River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-07-31

aAay. The instant it stepped, the sta
tion-master ran to the engineer and told
his terrible story. The mother, with
quicker wit, found the conductor and de-
handed that the engine be taken off and
sent after the children.
The conductor was a man of regular
habits, and such bold request struck
him as something extraordinary. Take
the engine off, and leave the train and
passengers waiting at this lonely jtation?
The idea was preposterousl Some of the
passengers gathered near and asked what
was the matter.
T rec children lost, blown away in an
empty car. Some one said. Eyes, go at
once. We can wait till the engine re-
turns" The conductor said he must tel
egraph for instructions; but some one
said the wires are down." and the people
only cried out the more, "Let the engine
got" so the mother ran to the tender and
began to pull out the pin, that the engine
night start.
Hold on, marm," said brakeman.
an cast her off. You jump aboard if you
want to 60, too. Fire up, Jack, ana make
her hum"
it was all done in moment, and away
flew the engine, leaving the conductor and
the station master staring in surprise at
this singular proceeding. The station
master did not feel very happy. He had
half intended to go with the engine, but
it would never do to leave his. post.
Fire steady, jack said the engineer
to the fireman. ats no use to get excit-
ed, for we're in for long race"
''It's enough to make fellow excited,
to see that woman" said the fireman.
The engineer turned round, and there
by his side stood the mother, her eyes
straining ahead down the line in search
of the missing ones.
"Oh, SRI open the throttle wide. Don't
try to save coal at such time as this"
"We must keep cool, marin, and 60
steady, or we shall run out of coal and
Water and come to a stand-stil on the
line"
The woman sa' d not word, but nod
ded mournfully and leaned against the
side of the cab for support, ard then the
fireman gave her his seat, where she
could look out ahead over the line. How
the engine shook and roared The little
fing, of the steam gauge trembled and
rose higher and higher as the steam pres
sure increased over the raging fire. The
engine seemed to be eating up the track
in front, and behind the track spun out
like SHINING ribbons in the sun. The
station and train had alreaky sunk down
out of sight, and the grassy horizon or
either side seemed to fly away in KIND
of gigantic waltz. The wind died away
to dead calm, and III few moments {
little breeze sprang up and blew IN at the
front windows.
"We are beating the wind, said the
engineer. "If we can keep this pace III
we shall soon overtake them"
"How long have they been gomez
shouted the fireman above the roar of tn,
engine.
II don't know" screamed the woman
without taking her eyes from the horizon
where the rails met the sky. at may
have been t. o hours or more. They were
playing in the empty car"
"How did she get out of the siding z
Gle meant the carr
sits one of the new switches" said tn,
engineer Gears can easily jump out up
on the main line
All something ahead. Was it tn,
runaway car2 No, the next station
What terrible pacel Twenty miles al
ready
"Ob, don't stopp'cried the woman, az
she saw the engineer put his hand an the
Unbelievable.
II must, marin. We are getting on
Of water and perhaps we can learn some
thing of the runaa ay."
The sudden arrival of solitary engine
containing two men and woman, start
| led the station master, and he came on
to see What it meant. He seemed t.
guess at the truth, for he said;
"After the runaway carr"
"Yes, yes. There were three children
inside"
''Oh, marin, I'm sorry for We. 1t went
past here, going twenty miles an hour
1t came down-grade all the way, but the
upgrade begins about two miles out.
was inside when it passed, and didn't see
1t till it had gone past the door
How long 1t took to fill the tender
The engine stood hot and smoking by
tue water tank, and the water came out
in slender stream, while the poor
mother stood locking on, fearful and i'm
patient.
"Good-byl I'll put up the pipe
Heaven clip ye!-the up-grade-''
The rest was lost, for the engine shot
ahead, on and on out over the prairie
The water-tank seemed to sink down in
to the earth, and the shining rails
stretched longer and longer out behind.
An What was that2 A cloud
steam on the horizon, far ahead. The
engineer took out bis time-book and
studied it carefully.
Freight No. 6, bound West, stopping
on the two-mile siding.
How swiftly Freight No. 6 rose from
the grass and grew big along the wayl
Listen A whistle The engineer whis-
tied in reply and shut off steaM. Their
engine quickly slowed down, and they
could see men leaning out from the other
engine, as if to speak to them.
ats ten minutes back. Running slow
on ne-road-clear-"
THANK Heaven" SAID the woman,
The engineer said nothing; but at at
instant the engine gave great leap and
shot ahead, at the rate of fifty miles an
hour, up the easy grade. How long the
minutes seemed, and yet each meant al
most a mile!
All, A speck-a black dot on the no
rizon The cai? Yes. 1t was the car
1t grew bigger and bigger. Now they
could sec it plainly. But the childrenl
Where were they2 The fireman sprang
out through the forward window and ran
along the engine and down upon the cow
catcher. The monster began to slacken
its terrible pace, and in a moment it
struck the car with gentle jar and stop
ped.
The fireman thought himself a lively
man, but the woman was before him and
sprang up into the car.
There they lay, safe and sound, in the
corner of the car-Mary and Tommy fast
asleep, and Kitty watching over them.
"Oh mother / knew you would come.
Mary and Tommy cried themselves to
sleep, and II"
Nobody could say word. The fire.
man tined to rub bis eyes, and only
marked his face with black streaks. The
mother laughed and cried all at once.
The engineer picked up the little ones
md quietly took them into the cab of the
engine.
'There, now, my hearties, you have
lad risky ride, but it's all right
Gomez We're more than thirty miles
rom home, and it won't do to be late to
Inner. FIRE. up, Jack"
AYE, aye, sir," said Jack.-Charles
Bernard, in 81. Nicholas fer July.