The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-08-30

at this singular proceeding. The stauon-
master did not feel very happy. He had
! half intended to go with the engine, but
It would never do to leave his post.
Sire steady, Jack, said the engineer
to the fireman. TITS no use to get ex-
cited. for we're in for long race.
sIt'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
I straining ahead down the line in search
!, of the missing ones.
"Oh. sir! open the throttle wide. Don't
try to save coal at such time as this.
1--WE must keep cool, marin, and go
steady, or we shall run out of coal and
water and come to stand-still on the
line"
The woman said not word, but nod
ded mournfully and leaned against the
side of the cab for support, and then the
fireman gave her his seat, where she
could look out ahead over the line. How
the engine shook and roaredi The little
fingers 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 already sunk down
out of sight, and the grassy horizon on
either side seemed to fly away in kind
of gigantic waltz. The wind died away
to dead calm, and in q few moments O
little breeze sprang up and blew in at the
front windows.
I'VE are beating the wind" said the
engineer. eff we can keep this pace up
we shall soon overtake them"
How long have they been gomez
shouted the fireman above the roar Of the
engine.
81 don't know" screamed the woman,
without taking her eyes from the hori.
zon, where the rails met the sky. III
may have been two hours or more. They
were playing in the empty car.
How did she get out of the siding?''
(He meant the carl.
Its one of the new switches, said the
engineer. Cars can easily jump out
upon the main line"
Ali something ahead. Was it the
runaway car! No, the next station,
What terrible pace! Twenty miles al
ready!
..0h, don't stop!" cried the woman, as
she saw the engineer put his hand on the
! throttle-yalve.
" 1 must, madam. We are getting out
of water, and perhaps we can learn
something Of the runaway"
| The sudden arrival Of q solitary engine,
containing two men and a woman, start
| led the station-master, and he came out
to see what it meant. He seemed to
4 guess at the truth, for he said:
"After the runaway car ?"
"Yes, yes. There were three children
inside"
| "Oh, marm, I'm sorry for ye. 1t went
past here, going twenty miles an hour.
It came down-grade all the way, but the
upgrade begins about two-miles out.
was inside when it passed, and didn't see
| it till it had gone past the door,"
| How long it took to fill the tender!
The engine stood hot and smoking by
| the water. tank, and the water came ont
in a slender stream, while the poor
mother stood looking, fearful and i'm
| patient.
''Good-by! I'll put up the pipe
Heaven help yel--the upgrade"
| The rest was lost, for the engine shot
ahead, on and on out over the prairie.
The water-tank seemed to sink down into
longer and longer out behind.
All? What was that? A cloud of steam
on the horizon far ahead. The engineer
| took out his time-book and studied it
carefully.
Freight No. 6, bound west, stopping
on the two-mile siding.
How swiftly Freight No. rose from
the grass and grew big along the way !?
+ A
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.
:" It's ten minutes back. Running slow
on n-line-road clear"
''Thank Heaven!" said the woman
The engineer said nothing; but at that
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 mile!
All! A speck-a black dot on the hori-
zonl The car? Yes. It was the car. It
grew bigger and bigger. Now they could
see it plainly. Bnt the children? Where
were they? 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 mo-
ment it struck the car with gentle jar
and stopped.
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! I knew you would come
Mary and Tommy cried themselves to
sleep, and Il"
Nobody could say word The fire.
man tried to rub his eyes, and only
marked his face with black streaks The
mother laughed and cried all ut once.
The engineer picked up the little ones
and quietly took them into the cab Of the
engine.
"There now, my hearties, you have
had risky ride; but it's ell right! Come
We're more than thirty miles from home,
and it won't do to be late to dinner. Fire
up, Jack"
''Aye, aye, SIR said Jack.-C Charles |
Bernard, IN 81. Nicholas for July.
Vxr. wv. l