, and which Brooks saw, too.
had disappeared utterly and en-
tireiy. We went up the track
halt Il mile or more, but found no
vestige of anything to denote that
any fire had been built upon the
track, or anywhere near.
Brooks turned to me, with
white face.
"My God, sir, what was it?"
81 wish | knew" said. Eff
teen minutes ago / would have
taken my oath there was fire,
built by some stupid idiUt or de
signing william, on the track
Now-I can't understand it"
"Nor Nor J." said Brooks,
slowly; "you don't suppose, sir"
He stopped confusedly.
Suppose what?" | said, as we
stepped on board the "Amoskeag"
again.
THAT it's a warning, or omen
of danger, sir
"Pshaw!'
But, for all my affectation of
contempt, | was puzzled and con-
founded. Yet tried to convince
myself that it was merely an OPP
tical deluslon, and nothing more.
But my success was doubtful.
The next morningI could see
that Brooks was growing nervous
and anxious. |, too. was not with
OUT little futter of excitement
at my heart, though [ should
hardly have cared to own it. 1t
is, perhaps, needless to state that
this nights experience correspond
ed in every particular to that of
the one preceding. The same
seeming fire blazed and glittered
on the track in front Of US. The
train was stopped again. Again
we searched around and upon the
track for a long way ahead; again
we found simply nothing!
| don't deny that the repetition
of this mysterious occurrence inn
pressed me with a strange feeling
of commingled dread and terror.
And Brooks-the mans set white
face fairly frightened me. There
was little conversation passed be-
tween us that night. l think we
both felt too deeply for speech.
The third night, Brooks Vane
and I stepped on board the GA
with much The same
feelings, I think, as men who go
knowingly to their own DEATH
AS we passed out of the station at
B. within mile or two of the fa-
tai place, Brooks turned to me.
"Mr. Deane-" he stopped.
"Go on"
at may seem foolish to yon,.
hut Think something will happen
to the train to night. If l should
be killed"
"PShawl Brooks, don't get such
ideas into your head. L"
81 know all you would say, Mr..
Deane, but I'd rather you'd hear
what I've got to say"
swell, am listening"
81 want, if you survive me,
that you should promise to lend
my wife a helping hand if she
should need one. Her folks are
well-off, and will be good to her, |
think; but they are out in. Kan