The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-08-10

5 number ten; but as the latter TRAN
was some twelve minutes behind tim
on that particular night, six, anxiou
> to leave on time, to save its connee
tions, telegraphed.to to Fletcher the mes
sage which had SO startled Drucie Mil
Ter. From Fletcher to a point fou
four miles below Colby, the compan.
had completed double track, which
, when finished to Ft. Wayne, woulC
obviate the trouble of switching anC
prevent accidents.
When Drucie recovered her self p Is
session, she started from the Office will
, the message in her hand. 1t had ar
rived just two minutes too late, and
Tom Gray, unconscious of its existence
} was driving his engine ahead and
thinking of the girl he had lately kissed
adieu. He knew that it was known in
Ft. Wayne that he was unavoidably be
hind time, and thought that according
to custom the express, waiting there,
would not move out until he arrived
But let US return to Drueie Miller.s
She saw the freight engine standing
on the new track already mentioned
and caught a glimpse of the fireman
asleep on his box.
A determined resolution entered hef
head, and the next moment she was in
the engine room with her hand on the
boys shoulder.
THAT you, Miss Drucie." said the
boy rousing himself with a yawp.
LA rs mercyl -"
''Get up and uncouple the freightY'
she cried Toms moved out, and if he
don't switch at Colby everybody will
be killed. We must catch him."
The boy with a cry of horror left the
engine, and 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 finds his engine gomez" said
the boy, looking up into Drucie's face.
"What do we care what he says!
What is Dicks life to the precious
lives on the two trains? Jim, how fast
can your 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, Jiml Fill
the furnace chock full. We must catch
Tom this side of the tracks terminus
or -"
The girl paused and looked at the
pale boy.
cor what, Miss Drucief"
"Or blow up!"
''That's what's the matter" said Jim,
catching her spirit Sand We'll catch
him, tool Wood! wood There! the
furnace is chock full Golly-whizl !
how we are goiDgl"
p Drucie smiled family at the boy and
noted the hand of the gauge. The en-
gine had received new momentum
which momentarily increased, and all
at once Jim, who had been trying to
pierce the haze, said:
''Two miles a minute, I'll bet, Miss
Drucie! If it was daylight the tele
graph poles would resemble a fine
tooth comb"
But the girl did not reply. She
stood before the lever, whispering that
she could urge the engine to greater
speed. She has calculated that the
two trains would meet in a gulch that
embraced a curve about six miles be
low Colby. 1t 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 a collision was
inevitable.
The train, which seemed to have
broken loose, rushed madly on, with
Jim looking at Drucie, whom he was
inclined to believe mad. The cold rain
slowly turned to a drizzle, was occa-
sionally blown against his face by the
wind; it served to cool his heated tenn
Piles and to make him think calmly of
bis situation and the folks at home.
So fast were they moving, that they
seemed to glide over the rails, scarcely
touching them in their mad career, and
when Drucie told Jim to listen for the
sound of Toms train ahead, the boy
poked his head out of the window and
held his breath.
"Pears to me hear a sound" ne
said. without turning his head. ''Meb-
be I'm mistakeR-so many things pear
to me just now"
Thank Code" calculated the girl.
List en- with all your might, Jim. oh,
for the speed of a bullet!'
Her face was glowing with heat, and
while Jim listened she opened the fur
mace door and threw in the last stick
of wood they possessed.
''The woods gone, Jim. How far
yet can we go at this rate of speedi"
about fifteen miles" the boy an
swered-"twenty OF 'em if we must do
it,"
"Then we'll catch him. Colby must
be nine miles away yet, and the gulch
is six miles further on-fifteen miIesl
Jim, can't you hear him yet2"
''No; guess was mistaken a while
back, " the boy said, and Drucs's coun-
tenance fell"
There's the sound again." he ex-
claimed minute later. ''Listen for
yourself, girl"
Drucie went to the window and put
her head out.
That's Tomp she cried. "Oh
Heaven, let me save him and all the
other precious lives to-nightf"
With this prayer sbe turned to the
furnace again and smiled at the red
hot doors. The engine and its empty
tender seemed to fly over the track, and
when Druce looked at Jim again, she
found him staring at the gauge.
"What's the matter. Jiml" she ask
ed. He came forward with hand e1-
tended toward the little instrument
nF1