The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-03-06

I was craning my neck to hear, whel
the boy rau alongside with the telegram
"The next moment heard smother
ed exclamation from Blakely.
"'Go back said he to the boy
Tell Sands to have the message repeat
ed. There's a m stake.
"The boy dashed off, and Blakely sa
waiting, coolly polishing bit of tn
shining brass before him. Back CAM
the bov.
"'Had it repeated. Sands is raging
at you. Says there's no mistake, an(
you'd best get on, thrusting the secont
message up.
"Blakeley read it, and stood hesitatine
for half a minute. I never shall forge
the dismay, the utter perplexity tina
gathered in his lean face as he looked a.
the telegram, and then at the long trair
behind him. His lips moved as if ht
were calculating chances, and his eyei
suddenly quailed, as if he saw death a.
the end of the calculation.
"What's the matter? WHAT are yor
going to do 2 I asked.
"Obey.'
"The engine gave long shrek oi
horror, that made me start as If it were
Blakeley rs own voice. The nextinstant we
rushed out of the station, and dashed
through the low-lying farms at speed
which seemed dangerous to me.
"sPut in more coal, said Blakeley.
"I shovelled it in.
"We are going very fast, Blakcley,
I ventured.
"He did not answer. His eye was fix.
ed on the steam gauge; his lips closely
shut.
"'More coalr
"I threw it in.
s.The fields and houses began to fly
past but half seen. We were nearing
Snnbury. Blakeley's eye went from the
gauge to the face of the tlmepiece and
back. He moved like an automaton.
There was little more meaning in his
face.
"'More.' without turning his eye.
ct took up the shovel-hesitated.
Blakeley We're going very fast.
We're going at the rate of sixty miles an
hour
"sCoal =
81 was alarmed at the stern, cold
rigidity of the man. His pallor was be.
coming frightful.
81 threw in the coal.
cat least we must stop in Sunbury.
He had told me that was the next halt.
"The little town approached. As the
first house came into view, the engine
sent out it's shrek of warning it grew
louder, 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. 1 caught a
glimpse of the appalled, faces of the
waiting crowd. Then we were in 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. I found myself draw
ing long stentorious breaths, like one
drowning. I heaped in the coal at inter-
walls. as he bsde me.
"'I'd have done nothing of the kind 7
interrupted one OF the listeners. THE
man was mad
"I did it because I was oppressed by
an old sense of .luty, which l never had
in my ordinary brain work. 1 had
taken this mechanical task on myself,
and I felt structure upon me to go
through with it at any cost. know now
how it is that dull, ignorant men
without spark of enthusiasm, show
such heroism sometimes, as soldiers,
engineers, captains of wrecked vessels.
It is this overpowering sense OF routine
duty. It is finer thing than sheer
bravery, to my notion. Ho vever, I
began to be of your mind, Wright, that
Blakeley was mad, laboring under some
sudden frenzy from drink, though I 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 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 gEmpses of
hundreds of men and women talking,
reading, smoking, unconscious that their
lives were all in the hold of one man,
whom I now strongly suspected to be
mad. I 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
"I did it. Yes, I did it. There was
something in the face of that man that
could not resist Then I climbed for
ward and shook him by the shoulder.
BlakeleyI I shouted, you are
running this train into the jaws OF
death 7
"'I know it, quietly.
"'Your wife and child are on it.
"My God |!
"He staggered to his feet. But even
then he did not move his eye from the
gauge.
"'In a minute
"tMake up the fire. he said, and
pushed in the throttle valve.
"I will not.
"' Make up the fire, Mr.. santley,
very quietly.
"'I 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 moment.
"'I could throw you out of this door,
and make short work of it. Bullock
here do you see the station yonder?
81 saw a thin whisp of smoke against
the sky, about five miles in advance.
g" was told to reach the station by
six o'clock. The express train meeting
us is due now. l ought to have luid by
for it at Sunbury. I was told tn come
on. The track is a single one. Unless
can make the siding at the station in
three minutes, we will meet it yonder in
the hollow"
Somebody blundered 7
"Yes, think So
"And you obeyed?'
"He said nothing. threw on coal.
If had had petroleum, I would have
put it on. But never was calmer in
my life. When death has man actually
by the throat it sobers him.
Blakeley pushed in the valve still
farther The engine began to give 8