Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-02-28
"The little town approached.

s'The little town approached. As
the first house came in view, the en-
gine sent. out its shrek of warning !;
it grew iouder, louder. We dashed
into the street, up to the station,
where group Of passengers waited,
and past it without the halt of an in
stant. caught glimpse of the ap-
palled faces of the waiting crowd.
Then we were in the fields again.
''The speed now became literally
breachiess; the furnace glared red
hot. Ths heat, the velocity, the ter
riblc nervous strain of the man beside
me, seemed tosweight the air. found
myself drawing long stentorious
breaths, like one drowning. I heap
ed in the coal at intervals, as he babe
me. aa
"'Td have done nothing of the
kind!' interrupted one of the listen
ers. The man was mad
al did it because was oppressed
by an odd sense of duty, which I new
er had in my ordinary brain work.
I had taken this mechanical task ON
myself, and ] felt a structure upon
me to &C through with it at my cost.
l know now how 1t is that dull, ignor-
ant men, without spark of enthusi-
asm, show such heroism sometimes,
as soldiers, engineers, captains of
wrecked vessels. 1t is this overpow-
ering sense of routine duty. 1t is
finer thing than sheer bribery, to nv
notion. However, began to be of
your mind, Wright, that Blakeiey
was mad, laboring under some sud
den frenzy from drink, though had
never seen him touch liquor. =
'.IIe did not move hand or foot.
except in the mechanical control of
the engine, his eye going from the
gauge to the timepiecs with steadi-
ness that was more terrible and threat
ening than any CLEAN of insanity
would have been. Once he glanced
back at the long train sweeping after
the engine, With head-long speed
that rocked it from side to side. You
would catch glimpses of hundreds of
men and women talking, reading,
smoking, unconscious that their lives
were all in the hold of one man,
whom | now strongly suspect to be
mad. / knew by his look that he re-
membered their lives were in his hand.
He glanced at the clock.
"'Twenty miles, he muttered.
Throw on the coal, Jones. The fire
is going out.
~ did it. Yes, did it. There
was something in the face of that
man that could not resist. Then /
climbed forward and shook him by
the shoulder
'Blakeley!' I shouted, "yox are
running this train into the jaws of
death
"'I know it, quietly. l.
"Your wife and children are on
it, ..r...
"'My Godl'
''He staggered to his feet. But
even then he did not move his eye
from the guagc.
"'Ip q minute Cd.
Make up the fire. he said, and
pushed in the throttle valve.
" Il will net .ar.a
".Mske up the fire, Mr.. Santley,
very quietly. '-',
81 will not. You may murder
yourself and your wife and boy, but
you shall not murder me-
"He looked at me. His kindly
gay eyes glared like those of a Wild
beast. But he controlled himself in
a moment.
"'I could throw You out OF this
door, and make short work of it.
But-look here do you see the sta
ton yonderT
"I saw thin wisp Of smoke against
the sky, about five miles in advance.
"I was told to reach that station
by six O'Clock. The express train
meeting us is due now. ought to
have laid by for 1t at Sunbmy. l was
told to come on. The track is sim
gle one. Unless can make the
siding at that station in three min
utes, we will meet it yonder in the
hollow
'Somebody blunderedl'
"'Yes, think 80.
"'And you obeyed?'
ssHe said nothing. / threw on
coal. If Ihad had petroleum, l
woulG have thrown it on. But l
never was calmer in my life. When
death has man actually by the
throat it sobers him.
,"Blaketg pushed in the valve still
further. The engine began to give 9
strange painting sound. Far off to
| the south / could see the bituninous
black smoke of train. -
81 looked at Blakely inquiringly.
He nodded. 1t was the express.
81 stopped to the fire."
, IS No more,' he said.
81 looked across the clear, wintr,
sky at the gray smoke Of the peacefn
: little village, and beyond, that blacl
line coming closer, closer, across th
. sky. Then turned to the watch.
ssIn ono minute more 9
I Fs. .