The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-02-27
"I threw in the coal.


sent out it's shrek of warning it grew
alouder, louder. We dashed into the
street, up to the station, where group
of passengers waited, and passed it with
out the halt of an instant. I caught
glimpse of the appalled, faces of the
waiting crowd. Then we we're i'll the
fields again.
"The speed now became literally
breathless the furnace glared red hot.
The heat, the velocity, the terrible ner-
vous strain of the man beside me, seemed
to weight the air. / found myself draw
ing long stentorious breaths, like one
drowning. heaped in the coal at inter
vals, as he bsde me.
"I'd have done nothing of the kind +
interrupted one of the listeners. The
man was mad.
"I did it because was oppressed by
an old sense of luty, which I never had
in my ordinary brain work. L had
taken this mechanical task on myself,
and L felt structure upon me to go
through with it at any cost. Iknow now
how it is that dull, ignorant men
without spark of enthusiasm, show
such heroism sometimes, as soldiers,
engineers, captains of wrecked vessels.
1t is this overpowering sense OF routine
duty. It is q finer thing than sheer
bravery, to my notion. However, 1
began to be of your mind, Wright, that
Blakeley was mad, laboring under some
sudden frenzy from drink, though l had
never seen him touch liquor.
! "He did not move hand or foot, ex-
cept in the mechanical control of the
engine, his eye going from the gauge to
! the timepiece with p steadiness that was
more terrible and threatening than any
CLEAN of insanity would have been.
Once he glanced back at the long train
speeding after the engine, with head
| long speed that rocked it from side to
side. You would catch glimpses of
hundreds of men and wo1hen talking,
reading, smoking, unconscious that their
lives were all in the hold of one man,
whom ] now strongly suspected to be
mad. l knew by his look that he re-
membered their lives were in his hand.
He glanced at the clock.
Z" Twenty miles, he muttered.
Throw on the coal, Jones. The fire is
| going out
81 did it. Yes, did it. There was
something in the face of that man that
/ could not resist. Then / climbed for
ward and shook him by the shoulder.
Blakeleyr I shouted, you are
running this train into the jaws of
death =
"'I know it, quietly.
Your wife and child are on it..
"'My God D.!
"He staggered to his feet. But even
then he did not move his eye from the
gauge.
In minute
az Make up the fire., he said, and
pushed in the throttle valve.
al will not
90 Make up the fire, Mr.. Santley,
very quietly.
al will not. You may murder your
self and your wife and boy, but you
shall not murder me-
"He looked at me. His kindly eyes
glared like those of wild beast. But
he controlled himself in a moment.
"'I could throw you ont of this door
and make short work of it. But-lool
here do you see the station yonder?'
"I saw thin whisp of smoke against
the sky, about five miles in advance.
"'I was told to reach the station by
six o'clock. The express train meeting
us is due now. l ought to have laid by
for it at Sunbury. was told to come
on. The track is a single one. Unless
/ can make the siding at the station il
three minutes. we will meet it yonder il
! the hollow"
} Somebody blundered I
J Yes, think 30.
"' And you obeyed 2
{" He said nothing. | threw on coal
If had had petroleum, l would hav'
/. put it on. But never was calmer il
my life. When death has man actual,
by the throat it sobers him.
Blakeley pushed in the valve still
farther. The engine began to give
strange painting sound Far off to til,
smoke of train.
"Ilooked at Blakeley inquiringly. HI
nodded. 1t was the express.
"I stopped to the fire.
"'No more, he said.
"I looked across the clear, wintry SIX,
at the gray smoke of the peaceful littl
: village, and beyond, that black line com
. ing closer, closer, across the sky. The
! 1 turned to the watch.
"In one minute more
Gentlemen, confess; 1 sat dow
and buried my face in my hands. Idon'
think tried to pray. L had confuse,
thought of a mass of mangled, dyin
, men and women, mothers and thei
babies, and, vaguely, of a merciful God
Little Charley with his curls and prett
suit
"There was a terrified shrek from th
engine, against which leaned. Anothe
in my face. A hot tempest swept pas
. me.
2 looked up, We we're on the sic
8 ing, and the express had gone by. I'll
I hindmost cars touched in passing.
/. "'Thank God You've done it, Blak
s ley Blakeley Z cried.
But he did not speak. He sat thel
L L Il Z IL