The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-20

of escape here there was none Idd not
expect Charley to jump from his engine, us
many would have done. knew he was
too brave for that But did look for some
sign OF emotion, though not exactly of fear.
There was none, however, except the tight
cning of the lips, and the eaglc-likc look
that came into his eyes. Ills check never
palcd. Not one eye lash quivrrcd. But
that intense gaze did not leave the other
locomotive for an instant
"All this passed in Il moment, quicker,
if possible, than a lightning flash. That
stern Tightening Of the lips, that CLEAN of
the eye, were The outward Indications of
the quick, comprehensive decision he came
to; for, in one moment, he had reviewed
the whole situation, and in the single chance
there was Tor escape; chance | did not
see, but which he did. Escape for the rest
of us, however, but not for him. lie was
doomed, in any event; he realized that
perhaps we all were, but there was Il posi-
bility of saving the passengers; and il was
his duty to do that, "comc wha, might" TO
himself, as he said.
40 you understand the exceptional
bravery Of thiSf Napoleon used to saw.
That very few mcn had four o'clock courage
lie meant by that, that when men were
",
dawn, by Il surprise, ii took some time to
get their wits about them they were dnzcd
they lost their presence of mind. Now
this was even more crucial trial Here
was a train off its time. not signalcl. uncx-
pcctcdly coming round corner, not half a
mile oil, and, therefore, at the rate at which
both trains were going, with but thirty
seconds left, not merely to determine what
to do, if anything could be done, but to do
it. Nine men out Of ten, yes nincty-ninc
out OF hundred, would have lost their
presence Of mind. Even most of those
who might have retained it, would have
sacrificed that thirty seconds i'm weighing
the pros and cons of the situation But
Charley not only kept his nerves firm, and
his intellect cool, but reviewed The state nI
affairs in moment aud decided as instan-
tancously.
"Jump back, Jim, he cried, addressing
his attendant, bnt not even looking around,
while his voice rose, stern and sharp over
the thunder of the two trains. 'Unc0uplc
me from the baggage car. Quick! It's
the only chanccn
cit was tic only chance. Why had I
not thought of it! If the locomotive and
tender could be un(astcncd from the rest of
the train, the two former would dash for
ward, with accelerated velocity, would be
the first. to meet the shock of the collision;
would act rs Il buffer; and would check,
slightly, the speed; and thus when the rest
came in contact, would, perhaps, cause but
little loss of life, if any. l, was Leonidas
.i.";r .i,-".'"r himself into the pass, but l.coni-
'is alonc, ana l.conldns that might save The
three hundred.
"Jim was only al ordinary stokcr, but
ne had also been soldier, where he had
learned habits Of implicit obedience lie
SAID to me, afterwards, that he did not stop
TO think. eTo tell the truth, colonel were
did us was told, hardly knowing l did
it; You saw me, you and General Powell,
don't you remember; and how uncouplcd
the baggage car just in timc2'
81 do remember. / behold it all again,
as vfvidly as mt that moment. | seem TO
hear the quick, sharp words of command,
like nothing so much rs the crack of rifle;
then see Jim, black and bcgimmcd, leap
backwards, tug at coupling; then the
locomotive and tender dart ahead, as if shot
from battery then came a wild thut, the
crash of iron, and splitting of wood, two
locomotives lcaping up in the air gush of
fire, an explosion that shook the earth.
The colonel passed his hand across his
eyes, as il to shut out the sight, drew Il
deep breath and went on.
''ln another second we were upon thcm
at first, | thought that we, too, were lost
But apart from the fact that the brakes had
at last, begun to tell, our momentum had
been further diminished by the tlctachng
of the TENDER and when we dashed against
the mass of ruin, the shock was only sutl-
cicnt to throw us off our feet, and crush in
the forward part Of the baggage car. There
had been just time for us to retreat to the
rear of the car, before the crash. "
The colonel resumed, more quietly, after
a moment.
"Charlcy was found, few feet from the
tragedy, on bank, where the force of the
collision had flung him. lie had died in
simultaneously, the physicians said. Fortu-
natcly, he was not dsfgurcd in the face vt
least.
'IIc was buried at the cemetery, where
went to-day. A few Of us united to erect
q simple monument over him, and every
year go.thcre and lay a wreath of iaan,or-
tcttcs upon it.
I heard, afterwards, may say incden-
tally, that the monument had been put up
almost entirely at the coloncl's expense.
GA few of us" was his modest figure of
speech.
"And the poor girl who was to have
married him2" said our hostess with sigh.
"IIifc was over fDr her" answered tho
colonel. oilers was one of those natures
that. can love but once"
'eIt would have been PROCLAMATION to
have loved any one else, after n hero like
that" "
"Yes!" He was silent for moment.
'But she was one. that could not live
without some object in life, 80 she became
hospital nurse, and when the yellow fever
broke out last year, went down South
She was one of the first to go, and," hcsi-
tatingly, ''onc of the first to die. She diod
at Memphis.
"Poor, poor thing!"
"When the frosts came, her friends had
her brought North, and laid beside Char
ley" said the colonel. "And this year, I
took out, as l shall, always, hereafter, TWO
1MMoRTgLLEs.
Given UP by Doctors.