Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-08-30


- Obey
The engine gave u long shrek ot
horror that made me start, rs il il were
Bakclcy'S own voice. Thenext instant
we rush out ot tho station and dartcd
through the loW-lying farms at n speed
Y winch seemed dangerous to me.
Tut IN more coal said Bhkclv.
shoveled il in.
We are going very fast, RhkeIcy.
4 | Vcutured.
llc did not answer His vyc Was
fixed on the steam gauge, his 6ps close.
4 lvshut.
- Moro coal.
Tue fields and houses began to tlv
\ past hut half sccn We were nearing
s.. Blakcly's eyes went from the
guags ~ the face of the Gmc-piccc and
back. lie moved like All automaton
There WAS little moro meaning in his
face.
More without turning his eve.
took up the shovel hCsitatcd.
- BIakolcy! We're gong very fast.
We're going ut the rate of sixty miles
All hour.
- Coal
!" ! was alarmed ut the stern, cold,
rigldity OF tho man. His paller was hc-
coming frightiul
threw III the coal.
Al least, we must stop ut S.
lie had told mo that was tho next halt.
The little town approached. Astho
first house came into view the engine
sent out its shrek Of warning; II grew
louder, louder. We dashed into tho
street, up to tho station, where u group
of passengers waited, and passed il
without the halt of an instant. | caught
glimpse Of the appalled, faces Of the
waiting crowd. Then we were in tho
fields again.
The speed now became literally
breathless, the furnace garcd red hot.
The heat, the velocity, the terrible ner-
vous strain ofthe man beside me seemed
to weigh the air. found myself draw
ing long, stontorious breaths, like ono
drowning; henped in the Goals ut in.
scNals MS ho bado me.
I'd have nothing of that kind, in
tcmuptcd one Of the listeners. The
man was mad.
- did il because was oppressed hv
IN odd sense ofduty, which never Ind
in my ordinary brain work.
" had taken this mechanical task
on myself, and felt structure upon
me TO SO through with it ut any cost.
:" know now how IL il that dull, ig-
norant men, without u spark Of onthu-
sasm, show such heroism sometimes as
soldiers. engineers and captains of
wrecked vessels. 1t is this overpower-
ing sense Of routine duty. Its IL finer
thing than sheer bravery to my notion
However, ! began to he Of your
mind, Wright, that Blakely was mad,
from drink, though Ind never seen
him touch liquor.
!" He did not move hand or foot ex-
ccpt in the mechanical control Of the
engine, his eye going from the guage to
the time-piece with steadincss that
was more terrible and threatening than
any glcam Of insanity would have been
Once he glanced back ut the long
train sweeping after the engine with II
speed that rocked it from side to side
You could catch glimpscs of hundreds
smoking, UNCONSCIOUS that their lives
were all ia the hold of one man.
whom now strongly suspected To bc
mad.
- knew BY his look that hc romem-
borcd their lives were in his hsnd He
glanced atthe clock.
Twenty miles, he muttorcd
ttIh cou 1p thn nCu1 Innaa. tho fire -
going out.
Il did it. Yes, | did it, There was
something III the face Of that man that
| could not resist Then | climbed for
ward and shook him by the shoulder.
@ Blakclcy, shouted, you are run
ming this train into the Jaws of
death
g know it, quietly.
81 Your wife and children are in il,
- Great heaycnl'
" He staggered 10 his feet. But even
then lie did not mo D his eyes from the
guage.
- Make up the fire, lie said, and
pushed IN the throttle valve.
81 will not
- Make up the fire, Mr.. Stanley,
very quietly.
- | will not. You may murder your
self, and your wife and boy, but you
shall not murder me-
" He looked at me. His kindly gray
eyes glarcd like those Of wild beast.
But lie controlled himself.
- could throw you off the engine
and make short work of III But look
here; do you see the station yonderY
I saw thin wisp of smoke against
the Ky, about five miles in advance.
9 ! was told to reach that station by
six O'Clock. The express tram meet.
-. ~. 8. L,,1 ,,l..,. n.l,,,l,l Inn,