New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-31

places, but never kuowed IN 70 show the
white feather. don't believe man or devi
could scare IN, but this night he seemed K
be sorter uneasy like.
Sometimes there's something makes you
think beforehand that something 10 g0in' r
hsppen-s kind of-0f-preeentimentt Yes
that's it. Presentlmen'. You can't tell OK
actly how it is, but if there il sperrits In 40
cidents or disasters, seems like they wa
and COULDN'T quite do il. Everything
seemed to 20 wrong with No that night
The passengers was all argrowlin' cos We
hurried 'em up ct supper; and wen pulled
out my machine had the very old boy in her
No. %, as l was tellin' ye, was ono of the
eurest engines on the road, but wen she did
git into her didos she was more Obstreper
GUS n o government mule. lugines 10 like
these sewin' machines or pianere, and them
things. They git out O killer without nc
reason, and yer can't tell what's the matter
there is about it. She would steam, she
tretted and snorted and foamed, and
wouldn't do her work no ways at all. Me
and Crazy fused with her, and worked
with her, and cOsxed and cussed her, but 1t
wasn't no use. We kept runnin' behind all
the time instead of maxim up, n the con.
ductor swore like q pirate. He was q engi
neer hisself, and he came ont into the cab
and for five or ten miles he fused and
worked and coaxed and cussed. l believe
that ingine knew just as we'll that Satan was
out loose that night as if she'd been real
human. IDgines lie like womeH-they can't
tell you why thing is 60, and can't give no
reason for It, but they jest know it is 50.
Mebbe we'd made thirty mile, or SIGH
matter. The rain and sleet and hail and
snow was comm down fearful. The water
was pOurin' down the mountain and film
the bitches and runnin' much as you saw
it last night. The wind was BLOWN q tor
nadO, and come teaIin' through tie passes -
gulches they call 'em in this ccuntry-in
gusts that would strike the locomotive like
q big wave striking ship, and almost
throw her over. 1t was go dark, too, that
l couldn't hev seen Crazy on the other side
of the cab but Tor the lantern, aud wen we
along all l could. 1t wouldn't do to slo "
up, "a was runnin' for meetin' point.
just before you get to the curve at Devils
Run there's . short stretch of straight track.
Soon as l struck that began to look for the
light in Charley's window, which was the
other side of the run. Strsinin' my eyes
through the dark just at the point of the
curve saw light swinging backwards and
forwards slowly across the track. Yen
know l was a-telling you as everything went
crooked that night. Soon as saw that
1t came on me with . rush, like My
hair stood on end. blew brakes.
screams to the fireman, "Crszyl Devils
Rua culvert's gone, by the Twin Godv' He
jumped n sOt the tender brakes, and slid the
wheels in Q fash. The brskemen behind
didn't answer. They was dozin' in the cars,
I ckon. l blew brakes sRin with blast
to wake the dead, and threw her over. The
drivers ground and groaned under me, but
the rails was sleety and slippery, and l was
forging ahead to gulf 500 feet square
down, and $50 human lives behind me.
was tellin' ye 40 NJ. % that night was dead
square az in g0in' ahead; but wen 1 threw
her back seems like she knew her biz and
how much laid on her dOin' of it we'll.
Women. agin, is jDgines. Grabbed, crooked,
cantakerOus oueses wen they don't want to,
but where it's works of goodness or mercy
call on 'em and they're right there. No. %
took hold on that reverse with Q grit
never see in no engine afore She put all
there was in her into every turn. and the
wht 10 aff air took less time than I'm tellin'
of it till the danger was by.
When we stopped within twenty feet of
the light, which was swingin' still, back
ward and forward slowly across the track,
i SEE to Crazy, "W hos got that lanternp
Knew it couldn't be the trackman, for we'd
just met him three miles below, and 'cept
him there was nobody nearer'n ten miles at
tn t. time of night. So gifts down from the
machine and runs up the road. As comes
up / sees little figure in white. 1t was
still swing n of the light, backwards and
forwards, slowly scross the track. He was
in his nightgown, just a. he got out of bed,
hadn't no hat and was barefoot. The eleet
sv,h hoi nd nj; Tor
stiff with ice. l comes up to 'im-well, 1
was took that wayI couldn't speak. An
he KEEP swingin' the light, back wards and
slowly across the track, and he
SEE to me, he says, "YOu and mes pards,
ISN'T wep looks at i'm q mint. His eyes
was open and looked queer. He was dead
fast asleep. Crazy ketches me or I'd gone
over, which it we're my knees seemed weak
ike. Then l sets down on the rail and
Crazy picks up the child, in hu9gin' of i'm
ap busted right out cryin', he did.
The conductor and some Of the msn got
out of the cars and come where We was. 1t
was sleetiu' still, m CROWN bitter cold. The
boys carried the baby into the baggage car,
where there was . stove, and took off his
night clothes and wrapped i'm up in blan-
kets and great coats. There was . doctor
On the train, and he ses if We kin git i'm
back to bed without wakin' of i'm up, p'raps
il wouldn't hurt i'm; but if he was to wake,
what with the wet, n the cold, m the
fright, like as not it might kill i'm. So the
boys takes i'm up to carry i'm to the house,
RED kitten. The doctor he tells 'em to be
keerful and not wake i'm, for it was as
much a. his life was worth. So Crazy takes
i'm, and .w0 of 'em holds q blanket over
i'm to keep the elect of, n one goes ahead
With Q lantern, and two or three more
lbout with lanterns, SOS to light the
way. Wen we got to the break it was Just
ls expected. Track, road, culvert, every
hing gone, clean as if cut out with knife. |
The water was pitchin' down the run six
eet deep, carrying big rocks and bOuIders |
md up into the air, clear out of the water. |
t was awful to look at. How the child got |
ver the gap, which was at least twenty |
Get wide, don't know. A tree he'd come |
lown and lodged crOssways, and suppose
10 must hev gone over on that. When we |
ONE to it We was most afraid to try it, for |
you slipped eff The log it was all day |
With you. | didn't like to trust the boys, |
nd l SEES to Jake, "Crazy, yon won't drop |
be baby will your He points down into |
he break and SEES, Latham, we'd all been
u your little pard. I'd drop my soul
Well! we got i'm home safe at last. Mary
'as asleep when we got to the house, and
7as scared as bad as me When she heard
that was up. We put i'm back in his bed
nd sure enough he never walked up. Next
,ornin' they threw trestle over the break
nd trains was runnin' again. But the doc
Or stayed with us. Jest out of his own
cad, you know, but he seemed anxious.
eemed as though he took to the child.
'on't wonder at that, neither. Most every
Ody did.
l watched by i'm ell that night. and to-
ard day got out all his old Christmas
lings and set 'em on to o table near the
I'd, where he could see 'em the first thing.
ut fever came on i'm, n when he weke
D he was out of his head. l speaks to i'm
l.II.,.r Z D. I'D % DIT 10. L