The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-08-22
The Engineers Story.

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Well, sir, because saw one once. Tell
you about it? Well, sir, will, if you'n
set down an listen. 'Taint very much
tOtell, but it was good deal to see, you
can just bet your life, an | never go by
the place where see it without feelin'
kind o. scary.
Lem me see. Twas in go. | was
jist beginnin' my work on this road that
year. I'd been on a road out West, but
friend got me the position here that
I've KEEP ever sence.
1t was a rainy, disagreeable day when
the affair Pm goin' to tell you about
happened. Jest one o. them days that
makes feller feel blue in spite of him
self, an he can't tell why, neither,
less he lays it all to the weather.
| don't know what made me feel so,
but it seemed as if there was danger
ahead ever after we left Wood rs Station.
An what made it seem so curious was
that the feelin' of danger come on me
all to once. 1t was jest about o'clock,
as near as | can tell. Anyway jest
about the time when the down express
must have got safely by the place where
what I'm gOin' to tell you about happen
ed, was a-staDdin' with one hand on a
lever, a-loOkin' ahead through the
drizzlin' rain, feelin' chilly an kinder
downhearted, as I've said, though |
didn't know why, when, all of a sud
den, the idea come to me that some
thin was wrong somewhere. 1t took
hold o. me an couldn't git red of it,
nohow. | knew that all was right about
the engine. But that feelin' that there
was danger ahead never let up once
after it got into my head. Queer,
wasn't it? But twas so. / couldn't
accoun. for it after I'd found out there
was danger, jest as I'd felt, an | haint
never been able to account for it sence.
1t got dark quite early, on account o.
the fog an the rain; it was dark as
pitch afore we left HolbrOok, which
was the last station we passed afore we
come to the place where | see the ghost.
81 never felt so queer in my life
afore," said Jimmy, the fireman, to me
all of sudden.
AS Twas feelin' queer myself, he kim
der startled me, a sayin' what he did.
"Why! What dye mean?" said l
without lettin' on that l felt uneasy
myself.
"Do' know" answered Jimmy;
"can't tell how do feel, on'y as III
suthin' was goin' to happen"
That was Just it! felt the same
thing, an | tole him so, an we talked
about it, It'll we both got real fidgety.
There's purity sharp curve about
twenty miles from Holbrook. The road
makes a turn round mountain, an
the river runs below ye, about forty foot
or sech matter. It's pokerish look
n'place when you happen to be goin'
over it an think what 'ud be If the train
should pitch over the bluff inter the
river.
Wall, we got to the foot o. the noun
tain Just where the curve begins. The
light from the head-lamp lit up the
track and made it bright as day, about
as fur as from me to the fence yonder,
ahead o. the engine. Outside o. that
spot all was dark, as you ever see it, I'll
bet.
All to once l see suthin' right ahead,
in the bright light. Weallers run slow
round this curve, so could see distinct.
My hair riz right up, | tell ye, fer what
| see was man a-standin' right in the
middle o. the track, a-wavin' his hands;
an | grabbed hold o. the lever an
whistled down brakes, an stopped the
train as fast as ever could, fer ye see l
thought twas a live man. An Jimmy
he see It too. an turned round to me
with an awful scarf face, fer he thought
sure he'd be run over.
But began to see 'twan't any flesh
and-blood man afore the train come tOa
stop, fer it seemed to glide right along
over the track, keepin' just about so fer
ahead of us all the time.
my God it's ghost" cried Jimmy
grabbin' me by the arm "You can
see right through him."
An we could
Yes, sir, we could. When i come
TO notice it, the fggCr ahead of us was
kind of foggy-lookln' thing, and only
half hid anything that was behind It,