Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1879-07-26

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still on the line"
The woman said not o word, but
: nodded mournfully and leaned
; against the side of the cab for sup
t port, and then tho fireman gave
, her bis seat, where she could look
out ahead over the line. How the
engine shook and roared! The
, small finger of the steam gauge
, trembled and rose higher and high
er as tho steam pressure increased
over the raging fire. The engine
seemed to be eating up the track in
front, and, behind, the rails spun
ont like shining ribbons in the sun.
The station and train had already
sunk agEpG6ut Of sight, and the
grassy hprizon on either side seem.
ed to fly away in a kind of gigantic
waltz. Tn wind died away to q
dead calmsand in few moments 8
little breezasprung up and blew in
at the front tindows.
"We are b&ting the wind," said
the engineer. \"If we can keep uE
this pace we \hall soon overtake
them"
GLOW long have they been gone p
shouted the firehan above the roal
of the engine.
II don't knot," screamed the
woman, without taking her eyes
from the horizon where the rails
met the sky. "I may have been
two hours or mpre. They were
playing in the empty car"
"How did she gel off the siding 81
(He meant the emFy cary
"It's one of thelnew switches,' .
said the engineer. AOars can easily
jump out upon the main line"
All ! something ahsad. Was il
the runaway cart No, the next
station. What q terrible pace.
Twenty miles already!
"Oh, don't stopW crisd the WON
an, as she saw the engineer put
his hand on the throttle valve.
~ must marin. We are about
out Of water, and perhaps we Can
learn something of the runaway"
The sudden arrival of a solitary
engine containing two men and a
woman alarmed the station master,
and he came to see what it meant
-He seemed to guess at the truth
for he said:
'tAfter the rusaway car I"
Eyes, yes. There were three
children inside"
"Oh, marin, Pm sorry for You. II
went past here, going twenty miles
an hour, it came down grade all
the way, but the up grade begins
about two miles out; l was inside
when it passed, and didn't see it
till it had gone past the door v'
how long it took to fill the ten
der! The engine stood hot and
smoking by the water tank, and the
water came out in a slender stream,
while the poor mother stood look.
ing on, fearful and patient.
"Good bye! I'll put up the pipe
Heaven help you!-the up
grade"
The rest was lost, for the engine ran
on and over the open prairie. The
water tank seemed to sink down in.
to the earth, and the shining rails
stretched longer and longer out be.
hind.
All! What was thatf 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, stop.
ping on the two mile siding"
How swiftly Freight No. 6 rose
above the grass and grew big along
the way. Listen! A whistle-the
engineer whistled in reply and shut
off the steam; their engine quickly
slowed down, and they could see
men leaning odt from the other en-
gine, as if to speak to them.
s'It's ten minutes back, running
slow oHm.H iine-road-clear.n
s'Thank heaven p said the wo-
man. The engineer said nothing;
but at that moment the engine
gave great leap and shot ahead,
at the rate of SO miles up an easy
grade. How long the minutes seem.
ed, and yet each meant almost a
mile!
All! A speck-a black dot on
the horizon The cart Yes, it was
the car; it grew bigger and bigger |;
now they could see it plainly. But
the children! where were they I
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
moment it struck the car with gen.
tie jar and stopped.
The fireman believed himself
lively man, but the woman was be.
fore 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.