Middletown transcript., 1877-09-08

arrived.
in But let us return to Drucie Miller.
2 She saw the freight engine standing
on the new track already mentioned,
and caught a glimpse of the young
! fireman asleep on his box.
le A determined resolution entered her
+ head, and the next moment she was in
the engineroom with her hand on the
boys shoulder.
Q @Thank you, Miss Drucie" said The
boy, rousing himself with yawn.
$ "Laws mercy yI'-
' "Get out and uncouple that freight"
cried she. "Tom's moved out, and if
he doesn't switch off at Colby every
: body will be killed. We must catch
him p
The boy, with cry of horror, left
the engine, and a minute later the
freight cars were standing idly on the
track, while the engine and its tender
were moving out, gaining momentum
at each revolution of the wheel.
"What'll Dick say when he comes
back and fnds.his engine gone ?" said
the boy, looking into Drucie's face.
"What do we care what he says
What is Dicks life to the precious
lives on two trains Jim, how fast
can this engine travel ?"
"About two miles a minute !" the
boy answered, with a smile. "She's
the swiftest bird on the road. But
don't think we can catch number ten;
we might if we had Dick with US. He
knows how to manage the Belle"
"And so do L Wood up, Jim !
Fill the furnace chuck full. We must
catch Tom this side Of the tracks ter
minus, or"
The girl paused and-looked at the
pale boy.
"Or what, Miss Drucie "
"Or blow upl"
"That's what's the matterp said
Jim, catching her spirit. "And we'n
catch him, too! Wood wood! There,
the furnace is chuck full. Golly-
whizl how we are going
Drucie smiled family at the boy,
and noted the hand of the guage. The
engine had received new momentum
which momentarily increased and all
at once Jim, who had been trying to
pierce the haze, said:
1.-TWO miles minute, I'll bet Miss
Drucie. If it was daylight the tele-
graph poles would resemble fine
tooth comb"
But the girl did not reply. She
stood before the lever, wishing that
she could urge the engine to greater
speed. She had calculated that the
two trains would meet in a gulch that
embraced the curve about six miles
below Colby. It was terrible place
for collision, and the loss of life there
would be great. The haze or mist
would prevent the engineers from sig
mailing each other, and the collision
was inevitable. \
The engine, which seemed to have ]
broken loose, rushed madly on, with
Jim looking at Drucie, whom he was ]
inclined to believe mad. The cold /
mist, slowly turning to a drizzle, was
occasionally blown against his face by t
the wind it served to cool his heated !
temples, and to make him think calmly +
Of his situation and the folks at home.
So fast were they moving, that they
seemed to glide over the rails, scarcely 7
touching them in the mad career, and J
when Drucie told Jim to listen for the q
sound Of Toms train ahead, the boy
pOked his head out of the window and !
held his breath. C
"Pears to me | hear a sound" he
said, without turning his head. "Mebbe t
I'm mistaken 50 many things pear to c
me just now" d
"Thank GodI" CALCULATED the girl.
Listen with all your might, Jim. Oh,
for the speed Of bulletP' a
Her face was glowing with heat, and O
while Jim listened she opened the fur '
mace door and threw in the last sticks a
of wood they possessed. 1
"The wood is gone, Jim. How far I
yet can we go at this rate of speed?"
"About fifteen miles" the boy ans n
wered-"twenty Of EN- if we must-do it" t,
"Then we'll catch him. Colby must k
be nine miles away yet, and the gulch \
is six miles further on-ffeen miles. !,
Jim, can't you hear him YETI" n
"No. Guess | was mistaken awhile j
back" the boy said, and Drucie's e
fell. F
"There's the sound again r he ex- Il
claimed, minute later. "Listen for n
yourself, girl" a
Drucie went to the window and put Il
her head out. il
"That's Tom Y she cried. ooh, e,
heaven, let me save him and all the b
other precious lives to-nightl' d
With this prayer she turned to the sj
G,rnooa oo-o;n and smiled Of +ba rod