The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-08-30

cutting through nan keg.
had fallen into an uneasy doze,
when the breakman thrust his head into
the car and called out, "ROme," and a
moment later tall, slim, light haired
party with big bottomed pants glided
into the car and seated himself in the
seat next to the little man, who folded
up his paper, and, after quietly staring
at the newcomer for some time, re.
marked, as we moved away from the
station: "That was a bad accident
down on the branch, this morning."
eyes," replied the slim individual,
glancing at the ladies. eyes, bad ac-
cident, bad accident; and they say that
this road isn't in the best of order"
"No9" lnquiringly returned the
other, watching the ladies squirm about
in their seats. "This is bad night for
an accident, tOO."
One of the ladies felt for her smelling
bottle, and the party in light hair re-
marked: "They don't have any first
class accidents nowadays; don't kill
off more than one or two or three at
time. Now some of the railway smashes
I've seen would put a slaughter house
to shame. No sir" he went on, "they
don't do things here as they are done in
the West. Pm from the West myself.
] remember little affair that happened
on the w. & o, road, in the spring of
'55. was called to town on that
road on some business for our firm"
The two ladies bent forward, and he
continued: "The old express was half
an hour behind time, and the way she
jumped over the rails would have him
dered the cheek of commercial trav-
eler. ," The little man drew nearer,
and fastened his restless eyes upon the
talkative stranger, who continued
"Well, as | said, we were all an hour
late, and about a mile from where |
was to stop off was high bridge over
rough stream, called the DEVILS Race"
The elder lady shifted at her harts-
horn. "Tbe bridge was reached by a
sharp turn in the road, and was usually
approached at slow rate of speed, but,
being late, we were running about
twenty miles an hour; the train ap-
preached the bridge; the rush of waters,
heard above the roar and rumble of the
train; the hoarse shrek of the locOmo-
tive, the intense darkness of the night
all conspired to make the scene mem.
Orable one. | opened my window,
and looked out. The increased loud
ness of the noise appalled, me; suddenly
an intensely bright light appeared at
the other end of the bridge. Great
Heavensn | exclaimed. 'The down
express is crossing the bridget 1t was
too late to stop the trains"
The stranger rose to his feet, the re-
collection was painful, the ladies leaned
forward in eager excitement. Looking
very hard at the group of listeners, he
waved his hand majestically and re-
sumed: eyes, my friends, it was too
late to stop the trains. Noting my ex-
clamation of horror the passengers in
my vicinity pushed up their windows
and gazed out; in less time than can
can tell you, the terrible fact was
known, our awful danger was appreci-
ated, and all in the car rose to their
feet in terror"
The little man gave another wheezy
cough, | shifted myself uneaslly in my
seat, and in husky tones inquired: "But
the crash-the crash? ?"
eyes," echoed the younger lady,
"The crash ?"
"Crash? crash ?" he returned, "there
was no crash, my friends, the bridge
was laid with double track !"
Sorrowfully and YEARLY he wan.
dered toward the door, the brakeman
called out "Patona," and as we traced
the retreating form of the stranger as
he rolled up the hill to the hotel, we
sank back in our seats and realized that
we had been sold.
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